(All listings excerpted with permission from The Frugal Youth Cybrarian, by Calvin Ross, published by ALA Editions. Copyright American Library Association 1997. To order, call 1-800-545-2433 and press 7. ISBN0-8389-0694-X)

Microsoft Internet Explorer
dlfull31.exe (Windows 3.1)
msie30m.exe (Windows 95)
www.microsoft.com/ie/download
Windows 3.1 and Windows 95
Microsoft gets up to speed with its Internet Explorer 3.0, and reaches the state-of-the-art level of Netscape. Currently, IE is free to all. This all-in-one Internet package includes access to the World Wide Web, FTP, gopher, newsgroups, as well as built-in Internet Mailer, ActiveMovie, and HTML Control. Requires ten to twenty megabytes hard disk space, depending on options. Freeware. Microsoft.

Netscape Navigator
Various file names depending on operating system
home.netscape.com
Windows 3.1, Windows 95, DOS
Netscape, the leading producer of tools for browsing and utilizing the World Wide Web, has made its premier Web browser, Netscape Navigator, available to students, educators, and librarians free of charge. Netscape Navigator brings Web exploration, e-mail, newsgroups, and FTP right to your fingertips with all the state-of-the-art refinements and capabilities together in one package. To take advantage of this generosity, visit their Web site and download the software directly from them. Web browsing requires at least a 386 computer with eight megabytes of RAM. Requires about eight megabytes hard disk space, depending on your operating system. Freeware. Netscape.

WebWhacker
wwwin.zip (Windows 3.1)
_wwwin95.zip (Windows 95)
www.ffg.com
Windows 3.1 and Windows 95
WebWhacker allows you to “whack” single pages, groups of pages, or entire sites from the World Wide Web and save them for later viewing. Patrons and students can then browse these sites without maintaining an open Internet connection. This program will allow you to share the resources of the Internet while saving valuable online time and controlling Internet use. Requires 1.74 megabytes hard disk space. $49.95. ForeFront Group Inc.

QuikLink
quiklinks.com/download.html
Windows 95
QuikLink Explorer is an Internet Information Manager for Windows 95. It replaces your browser's bookmarks and makes it simpler to add, maintain, and organize your favorite sites in a more familiar manner. QuikLink Explorer looks and works very much like the Windows 95 Explorer. You organize your sites by creating and nesting folders, and storing your favorite sites within, and reorganizing your sites is just as easy, using the familiar cut, copy, paste routines, or simply drag and drop between folders. Already have a large list of bookmarks or favorites? QuikLink Explorer will easily import them, keeping their original organization. To view a site, just double-click it's entry and QuikLink Explorer will open the site in the default browser. If your browser is not already running, QuikLink Explorer will open it for you. You can even associate specific sites with specific browsers so that you can view those Navigator-enhanced sites with Netscape Navigator, and Internet Explorer-enhanced sites can be viewed with Internet Explorer. Requires Windows 95 and 1.8 megabytes hard disk space. Available in Gold Edition ($20), Standard Edition ($10), and Freeware Edition. QuikLink Software.

GIF Wizard
useast.gifwizard.com
This is not a program but an online utility that will help you reduce the file size of your images so that they load faster and take up less space in your homepage directory. I've used it on dozens of images for my several Web sites, and it delivers excellent results, allowing my pages to load up to forty percent faster. Enter a URL, and it analyzes all GIFs on the page. Enter a Web directory address followed by a slash followed by the GIF's file name, and it analyzes that GIF. Then choose from its various options. I like the results from the"GIF Optimized with best fit colors" option, but don't be afraid to experiment. This is a commercial service that allows free guest log-in for non-commercial purposes (this would naturally include librarians and educators). Though the free services are a bit limited, they have been quite sufficient. A service of Raspberry Hill Publishing Inc.