Web Texas: A Sample of the Best of the
Best
William T. Johnson and Carol Roberts
This collection of Texas Web sites represents some the best in Texas educational electronic resources. These sites have been grouped under nine headings — Art, Business, Education, Family, Regional Sites, Government, Health, Recreation, and Scientific Sources — with eleven individual sites in each group. They are drawn from a collection of Web pages compiled by staff of the Texas Tech Library for use by students and faculty at Tech. The full collection may be viewed at http://www.ttu.edu/~library/subject/texorg.htm.
Our focus here is on variety and quality rather than quantity. Each site is accompanied by a brief description to help the you decide whether to visit the site. While our Texas Tech collection is not meant to be exhaustive in all areas, we did intend to offer extensive coverage in the categories of cities, hospitals, libraries, museums, and schools. Web pages for churches and religious organizations may be found in the family section. Each site has been reviewed with an eye toward content, organization, and appearance. If we failed to include a site, it does not mean that we did not find it valuable; many sites not included can be easily found in similar resources. Our goal was to concentrate the better Internet resources based in Texas in one guide, offer a brief description of specific entries, and arrange them in an easy-to-find manner.
We consulted several Internet search tools and catalogs to generate the initial list, which was then reviewed, site by site, to come up with the final group. If you would like to propose a site for the list, please notify Bill Johnson (wtjohnson@ttu.edu) or Carol Roberts (licer@ttacs.ttu.edu) at Texas Tech University. The primary incentive in creating this list is the recognition of the responsibility librarians have to save their patrons the time and effort required to wade through an ocean of electronic information, and to review and select relevant sites for their use.
Art/Culture/Music/Literature
The inherent capacity for cultural growth is an important aspect of any
educational environment. These Web sites offer opportunities for enrichment
in the fine arts, the performing arts, cultural events, languages and literature.
The Carver Community Cultural Center
http://www.tristero.com/carver/
Named after George Washington Carver, this multicultural center's primary
purpose is to provide performing arts to children and adults in the San Antonio
area. The Carver center offers dance and ceramic classes to children and
adults. The site includes a calendar of events and a brief historical overview.
Ensemble
http://www.ensemble.org/
This site is a meeting place and forum for all music lovers. Ensemble offers
on-line discussion about music plus the opportunity to learn more about the
subjects on-line. The site provides information about all types of music
as well as the ability to order sheet music on-line.
The Texas Celtic Page
http://www.pic.net/~callahan/texcelt.htm
This site furnishes information on Celtic activities in major cities in Texas.
It also provides comprehensive access to information on Irish, Welsh, Breton,
Scottish, Manx, and Celtic languages and cultures.
Texas International Folk Dancers
http://www.texas.net/~yastreb/tifd/tifd.html
This nonprofit educational organization promotes folk dancing and the folk
arts in Texas and surrounding states. The site provides information on
membership, members' groups, and contests.
Business and Economics
These sites represent a variety of businesses and illustrate how the private
sector can use the Web to enhance competitiveness and efficiency.
Computer Recycling Programs: Texas
http://www.microweb.com/pepsite/Recycle/Texas.html
Texas educators will find the opportunity represented by this site invaluable.
Organizations within this site are facilitating the recycling of used computer
machines into the education arena. The major cities of Dallas, El Paso, and
San Antonio are represented. It also offers reviews on children's software
and a computer consulting service.
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Gulf Coast Inc.
http://www.powersource.com/cccs
CCCS is a nonprofit organization of which the main purpose is to assist consumers
in credit counseling. CCCS helps consumers work with creditors to repay unsecured
debts. This service offers various opportunities for education, financial
literacy, creditor relations, consumer rights, and credit counseling.
International Association of Business Communicators
http://www.iabc.com//homepage.htm
Communication is the key to this organization, which provides products, services,
and networking opportunities to individuals and businesses to improve their
public relations, employee communication, and marketing. This site offers
information on local chapters, conferences, and information on membership
and current members in the organization.
Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce
http://www.tamacc.org/
Founded to encourage the opportunities for Hispanics in commerce and the
Hispanic community overall, this organization has grown substantially since
1975. The information available on this site includes business, leadership,
and convention information as well as the corporate partners. Visitors to
the site will find membership information plus a directory of chamber members.
Education: Libraries, Museums, Schools,
School Districts
Learning is becoming a high-tech adventure and these sites will put you in
touch with the leading educational institutions in Texas that have embraced
new technologies. They are as varied in content, organization, and appearance
as the patrons they serve.
Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL)
http://www.sil.org/
Based in Dallas, SIL is dedicated to the study of minority languages and
cultures around the world. This site offers a catalog of the worlds languages
and this is a good source of information on countries. Visitors may browse
a list of countries or choose a location from one of several world and country
maps. Software, bibliographic information, and links to related resources
are also available.
Texas Homeschool Organizations
http://www.home-school.com/Groups/TX.html
This simple directory of homeschoolers in Texas is part of a much larger
site, Homeschool World, which includes a huge mall of resource suppliers
for the homeschool classroom. This colorful site offers substantial information,
related links, articles, support groups, and much more.
Texas Library Association (TLA)
http://www.txla.org/
This searchable site offers access to publications, as well as organization
and membership information for the Association in addition to matters of
concern to Texas librarians such as intellectual freedom, legislative activities,
and annual conference events. Selected library sites from around the 'Net
are arranged for convenient access.
Educational Organizations
http://www.tenet.edu/othertx/main.html
This handy arrangement of education agencies and groups in Texas and the
U.S. includes access to the Science Teachers Association of Texas, Southwest
Educational Development Laboratory, Texas Business and Education Coalition,
and many more.
Family Resources
The resources listed here were selected on the basis of their potential
contribution to building stronger families in the Lone Star State.
The Arc — Mental Retardation Family Assistance
http://fohnix.metronet.com/~thearc/welcome.html
The Web site for this national organization based in Arlington, Texas, provides
access to a vast amount of information from government reports to directories
of local chapters. Fact sheets on topics related to mental retardation are
provided along with access to news and publications. The site offers historical
information as well as their mission statement, which is vital to providing
a better life for mentally retarded citizens.
Central Texas Youth Services Bureau
http://www.io.com/~owen/ctys/youth.html
The Central Texas Youth Services Bureau is a private organization funded
by donations and volunteers that works with kids and parents to prevent crises
and to keep juveniles out of the courts. Services are free, confidential,
and voluntary. Emergency shelter, employment information, and a 24-hour hotline
provide practical help when it is needed the most. This Web page contains
a list of three outreach sites in Central Texas that will direct you to the
nearest source of help.
Parents Anonymous of Texas
http://www.io.com/~paranon
This is an essential site committed to stopping child abuse in all its forms:
verbal, physical, and sexual, as well as neglect. The site includes all the
information you need to understand the group, its operation, funding, and
how you can help. In addition to various support groups and training programs,
a 24-hour crisis line is provided. They base their effectiveness on their
ability to remove barriers which prevent people in crisis from seeking help.
Texas Baptist Children's Home
http://www.tbch.org/
This site provides information on services to children from troubled backgrounds
via two programs: residential care on a 112-acre location near Round Rock,
and a "Miracle Farm" on 270 acres near Brenham. The basic information provided
consists of brief descriptions, admissions details, addresses, background,
and a few well-chosen images. The programs and services offered are quite
varied to suit the unique needs of ordinary people with complex lives, such
as single-parent care, wilderness camps, residential group care, foster family
care, help for runaways, and more.
Geographical Subunits or Sites with a Regional
Focus
The sheer size of Texas demands representation of the state's dynamic culture,
geography, and economy. These sites provide a glimpse of the rich diversity
of Texas with views and information from the Panhandle to the piney woods,
and from the big cities to the wide open spaces of the Trans-Pecos.
Border Resources
Our border with Mexico is an exciting part of the country. These three sites attempt to foster better communication and collaboration between ourselves and our neighbors. Some of the material is in Spanish and covers economic development, environmental protection, and travel information. Cultural and educational exchange is an obvious benefit from these well designed Web sites.
Center for East Texas Studies
http://144.96.211.125/CETS.html
The Center was established by the Legislature to promote the study of East
Texas. While some features of this site remain under construction, the page
offers rare insight into several East Texas counties with on-line tours,
images, and displays from the Texas Forestry Museum. The organization of
the site is straightforward and easy to explore.
Llano Estacado
http://www.windmillbbs.com/tio/
While the "staked plains" of West Texas may be a long way from most of the
state's population, this site allows every Texan to visit and learn about
the Llano Estacado. A good balance of text and images, historical and business
information, plus special features such as recreation and research are provided.
Volunteers of America — North Texas
http://www.shoponline.com/ntvoa/
Founded in 1917, this group provides opportunities to volunteer to help with
many worthwhile projects, such as distributing food to the hungry. If your
system allows it, you may download sound and movie clips of their activities.
Government, Politics, and Legal
Political activities touch our lives every day. These sites provide a great
basis to build your network of electronically available government information.
North Central Texas Regional Information System
http://www.nctcog.dst.tx.us/
Organization, substantive content, and attractive appearance make this an
excellent site. Highlights include city almanacs, a vast number of city street
maps, aerial photographs, and much more. This cooperative group of government
bodies was founded in 1966 and represents 157 cities, 24 school districts,
and 22 special districts from a 16-county region in northern Texas. Many
resources on this page are in a compressed (PDF) format, so be prepared with
the proper software to make full use of this site (but don't worry —
the site thoughtfully provides links to download the required software).
Texas ECI (Early Childhood Intervention)
http://www.dars.state.tx.us
This site serves the children who develop at a different rate and their families.
It is the result of a coordinated effort by the following agencies: Texas
Department of Health, Texas Department of Human Services, Texas Department
of Mental Health & Mental Retardation, Texas Department of Protective
& Regulatory Services, Texas Education Agency, and the Texas Commission
on Alcohol & Drug Abuse. This Web page is simple, almost childlike, and
offers information on their programs and services, locations, a newsletter,
and related resources.
Texas Natural Resources Information System NAVIGATOR
http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/
Organization, graphics, and content make this an excellent site. This site
provides a centralized source of Texas environmental information by way of
an FTP directory of maps, data, and software. This is a good source of
information about the border region, NAFTA, and links to related resources.
Founded in 1968 as the state clearing house and referral center for natural
resources data, the site is now part of the Texas Water Development Board.
One drawback is the inability of a text-only browser to read the front page
as it is one large image map.
Texas State Government
http://www.texas.gov/
School children will appreciate the information on Texas provided here, such
as the state bird, flower, and so forth. Job hunters, and business people
will find the links to job banks and "doing business in Texas" helpful. The
site contains travel guides as well as links to other sites such as the
Governor's office, Texas Legislature, and the Texas State Electronic Library.
Some of the choices are confusing, however. The "Reference Questions" choice
is actually an e-mail button for comments, while the "Comments" choice is
an e-mail button to the Web site developer. Despite these minor problems,
the site is well organized and complete with helpful tips on downloading
song files and software.
Health Resources
Because of the rapid changes in health care delivery, it pays to know where
to find the latest official information. Currency of information was a key
concern in choosing the following sites.
American Heart Association, Texas Affiliate
http://www.amhrt.org/affili/TX/FW/
Easy access is provided to the national level of the American Heart Association
in conjunction with interesting information of value to locals, such as how
to contact Fort Worth city officials, progress on local research efforts,
and even recipes. An events calendar is provided for the Fort Worth area,
as well as clear statements describing the Association. Visitors will find
access to scientific publications, material for kids, consumer news, and
even a health risk assessment. This well-organized, informative and very
attractive site is a good example of how to integrate local and national
information.
Angel Flight of Texas
http://www.zilker.net/~woodp/angelflight.html
Angel Flight of Texas, a member of Air Care Alliance (ACA), offers air travel
services to individuals with medical needs who cannot be helped by commercial
airlines due to financial constraints. Volunteer pilots may check the Web
page for possible mission assignments or to request a mission. Flights are
offered throughout Texas and into adjacent states. Nonpilot or student pilot
volunteers are also needed to assist patients or to act as copilots. The
page also offers newsletter access in PDF format. It is a simple site that
offers a good deal or relevant and timely information.
Health Organizations — Texas
http://www.social.com/health/nhic/data/tx.html
This site lists the many Texas organizations involved in health care delivery
across the state, such as: Runaway Hotline, Texas Department of Health, Little
People of America, Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute, and many
more. It is part of a larger Web site called the "Good Health Web."
Houston AIDS Information Link (HAIL)
http://www.NeoSoft.com/~hail/
This collaborative effort by such organizations as public libraries, volunteer
groups, and private foundations seeks to improve access to AIDS/HIV related
information for patients, medical personnel, and the affected community.
This site offers access to a number of health information sources specific
to Houston as well as links to national resources such as the National Library
of Medicine. The site itself is primarily a simple list of these links with
some brief descriptions provided.
Recreational Resources
Texas is a fun place to live and these sites illustrate the variety of ways
Texans enjoy themselves.
CyberRodeo
http://CyberRodeo.com/
Whether it is eating a steak, surfing the Web, or hanging on for dear life,
this site has it all. Many links are provided to what the West is all about:
cows, cowboys, cowgirls, and computers. You may arrange to conduct seminars
about the Internet, enjoy refreshments, and check out the Fort Worth scene
from this excellent site. The organization is first rate and the graphic
design of this site is tasteful as well as distinctive.
SeniorNet
http://www.seniornet.com/
Participation in discussion groups and roundtables is provided here for senior
adults. A wide range of topics is discussed, including travel, politics,
and religion, and there is plenty of on-line assistance. SeniorNet is a national
organization dedicated to developing a community of computer-using seniors.
Texas Association Directory
http://www.texasusa.com/assocdir/txassoc.html
If you would like to camp, hunt, or find a nice restaurant, this is the place
to begin. Maps, photos, and descriptions will guide your "cyber" travels
as you explore the Lone Star State. Products are also provided to make your
travel more enjoyable. This site is actually part of a larger Web page, Texas
USA, which provides links to other fun places for everyone from youth to
seniors.
Texas Colorado River Trail
http://www.lcra.org/crt/
A great deal of information is located here, focusing, of course, on the
500-mile long Colorado River of Central Texas. This site is suitable for
both graphical and nongraphical browsers but, if possible, you will want
to see the graphics on this site. It offers an extensive collection of maps,
information on regional parks, water quality data, news, educational programs,
and much more. The site is easy to navigate, making it a premier Web site.
Research and Sites of Scientific Interest
Though small, this sample of the variety of research interests in Texas will
probably surprise you. While much of the research conducted in Texas is done
at state universities and federal agencies, there are also many worthwhile
private groups that are engaged in fundamental as well as applied research
activities that contribute to a better standard of living for Texas citizens,
now and in the future.
San Antonio Botanical Gardens
http://www.tristero.com/sabg/
While short on information, this is a very well organized, eye-catching Web
site for the plant enthusiast, including garden descriptions, membership
information, and a brief history. A number of links to other gardens and
botanical sites are included.
Society of Petroleum Engineers
http://www.neosoft.com/spegcs/
Extremely informative and exceptionally well organized are the two descriptions
that first come to mind when looking at this site by the Houston chapter
of the SPE. In addition to the standard information such as members and news,
you'll find links to career information, journal contents, statistical data
on rig counts, and a searchable index to SPE technical papers.
Texas State Data Center
http://www-txsdc.tamu.edu/
Compatible with text or graphical browsers, this site offers easy access
to information demographics on Texas. Current data, future projections, links
to related programs such as the U.S. Census Bureau, and basic information
about the Center are available. Their newsletter is also provided in PDF
format.
Tomorrow's Women in Science and Technology
http://www.sig.net/~scicomp/twist/twist.html
This group encourages girls in their early teens to consider science as a
viable career path. They provide some information about women in science
and link to a number of remote sites. This resource is simple and
straightforward. Access to their newsletter should be available soon, and
you can also find out who is on the board,' but no addresses or corporate
affiliations are provided.