At the Mansfield Library of the University of Montana-Missoula, we have
wireless access in the Archives and Special Collections Reading Room.
Furthermore, we have not only Sabin but also the 3-volume index. [I
gloat!]
Unfortunately, both Sabin and the Index are in the stacks, two floors away
from the Reading Room....
Chris Mullin
Special Collections Librarian
On 11/26/05, Everett Wilkie <ewilkie@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
..
For example, since I work primarily with pre-1850 materials, I always check
Sabin. In most libraries, that work has to be called from the stacks or,
even worse, is considered so antiquated and bulky that it has been sent to
remote storage. And because many libraries don't have the relatively rare
printed index to the work, I am often not even sure that I have discovered
if the book that interests me is even in there. But because two commercial
services have Sabin on-line, it would be great to be able to check them
while I was there in the reading room, thereby sparing me perhaps a nasty
bibliographical surprise when I finally can check Sabin and the library is
now 1500 miles away.
Since practically every motel or hotel I stay in has wireless Internet
access these days, I was wondering how many rare book reading rooms out
there have wireless access or plan to offer it at some point in the future.
The question is asked merely in the spirit of trying to judge where such
things are heading in the research library world out there.
Everett Wilkie
2006 Carey Road
Kinston, NC 28501
ewilkie@ix.netcom.com
252-522-0261
Cell: 860-712-4421
"Big Bird Seed Sale"
--Store sign
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Christopher Mullin | I buy good
Special Collections Librarian | Regular 8mm
Mansfield Library | movie cameras
University of Montana-Missoula |406.243.4036
Missoula MT 59812-9936 |FAX 406.243.4067
Who else has THESE opinions? Not The University!