I wholeheartedly embrace the avalanche of free and available information on the web. However, I am the first to concede that researching on-line is fraught with the perils of inaccuracy and unreliability. Even for seasoned researchers, the process of finding authority and confirming its authenticity and reliability can be challenging at best and nightmarish at worst.

Enter FindingDulcinea: a librarian for the internet age. Unlike traditional engines, such as Google and Yahoo that rely on algorithms for matching results to search terms, FindingDulcinea uses good, old-fashioned human beings to map relevancy and accuracy – they currently have a staff of approximately 30 with an equal number of free-lancers. Although the site does not provide its own search engine, it offers three types of information: web guides, in English and Spanish, with search tips and vetted links in 16 categories; “Beyond the Headlines” with headlines and historical and context annotations accompanying top news stories; and “Netcetera,” offering blurbs featuring a variety of stories currently circulating on-line.

Each site included on FindingDulcinea is accompanied by an informative narrative that helps streamline the process of determining relevancy.  FindingDulcinea limits its site list to approximately 25,000 so that it can focus on its editorial content and organization.

You won’t want to end your search process with FindingDulcinea, but its a great place to start!