By Alton Jerome McFarland
One of the most valuable aspects of the internet is its ability to
house specific information on a large variety of topics. In the realm
of literature, www.globebooks.com
takes advantage of that ability by offering an online-magazine that
specializes in news and events in the world of books. The site offers
a wealth of content ranging from book reviews and awards, to interviews
and discussion forums. Adorned with columnists' snapshots enclosed
in picture frames and colorful bookcovers, the site is also very pleasing
to the eye for what amounts to a very relaxed internet experience.
The strength of www.globebooks.com
lies in its ability to focus on a specific niche of information, the
world of books. That specificity enables the site to maintain a depth
of coverage that other sites simply don't have the time or resources
to provide. CNN.com may have a books section, but with all the other
things that it is obliged to cover it is unable to offer much more
than an article or two and a bestseller's list. CNN.com is, of course,
extremely valuable in its own way. The breadth of information offered
there is very impressive. It is simply the much smaller scope of www.globebooks.com
that makes it a preferable source for information about books.
The internet's ability to host such varied offerings of content cannot
be over praised. The casual surfer looking to get a quick update on
world events can find it at a site like CNN.com, but amazingly that
same surfer can also get in-depth information about a specific area;
books, for instance, from a site like www.globebooks.com.
Globebooks.com uses its narrower focus in a very effective manner,
creating a one-stop source for almost anything pertaining to books.
Whether looking for a review of a current bestseller or just some
suggestions on what book to read next, www.globebooks.com has it all.
A reader might have trouble finding the latest on U.S. foreign policy,
but that same reader can easily find out who received the latest Canadian
Commonwealth Writers Prizes. Depending on one's perspective, one bit
of information may seem more important than the other; on the internet,
though, both are readily available. With millions of people connected
as never before, all types of information are in high demand. And
with sites like www.globebooks.com
around, the quality and depth of that information is better than ever
before.