Libraries and New Search Capabilities
Peter Scott of the University of Saskatchewan maintains a very broad and
comprehensive telnet-based library catalog access service known as Hytelnet. This can be
accessed using WWW courtesy of Inter-Links.
The Association of Research Libraries maintains an ARL Home Page that provides WWW access to
many of their members' catalogs, as well as extensive additional online
resources at a number of universities.
The Research
Libraries Group is a consortium of many major online libraries, museums,
and research institutions in the US, Canada, and the UK. RLG provides (on a
fee basis) easy access to some 6 3 million bibliographic citations through
their RLIN search engine and other capabilities. In particular, RLG provides
the only available US access to the online version of the English Short
Title Catalog, the only comprehensive listing of all known English-language
books published prior to 1800.
There are a number of other WWW sites of interest to the book researcher:
Conservation
OnLine accesses to resources relating to the preservation of books and
manuscripts, located at Stanford University
The American Library
Association maintains a comprehensive Web site with information on their
organization
Z39.50 Web Interfaces are a new approach to library research
using Web forms. Try the Library of Congress Web
Gateway to the LC, MELVYL, (limited) RLIN, and others
List Servers and Usenet Groups with a Rare Book Bent
Biblio -- A Book Collecting Mail Server
Biblio is a privately-maintained, open book trade
discussion/buy/sell group. You can subscribe by addressing a message to biblio-request@smartlink.net
leave the subject line blank and put only the word
subscribe in the body.
Usenet Discussion Groups, particularly rec.arts.books.marketplace. You
can access several other UseNet book groups via your news reader.
This newsgroup link can be accessed if your browser is set
to link to your newsreader account. This can be done under "Options" or
"Preferences" in many browsers. You can also find this and many more by
searching on "book" in the directory of your news reader
application.
ExLibris is the RBMS librarians' forum, with bookseller and
collector participation. [Plese note that the "Tile"
information on subscribing to Exlibris is out-of-date. Use the
following procedure.] To subscribe, send this e-mail message:
To: LISTPROC@LIBRARY.BERKELEY.EDU
From: you@your.isp.net
Subj: <leave blank!>
subscribe exlibris Your Name, Rarely Books Co.
end
Exlibris is one of many List Servers that offer history, art,
cartography, library, and other specialized discussion groups. Use the Searchable List of
BitNet List Servers to locate other groups of interest.
Exlibris and most other similar forums do not allow the
direct buying and selling of books (or other trade). They will often allow
the announcement of catalogs and related services. Check with the list
moderator in advance if there is any
question.
A Few Useful Resources for Business, Web Information, or Simply Visual
Pleasure
Business --
To track a FedEx
Air Bill, Federal Express Tracking
To find a UPS shipment, UPS Package Tracking
For Postal Information, USPS
Web Page, including Zip Code lookups and postal rate information
If you need to check or complete a US postal address (even if
misspelled or incomplete) or get a 5- or 9-digit zip, try the National Address
Server
Addresses of ILAB
National Associations
Both Business and Fun --
Koninklijke Bibliotheek: A hundred highlights
-- an outstanding online exhibit of manuscripts, books, maps and
typography collected by this Dutch library over the last few centuries.
(This will require some patience with the downloads, but both the catalog
and the pictures are well worth the wait.
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© Boston Book
Co. 2001
