>
>> Why would anyone want to use LOC anyway?  It's only advantage over any of the
>> 70 or 80 university libraries available by modem is that it tends to have
>>the very latest books about 7 or 8 weeks before the libraries get 'em.
>> Otherwise, the University of California's MELVYL system (Telnet 31.1.0.11)
>> is light years more user friendly and downloads just fine.
>>
>> Mark Shechner
>> SUNY, buffalo
 
>Looks like MELVYL is only available to UC students/faculty, though.  I
>couldn't do anything in MELVYL because I had no password, and the online
>help indicates that passwords are available only to UC folks.
 
>Am I missing something?
 
>Thanks - Tom Thomas
 
Tom, and others who may not have tried this yet.
 
The only password that MELVYL asks for, as I try it--just five minutes
ago--is your terminal type, which you normally enter as VT100.  (A terminal
type, for your purposes, is just a set of rules for translating certain
keystrokes from both sides into messages.)  I'm surprised that you got a
password prompt: I never have and you're not supposed to.  Try again, and
try also TELNET 31.1.0.1.
 
But MELVYL is only one of many, many, many libraries across the country
whose catalogs are public domain, and I use it because the software is
proprietary and user friendly and because the integrated UC card catalog,
comprising all the campuses, is so complete.  But here are a couple of
others to play with as well.  The Colorado integrated system, which is one
of the most adventuresome and provides Choice Book Reviews is TELNET 192.54.
81.129 and Harvard's Hollis Library is TELNET 128.103.60.31   All three
allow you to do complex subject searches, which are not available through
DRA.COM.
 
Finally, all this information, including the massive (159 page) Art
St.George/Ron Larsen publication "Internet-Accessible Library Catalogs &
Databases" is available via anonymous ftp from a database at the University
of North Texas, whose internet address is VAXB.ACS.UNT.EDU
 
Ask your resident computer guru how to use anonymous ftp--file transfer
protocol--to get some of this stuff.  I can sort of walk you through the
steps--so can dozens of readers of this bb.  And instructions have
appeared here in the past, but ask your on-line consultant first.
 
Hope this helps.  There is great stuff out there these days.
 
Mark Shechner
SUNY, Buffalo English Dept.