Virtual Reference Desk

Local Interest

• The Weather Channel - Rochester
  Covering the 5-day regional forecast and current Rochester weather conditions.
• City Hall - Rochester
  The official home page for the City of Rochester offers an excellent guide to the city's government services and its attractions.
• Rochester Business Alliance (Chamber of Commerce)
  Featuring Rochester's economic statistics, city resources, jobs, businesses and corporate training programs.
• LIBRAWeb
  The Library Information Bridge for the Rochester area features links to: Directory of Associations, Directory of Clubs in Monroe County, Human Services Directory, Rochester Neighborhood Association lists, Senior Housing City Edition, and the Visiting Artists list.
• Monroe County Web Site
  The official site for Monroe County devised to put county information and governmental processes at your fingertips.
• @Rochester
  The WWW guide to Rochester features entertainment, sports, education, community connections and more.
• The BigGuide/MyRochester
  The definitive guide to dining, film, clubs and events in the Rochester, NY area.
• Rochester Dines.
  From the Digital Democrat & Chronicle (Rochester's newspaper) comes this searchable database of area eateries along with weekly updated reviews and more.
• CAROL
  Created by design students here at RIT, this site offers a gateway to Rochester's arts and cultural scene.

Almanacs/Guides/Handbooks

• Information Please Almanac
  An electronic almanac that grew out of a game show and print almanac published for over half a century, includes facts on subjects such as history, aviation, geography, entertainment and awards, and much more.
• Almanca of American Politics *
  Keeps you up to date on key votes of Congress, results from special and interim elections, important committee changes and more.
• Best Places.net
  The source for complete information on places nationwide such as a town or city's cost of living, school districts, crime, climate, etc.
• County and City Data Book
  Selected information for top ranked cities.
• ComputerAlmanac (Carnegie Mellon University)
  A plethora of technology related data and quotes.
• Country Studies - Area Handbooks
  In-depth information on countries all over the world, including the social, political, historical and economic characteristics.
• Edmund's Automobile Buyer's Guide
  Vehicle pricing, information, and reviews.
• Fast Facts: Almanacs/Factbooks/Statistical Reports
  Interesting and concise facts on numerous topics from the human body to war.
• The World Factbook
  Provides a map and a concise description of the geography, people, government, economy, transportation, etc. for countries worldwide.

Biographies

• Big101
  Links to local newspaper obituaries and famous people obituaries.
• Biographical Dictionary
  A biographical database with open editing and collaboration among all users.
• Information Please Biography
  Biographical information provided by Infoplease almanac.
• Distinguished Women of Past and Present
  A biographical database specializing in famous and influential women.

Currency & Exchange Rates

• Universal Currency Converter
  Provides worldwide currency tools, including up-to-the-minute currency exchange rates and a foreign exchange trade service.
• FXConverter - 164 Currency Converter
  View exchange rates for 164 currencies for any day since 1/1/1990 through today.
• x.rates.com
  Site includes international currency calculator and historic archives.

Dictionaries/Thesauri/Quotations

• ASL Video Dictionary and Inflection Guide *
  Contains more than 2700 examples of sign language.
• Bartleby
  Internet resource for literature and grammatical information, including encyclopedias, quotations, poetry, and fiction and nonfiction classics.
• Cambridge International Dictionary of English
  Electronic dictionary with extras such as word games, an ever-changing list of most looked-up words, and links to foreign language dictionaries.
• Grove Art Online *
  This Dictionary of Art contains over 45,000 articles on every aspect of the visual arts.
• Information Please Dictionary
  Quick definition search and includes added features such as spelling help, daily word quiz, crosswords, and a dictionary of phrase and fable.
• One Look Dictionaries
  Includes wild card/truncation tips and searching, as well as a reverse dictionary which search by definition for a word.
• Oxford English Dictionary *
  Specializes not just in the current meanings of words, but in the history and evolution of words in the English language.
• Roget's Thesaurus (forms-based - U. of Chicago)
  Search within headwords or full-text for synonyms, antonyms, and related words.
• Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus
  Maintained by Bartleby.com
• Wordsmyth
  Grammar and vocabulary tools, including a Wordsmyth toolbar download, which allows you to look up words on Webpages without leaving the site.
• Your Dictionary
  Links to language, technical and specialty dictionaries.

Directories

• Acronym Finder
  Search and find meanings of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms.
• Chambers of Commerce Directory
  Search for Websites/contact information of chambers of commerce all over the world, or a state, city, or provence.
• Congressional Directories
  Government database including terms of service and contact information for your local congressman.
• Peterson's Educational Center (College Directories)
  Guide for parents and high school students, or adults, who are planning for college.
• Princeton Online Review (College Reviews)
  Browse or search information on schools, careers, scholarships, test preparation and more.
• ZIP Code Information (US Postal Service)
  Look up a zip code by city, address, company, or view all the cities/towns in one zip code.