• Search Engines 
• Subject Starters 
  (Alternatives to search engines)
• Web Guides & Tutorials 
• Specialized Search Tools 
• Current Awareness
• Free Email Sites 

Search Engines

• Ask (formerly AskJeeves) ...Allows you to use natural language - to search the Internet by typing a simple question in plain English.
• Google...The search engine with the largest size and scope.
• Live Search (formerly MSN Search) ...This is the Microsoft search engine.
• Yahoo Canada...One of the best known search engines, with useful features for searching.
• Search Engine Colossus...Helps you find Internet portal sites for different countries.
• Search Engine Showdown...A site that helps you keep up with what is new with Search Engines, and their various strengths and weaknesses.

Subject Starters: Alternatives to search engines

Subject Starters are directories of Internet resources, organized by topic. They differ from search engines in that they at least attempt to provide the best Internet resources for various topics. Try browsing these directories to find what you want!

• A9... Search engine from Amazon.com; includes search results from Google and/or Amazon, including Amazon's "Search inside a Book."
• Academic Info … A directory providing access to college and research level Internet resources.
• BUBL Link … This British Directory has the greatest research focus of the subject starters mentioned here; good for students from high school through university.
• Classifile.com... Canadian-based Internet directory including a wide range of categories. Select Cities/ Towns/ Countries to find selected websites on locations worldwide.
• Internet Public Library 
• Librarians Index to the Internet … An annotated directory of over 12,000 Internet sites on a wide variety of topics.
• ODP - Open Directory Project... The largest human-edited directory of the web.
• Research Discovery Network... From the United Kingdom, this website provides access to Internet sites from many educational and research organizations. This website also has a Virtual Training Website, which provides access to a large collection of free online tutorials.
• Virtual Reference Library … From the Toronto Public Library, this subject guide to the Internet provides thousands of links, and is particularly strong for Canadian sources, business and jobs, genealogy, and science.
• WWW Virtual Library... A large catalog of recommended websites, covering a range of subject areas.
  

Web Guides & Tutorials

• Be Web Aware...developed by Media Awareness Network
• Canadian Association of Internet Providers ...Information about Internet service providers
• Cyberwise ...Government site promoting responsible Internet use
• Electronic Classroom's Online Tutorial Listings... From the Surrey Public Library, our list of online tutorials providing help to those getting started, interested in learning to search the Internet, use Microsoft Office software, and more.
• GCF Global Learning... Free career and computer training
• Media Awareness Network ...advice for parents and teachers
• Northernwebs.com...Informative site offering helpful tutorials
• TechSoup...Technology information and articles for non-profit organizations
• Tutorials... From the Calgary Public Library, an excellent collection of tutorials on computing topics including Internet Explorer, Google, Hotmail, and using an online database.
• Web Tutorials ...compiled by Fraser Valley Regional Library

Specialized Search Tools 

The following sites are useful particular types of searches…

• Google Scholar... This feature from the search engine Google allows you to find academic research papers online.
• Open Archive Initiative... From the Canadian Association of Research Libraries, this website provides access to research papers from Canadian scholars, including theses and research papers.
• Wayback Machine …Allows you to search through an archive of Internet sites as they looked at various points in history. Useful, if you want to find an Internet site that is no longer there, or old information from a site (e.g. old employees, old stock prices).
• The Scannery... Website providing an archive of scanned documents from institutions worldwide, including governments, international organizations, companies, and political parties.
• Search Systems...Links to over 10,000 free public records databases.
• Findarticles.com...Free full-text journal articles, from 300 different journals.

Current Awareness

Sites to help you stay up to date on what is new and interesting on the Internet.

• LII New this week...Librarians Index to the Internet adds about 20 new Internet resources per week.
• Sitelines ... Information and commentary on new Internet resources.
  

Free Email Sites

These links are to free email services. To use any of these services for the first time you will have to register at the site itself. When you register, you get your own email address.

These free email services are Internet web sites. They are not created or run by the library, nor by the City of Surrey. We have no role in maintaining or monitoring them. Nor does the library have access to people's passwords, messages or registration data.

• Yahoo! Mail Free email from Yahoo!
• Gmail - Free email from Google
• Hotmail - Free email from Microsoft.(Surrey Public Library does not recommend the use of Hotmail in our Electronic Classrooms because of problems downloading attachments via Hotmail).
• EmailAddresses.com - A directory of many other free email providers.

Registration note:
Registration typically means signing up with the site by completing an online application form. Look for the "sign-up" button or link on the site of your choice, and follow the instructions there. Some registration questions could strike you as fairly personal, such as hobbies, salary, and other marketing information. If you object to these questions, you may choose not to complete the registration process.