The Library's home page, which appeared on the Internet Feb. 13 in a new design, has been named one of the top Web sites in the country once again.
The Library site, plus the THOMAS site, ranked among the top 100 Web sites selected by PC Magazine for mention in its Feb. 18 cover story, "The Best of the Web."
Said article author Karen Bannan: "PC Magazine's editors have put in the hours examining thousands of Web sites to determine which offer the most compelling mix of content, creative design, and cutting-edge technology." The editors then divided selections into five categories -- commerce, computing, entertainment, news and reference.
For the reference category, the editors selected the Library's home page (www.loc.gov) and THOMAS (thomas.loc.gov), which offers legislative information online.
Said PC Magazine about LC's Web site: "The American government's oldest cultural institution is thriving on pop culture's newest medium. The Library of Congress site provides the national citizenry with search access to its massive catalog, a guide to the U.S. Copyright Office and an expansive database of current legislative information. No matter what your distance from Washington, you can examine the inscriptions and quotations that litter the Library's walls, peruse its current exhibitions or familiarize yourself with its myriad paintings and sculptures. Surely Jefferson would approve of such democratic access to his most famous legacy."
PC Magazine says this about THOMAS: "If you want to keep an eye on what your government is doing, this is the best place to go. Want to know what bills are close to becoming laws or whether your taxes will be going up or down? You can find all legislation of the current (105th) and previous sessions of Congress, along with the Congressional Record and Committee Reports for each of those sessions. When looking for legislation, you can use keywords to search for concepts or sponsors. You can also narrow your query to bills in the House or Senate, bills that were subjects of floor action, or bills that were signed into law. A Historical Documents area will give you the background on what's going on and why something is ruled unconstitutional."