The American Library Association has posted its 2007 listing of the "Best Free Reference Web Sites." Criteria used by ALA to select these Web pages includes uniqueness of the resource as a whole, usefulness in a variety of reference settings, currency of content, and efficiency (graphics load quickly and the server is reliable). Listed below are several law-related Web sites which made the list, plus one resource useful for travelers. Doing Business First launched in 2003, this is a great Web site for "comparing business regulations." In-depth data and reports about rankings of regulations relevant to doing business are supplied for 175 economies, along with tools for comparative analysis. Export.Gov This Web site brings together resources from across the U.S. Government to assist American business in international sales as well as identifying important exporting opportunities essential for anyone doing business abroad. Access to most of the materials is free but requires registration. Zillow Zillow provides estimates of home values and related data for over 70,000,000 properties to prospective buyers and sellers. Entering an address will produce a satellite photograph and street map, as well as data on home features such as number of bedrooms. Data coverage is not completely even, but homeowners and buyers will find Zillow.com a quick and easy way to estimate a home's current value. Gethuman Perhaps it is a bit of a stretch to describe this as a 'law-related' database but for anyone ever exasperated by trying to phone an organization in order to resolve a problem, check out this terrific resource. Aimed at consumers, the gethuman database of 500 companies includes customer service telephone numbers, specific instructions for reaching a real person at each company, and quality of service scores. Users can click on a company name to rate the quality of telephone support. SeatGuru For the causal or frequent flyer, this site provides detailed maps of commercial airliners for seating selections, in-flight amenities and general traveling information. Included are the locations of the galley, restrooms, exits, and closets. Color codes on the seats indicate uncomfortable or unpopular seats, average seats and preferred seats. ALA's complete listing of the 2007 best free reference web sites is definitely worth a look.

Submitted by Cheryl O'Connor on April 2, 2008

This article appears in the categories: Law Library