Online libraries (or virtual libraries) reflect a current trend in information science: "going" to the library is no longer always a physical trip to a building but is increasingly a matter of launching the browser and heading to an online collection of library resources. Current literature would identify this trend as moving "from brick to click." Call it what you wish -- the fact is that an increasingly vast amount of material is online. Some of these resources are accessed via the online presence of a particular library and require patron authentification in order to obtain acccess. These resources include a wide variety of databases that are of academic or popular interest, and many offer full-text documents (HTML or PDF). These are available via library subscription (and, it should be noted, access continues only as long as the library maintains the subscription). But many other library resources are free and open to the public globally. It is this latter access point that is the focus of this listing. My sites about Basic Reference Sources and Resources for Library Services for Distance Learners may also be of interest.

Indexes -- the "big picture" of online library sites
Libdex -- The Library Index -- Index to 18,000 libraries
LibWeb -- currently listing over 6600 pages from libraries from over 115 countries

Online Libraries
The Library of Congress (LOC)
The U.S. Institute of Peace Library
The American War Library (warning: music plays here, but there are many resources)
National Agricultural Library
U.S. National Library of Medicine -- World's largest medical library; home of MedLine
Presidential Libraries
GRIN -- Great Images in Nasa Library (searchable image database)
NASA SpaceLink: The Library
Internet Law Library
Library Spot
Internet Public Library
Questia --" the world's largest online library"
The Educator's Reference Desk -- the new home of ERIC
Highbeam eLibrary Research
The WWW Virtual Library
Encyclopedia.com -- a good reference tool online
NCELA -- "access hundreds of articles related to educating linguistically and culturally diverse students"
Awesome Library -- including the Awesome Talking Library
Infomine -- Scholarly Internet Resource Collections: "15,550 academically valuable resources"
ACM Digital Library -- public may search for articles using the search area on the main page

"Click" resources linked to "brick"
Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University -- many good e-References
Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia Library
The British Library -- view their 2 Gutenberg Bibles online here! Much to explore here!
Chicago Public Library Digital Collections and Selected Internet Resources
The Vincent Voice Library at Michigan State University -- many good things to hear are here, including a recording of President Benjamin Harrison from 1889 from an Edison wax cylinder!
New York City's Digital Libraries -- don't miss the online exhibitions

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