May 29, 1998

Have a question about the Amish, a children's book author or hemophilia? Then Ask-An-Expert at the Virtual Reference Desk . Designed for knowledge-seeking parents, teachers and kindergarten-through-high-school students, the Desk links to more than 70 sites—for instance, Ask Dr. Math, Ask the Grammar Lady and NASA's Ask an Astronomer —and connects the curious to the e-mail boxes of experts. Need details on humpback whales? Contact Max the SeaResearcher (seamail@whaletimes.org). Want details on the 1777 battle at Valley Forge? Send a note to a Revolutionary War expert (iha@libertynet.org). Most experts promise to get back with answers within a week. Will such one-on-one interaction actually make students want to do homework? We'll find an expert and ask about it.

— Hope Katz Gibbs hopegibbs@earthlink.net