There are thousands of websites dealing with or including beads. Many are commercial but some are academic. We have highlighted a few useful links here but accept no responsibility for their content.
Informative sites
Center for Bead Research: http://www.thebeadsite.com/
Museums
Bead Museum, Glendale, AZ: http://www.beadmuseumaz.org/
Picards African Trade Bead Museum: http://www.picardbeads.com/
Museum of Capetown: http://www.iziko.org.za/
Bead research interest Membership groups
Center for study of Beadwork: http://www.europa.com/~alice/
Gem-A Gemmological Association: http://www.gem-a.info/index.htm
The Bead Worker's Guild: http://www.beadworkersguild.org.uk/
Bead Society of Great Britain: http://www.beadsociety.freeserve.co.uk
Glass Beadmakers UK: http://www.gbuk.org/
Plastic Historical Society http://www.plastiquarian.com/
Discussion fora and groups
http://www.beadcollector.net/openforum/index.html http://groups.yahoo.com/group/beadcollectors/
Beads-L are creating an online, interactive Bead Information Database, coming soon!
To join or leave Beads-L List OR to access Beads-L Archives: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/Archives/Beads-L.html
Beads-L Member Websites: http://members.optusnet.com.au/dzinn/MemberWebsites.htm
Bibliographies
Bibliographies on popular bead topics originally created by Beads-L members: http://www.handthoughts.com/ beadslbibliosub1.htm