Starting spots for Internet exploration

The Right Spot. The easiest way to navigate the Internet is from pages that offer many different links to subjects you’re interested in. Some of the best starting points if you like books, cooking and travel or if you’re looking for reference materials or a job, are five of the StartSpots that connect you to a multitude of excellent resources on the Web.

Gourmet Spot. Whether you’re searching for recipes, guides to great restaurants, links to TV cooking shows or online chefs, you’ll find them at Gourmet Spot. The site connects your to such popular food-related sites as Epicurious and The Kitchen Link. It also offers a site of the week, tip of the week and recipe of the week. Whether it’s low-fat recipes or vegetarian cooking, if it’s food, it’s at Gourmet Spot.

Library Spot. The best reference site of the group is Library Spot, which connects you to general online libraries, as well as specialized libraries such as law libraries, medical libraries and music libraries. The Reference Desk offers links to acronyms, biographical information, genealogy sites, statistics and much more. The Reading Room provides links to books, journals, newspapers and magazines.

Book Spot. Want to know what everyone is reading? Check Book Spot’s online lists of best sellers. Or read thousands of reviews. There’s a nice selection of children’s book sites and links to online booksellers for old books, textbooks and general books. Readers can also browse book news and events and who’s won various awards, including the National Book Awards and the Pulitzer Prizes.

Trip Spot. Before you’ve even decided where to go on your vacation, head to Trip Spot, which will link you to online travel guides, destinations, city guides, state tourism sites and international destinations information. Trip Spot also connects you to the various places on the Web to make reservations or find domestic and international airlines, airports, rental car sites, cruises, hotels, resorts, camping and hostels. It provides links to other comprehensive travel sites such as Fodor’s, The Trip.com and Travelocity. In addition, it provides s a site of the week and helpful feature articles.

Employment Spot. At Employment Spot, connect to general online sites that help you find a job, or search by occupations: education, health care, engineering and so forth. Learn more about various careers and employers and access sites that help you write resumes and cover letters and get through interviews. It also takes you to some of the Web’s top employment spots, including Career Path and America’s Job Bank and has articles on job search basics.

Getting Or Staying Fit. How are you doing four months into your New Year’s resolution to get in shape? If you need some help, the Fitness Partner Connection Jumpsite is the place to get it. If it’s fitness-, nutrition- or health-related, the two personal trainers who maintain the site have it or will connect you to it. An illustration of the depth of their material: There are 17 links for fitness after age 50. If you’ve ever wondered how many calories you’re burning by walking the dog or using the Stairmaster for 30 minutes, the Fitness Jumpsite’s Activity Calorie Calculator will tell you.

Free Web Access. If you’re willing to put up with some ads, Net Zero offers free e-mail and Internet access.

30 Days of Poetry. In honor of National Poetry Month, visit the Poetry Society of America, Electronic Poetry Center of the State University of New York at Buffalo, World Poetry, The Academy of American Poets and Favorite Poem Project. At the online bookstore Borders.com, click on “poetry month” under In the News in the left column to find interviews with established poets and a haiku contest.

Is It OK For Kids? Parents can get reviews of movies and more than 3,600 titles of computer software to determine their suitability for children of various ages.

Revolutionary. The first engagement in what became the Revolutionary War was fought on this day in 1775. Refresh your memory of the event at Battle of Lexington and Concord. TheRevolutionary War: A Journey Towards Freedom has a fun zone that offers four games about the Revolution. In one, players guide Paul Revere on his legendary ride and in another, command the Colonists or the British in a game of strategy.

A Day For Mother Earth. Read the history of Earth Day and find out what’s planned for Thursday at Earth Day.org, the Wilderness Society’s Earth Day ’99 page and Earth Day Events. For kids: a coloring book and other activities.