I don't buy this. Tell me how you're going to "discover" either of
these resources in National University's library catalog (which was
the source of this thread). Where they don't exist. It does have a
record for "Bibliotheca Americana" (via a freely web accessible copy
from the University of Michigan), but it's not volume 6.
However, a simple Google search showed me some starting points as to
where I could discover them, without any need to understand or be
constrained by National University library's collection development
policy.
This is not an endorsement of Google, Amazon, whatever, but don't try
to make the claim that a library catalog will somehow magically help
you find something that isn't in the collection. Which means there
has to be some way to know how to find things *outside* of the
collection.
Ed just made the claim that he finds it useful for "naturally" finding
things within his collection, as well.
-Ross.
On Thu, May 7, 2009 at 11:10 AM, Patrick Cates <Cates_at_gts.edu> wrote:
> I have to agree with Michael Fitzgerald, Google Books and Amazon are
> great, but they are a just a portion of the published printed material
> out there. There is a lot of stuff that is not there and will never be
> there. Also, assuming what you're looking for is there, it isn't always
> easy to find it. Try finding vol. 6 of Sabin's Bibliotheca Americana.
> Or, tell me if The controversy between M.B. and Quaero (Alexandria :
> Samuel Snowden, 1818) is in Parsons's Early Catholic Americana. The
> information is there, but I think you would find it a lot easier to look
> up Sabin or Parsons in a library catalog and go to the shelves and look
> at them.
>
> A related issue was posted to the EXLIBRIS list by Bob Kosovsky at NYPL:
>
> "Someone in a remote location wanted a copy of a large section of one of
>
> our rare books. It hadn't been microfilmed and photocopying 100+ pages
> would have been a strain on the volume. So I checked Google Books - lo
> and behold, it was there. Since the volume was from 1869, it was
> treated
> as many public domain books on Google Books - it could be copied or
> downloaded. So I gave the link to the correspondent and I thought that
> was that.
>
> The correspondent - who I believe was writing from either Germany or
> France -- told me that their version of Google Books was not like mine.
> There was no ability to either copy or download the book. More than
> that,
> they said that for this 1869 volume, they only got snippet views."
>
> YMMV.
>
> Patrick Cates
> Technical Services Librarian
> St. Mark's Library
> General Theological Seminary
> 175 Ninth Avenue
> New York, NY 10011
> 212-243-5150 x354
>
>
>
>
>
> This e-mail was sent from the GTS and Desmond Tutu Center email service. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, please notify the sender immediately or call us at 212.243.5150 x376.
>
Received on Thu May 07 2009 - 12:41:33 EDT