Error 404: or, what is the shelf-life of printed Internet guides?

Many publishers are producing books loaded with directions for finding useful Internet sites in a particular subject area. The moderate costs make them seem to be attractive additions to a collection. However, given the ephemeral nature of the World Wide Web, can a print resource be published with sufficient shelf life to justify purchase? This study evaluates some of these Internet guides for post-publication accuracy. In evaluating nine books published between two and three years ago, the researchers checked 3,941 URLs. In reviewing the data, the authors found that some books retained their value quite well, whereas others did not. The article presents the details of this study and offers selection criteria for identifying those web guidebooks that will increase the value of the collection.