Key Resources

Collections

Standards
Many standards, both Australian and overseas are available on the web or in hard copy. This list provides a valuable starting place for seeking the standards you need.

Workshop Manuals
The State Library has workshop manuals for a wide variety of automotive vehicles including cars, trucks, buses, tractors and motorcycles. There are also some general small engine manuals and those specific to lawnmowers and outboard motors for boats. If the library doesn't hold the manuals you want you could contact an authorised dealer for your make of car or try the Pittstop Bookshop or Bookworks.

Computing Books
The State Library has a large collection of up to the minute books and journals on computer software and hardware as well as architecture and software engineering. Some of these books are available to read online At Safari Tech Books Online (accessible to onsite library visitors only).

Medicine and Health
Medicine is one of the strengths of the State Library's collection. The collection includes books on anatomy, diseases, and general health and nutrition

Major References

Merck Index
An encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs and biologicals. It is an authoritative reference work for chemists, biochemists, pharmacists and those in related professions that is published every 5 years.

Mims Annual
Comprehensive and up to date drug reference system. It is classified by therapeutic class and fully indexed providing full, detailed, approved prescribing information on over 2000 prescription and non-prescription drugs.

DSM-IV - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Published by the American Psychiatric Association. It covers all mental health disorders for both children and adults. It also lists causes of these disorders, statistics in terms of gender, age at onset, and prognosis as well as some research concerning the best treatment approaches.

Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary
Features more than 125,000 terms including over 800 related to complementary and alternative medicine. Includes full colour line drawings and photos.

Pharmacopeia
The Library holds pharmacopeia from various countries including Australia, Britain, USA and Europe. Pharmacopeias are books containing a compilation of pharmaceutical products with their formulas and methods of preparation.

Rawlinson's Australian Construction Handbook and Rawlinson's Construction Cost Guide
For housing, small commercial and industrial buildings this annual publication is the leading authority on the various aspects of construction costs in Australia.

Community Resources

Government Sites

Australian Government Science Portal
Aimed at the research community, investors and industry. Organised by science discipline as well as by the science objective or purpose. Each branch of science contains links under the headings of programs, policy, information/awareness, directories and services.

Department of Education, Science and Training
Federal department responsible for promoting science.

CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)
Australia's national science agency site contains details of science news and events, research, careers etc.

ScienceNetwork Western Australia
Has news, events, industry profiles, career opportunities etc. for science in WA. It was developed by Scitech and the Office of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Department of Agriculture and Food
Western Australian government site to search contents of factsheets such as farmnote and pestnote as well as the Journal of Agriculture and other technical publications.

Department of Environment and Conservation
Contains information on Western Australia's natural sciences. Great for information on national parks and other places of interest as well as flora and fauna. It has a broad focus encompassing land, air and water.

Sustainable Energy Development Office
Everything to do with sustainable energy in Western Australia. Includes an Energy Smart Directory of companies and products that promote sustainable energy.

Scitech
Details Scitech's latest events and exhibitions as well as Horizon planitarium's latest screenings.

Bureau of Meteorology
Information on all aspects of weather and climate. Inlcudes forecasts, latest weather, climate data, hydrological data and oceanographic information on tides, temperature, tsunamis etc.

Perth Observatory
Highlights current events in the night sky as well as astronomical data, research and educational activities.

Other Information Resources

Net Links

The Internet Public Library
A very good guide to finding science and technology websites on the internet. It lists narrower subjects alphabetically and when they are selected provides lists of reputable internet sites.

Australian Science and Technology
Extensive list of links to Australian science organisations, conferences, journals and libraries divided into subject disciplines. Part of the National Library of Australia Internet Subject Lists project.

Howstuffworks
This site is dedicated to explaining the way many things work, e.g. car engines, ESP and iPods. The site uses photos, diagrams, video and animation to explain complex terminology and mechanisms.

How Products are Made
Explains and details the manufacturing process of a wide variety of products, from daily household goods to complicated electronic equipment and heavy machinery. Also explains the history of the product including who invented it and how it works etc.

eHow
How to do just about everything including how to fix your computer and how to grow vegetables.

The Red Book
Red Book provides automotive identification and pricing information. This site can be used to find new or used car prices and identify and research different models and makes of cars.

Standards Australia
Provides information on national and international standards. Many standards can be bought on-line and downloaded immediately while others can be posted with some time delay.

HealthInsite
An Australian government site with up-to-date, quality assessed medical information on a wide range of topics such as diabetes, mental health, cancer and asthma.

MyDr
MyDr is an Australian website providing comprehensive health and fitness information. It is a project of the MIMS Consumer Health Group.

Science Search Engines

SCIRUS
Comprehensive science-specific search engine. Scirus searches over 250 million science-specific web pages filtering out non-scientific sites. Finds peer-reviewed articles such as PDF and PostScript files.

SciCentral
Aggregates breaking research news from reputable and reliable sources. Sources featured in any section are ranked according to reliability, timeliness, extent of daily coverage, presentation and general appeal. Only content freely accessible to online readers is considered.