"Niche" Indexes on the Web?

[Margaret Schaus]

Dear Listmembers,

I would like to find indexes in humanities and social science subfields on
the Web that are maintained by interest groups or professional
organizations.  I edit the Medieval Feminist
Index(http://www.haverford.edu/library/reference/mschaus/mfi/mfi.html), a
bibliographic database that is available free-of-charge and covers journal
articles, essays, and book reviews on women, gender, and sexuality.  The
Index currently has over two thousand records for 1994-1997 publications
that are searchable by author, title, subject heading, geographic area,
century, article type, and more.

The Web seems to me an ideal venue for specialized reference sources,
particularly for fields that are not well-served by commerical publishers.
Associations and interest groups can sponsor "niche" indexes that would
never be economically feasible in print, but can be available on a
Web site maintained by volunteers and student assistants.    Because
updating is so simple,
these Web sites can be very current and can respond to users' needs
quickly.   For example, the Medieval Feminist Index has over 300 records
now for 1997 publications and we will be adding 200 more 1997 records next
week.

Are other librarians involved or contemplating similar projects?

Yours,
Margaret Schaus
Magill Library
Haverford College