ALA’s reputation for publishing excellent materials for librarians in all fields has been affirmed yet again by this timely resource for librarians. Teacher and writer Calvin Ross has coined a new word – cybrarian – to describe the librarian who launches into cyberspace to locate and download from the Internet a broad variety of free or inexpensive databases and software.

A random sampling of the items listed verifies that the sites Ross has selected provide material that compares favourably with the more expensive commercial software and databases. web sites such as School Library Hotspots (a one-stop shopping site for librarians) and the popular www.shareware.com (the large clearinghouse for shareware and freeware) are representative of the impressive lists. Each entry includes a brief evaluation and indicates the system requirements needed.

The contents are divided into two sections, Bargain-Hunting Strategies and Shareware, Freeware, and Internet Listings. The first section gives full definitions of the terms involved as well as clear procedures for locating and acquiring these economical resources. The clear writing style takes the user through all the required basics of Internet searching. The step-by-step directions are foolproof. This section is a treasure for those whose first encounters with this aspect of computing have been obstructed by daunting user manuals or worse yet, no available clear documentation of procedures.

The second and larger section of the book provides listings of actual World Wide Web, gopher, and FTP sites. These are arranged under subject headings for curriculum and general interest. The index is top quality. One should not be deterred by the emphasis on American content since Canadian resources can be located using the easy searching strategies.

Although the title of this book gives the impression that it is intended for kids, the introduction, layout, and content are all geared to teachers and librarians. It will be useful for bright teens but could well become a manual for all librarians, teachers, and care givers. Calvin Ross may not be a librarian but he surely thinks like one and has our interests at heart.