INTRODUCTION

• The Hidden or Invisible or Deep Internet/Web is estimated to contain upwards of 1 trillion (or more) documents, other files, and, even, Web pages that are not directly accessible by conventional search tools
• This "hidden" content typically consists of files and documents in:
  • Databases that can only be reached through a query (database search-and-retrieval) interface.
    • Most of the accessing these databases requires some kind of license and/or permission and, consequently, a login and a password.
    • In order to effectively use these hidden web resources, you may have to learn the tools and functions that each database offers. For example, Amazon Books Advanced Book Search offers a wide range of search fields plus a Power Search Iat the bottom of the page) that supports Boolean searching.
  • Virtual corporate networks, which may have upwards of a 100,000 or more Web pages and other files intended for only employee, intra-company, or inter-company access.
  • Specialized Formats
    • That can not be readily read or accessed across the Internet.
    • Whose contents can not be easiily indexed by most Search Engines.
  • Computers that require other kinds of search tools, such as telnet or file transfer protocol (FTP) software, to access.

WAYS TO ACCESS THE INVISIBLE WEB: GET LIBRARY CARDS WHEREVER YOU CAN

• Different libraries (academic and public) provide access to varying combinations of common and not-so-common databases. Consequently, it is worthwhile to get a card at any and every library that you can. Through the several public and academic libary cards that I have, I can access over 50 different databases.
• You can often get a "community" card at many academic libraries, particularly community college ones. It ususally does not cost anything and allows you to check books out of that libraries.

WAYS TO ACCESS THE INVISIBLE WEB: EXAMPLE INDEXES OF INVISIBLE WEB SITES

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