91´«Ã½

CHICAGO—The 18th Annual Best Free Reference Websites list, previously published in the Fall 2016 issue of , is now also available on . This year’s list features twenty-two websites with annotations composed by members of . The selection criteria and process are detailed in the list’s preface.

American FactFinder

Author/Publisher: United States Census Bureau

AnnualReports.com

Author/Publisher: AnnualReports.com, a division of IRSolutions.com

Art UK

Author/Publisher: Public Catalogue Foundation

Ballot Measures Database

Author/Publisher: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)

Best Commencement Speeches, Ever

Author/Publisher: NPR

Cancer Statistics Center

Author/Publisher: American Cancer Society

CORE - COnnecting REpositories

Author/Publisher: Knowledge Media Institute

Digital Public Library of America

Author/Publisher: Digital Public Library of America

Find A Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records

Author/Publisher: Find A Grave

Global Terrorism Database

Author/Publisher: National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism

Goodreads

Author/Publisher: Goodreads, Inc.

Guide to North American Birds

Author/Publisher: National Audubon Society

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Author/Publisher: James Fieser (Editor), University of Tennessee at Martin & Bradley Dowden (Editor), California State University, Sacramento.

JournalTOCs

Author/Publisher: School of Mathematical and Computer Science, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK

National Parks Service

Author/Publisher: National Parks Service, US Dept. of the Interior

National Transportation Statistics

Author/Publisher: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

NYPL Digital Collections

Author/Publisher: New York Public Library

Reference.com - A Free Online Encyclopedia & Information Reference

Author/Publisher: Dictionary.com, LLC.

Statistical Abstracts of the United States

Author/Publisher: U.S. Census Bureau

Date reviewed: March 3, 2016

USDA Local Food Directory Listings

Author/Publisher: United States Department of Agriculture

U.S. Small Business Administration

Author/Publisher: U.S. Small Business Administration

W3Schools

Author/Publisher: W3Schools - Refsnes Data

The complete list including annotations and review dates can be viewed on . The has been updated to include the sites selected in the 18th annual list. The list made its first debut in the Fall 2014 issue of Reference and User Services Quarterly (RUSQ), RUSA’s research journal. Each site is selected based on, but not limited to quality, depth, usability, usefulness of content and authority of producer. Succinct and insightful annotations were written by the selection committee and reflect all subject areas useful for ready reference and value in most libraries.

The Best Free Reference Websites selection committee consists of Autumn Lorraine Mather (Co-Chair), Ryerson & Burnham Libraries; Paul E. Victor, Jr. (Co-Chair), Eastern Washington University Library; Christine M. Barnes, Nagoya University of Commerce and Business; Shannon D. Jones, Medical University of South Carolina; Yaniv Masjedi, Nextiva; Emily Reed, Central Penn College; Sheena Sewell, Broward County Libraries Division; Jeremy Walker, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar.

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the 91´«Ã½, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers’ advisory and resource sharing. RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need. Learn more about RUSA’s Book and Media Awards at rusa.ala.org/update/awards/.