-- [ From: Richard Frisbie * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] -- -------- REPLY, Original message follows -------- Hello Frank Sloat Arnold Thanks for the thoughtful response. I will try to reciprocate in kind - but there is a lot to cover. About: <<But how are we researchers to know that a book is still in print. . .? >> That is difficult - and not just for researchers. I am constantly and actively involved in the New York State in- and out-of-print book business and I am often suprised at a title's status, and - as often - how quickly it changes! I regularly post availability of titles to my web page, and send advance notice via my New York State Newsletter. << it is reasonable to guess that it might well be out of print - and full public domain>> That is most difficult - there really is no reasonable guess - and full public domain is different than out-of-print.(!!) Even if something is in the public domain and not copyrighted, or out of copyright, and you would not be breaking the copyright laws (other laws? . . . perhaps) to say, . . . post extensive parts of it here, you still have a fair use question. At such times it is easy and safe to stick with the fair use rule - which is similar to Margaret Bailey's excellent copyright rule-of-thumb . . . "Fair use is when such use does not interfere with the sales the publisher can reasonably expect." For the non-profit publisher of genealogy, proceeds of their book sales go to further genealogical research, research which benefits many people and may not get done if unfunded. When a specific sale also benefits a bookseller (say, . . . me) the proceeds go to fund my bookshop and the extensive website of New York State history and genealogy books, and both the Ulster and Greene County NYGenWeb pages I maintain, as-well-as the books I publish on NYS history/genealogy. So, if the purpose of this list is to further our genealogical knowledge and to help us all with our genealogical research, then, in the long run, we are best served by observing the fair use rule to insure the well-being of the profit and not-for-profit organizations that help us. Talk about a delicate balance! << I wonder what other books are out there - ? ? Would it be prohibitive for you to occasionally post your catalog on the Orange and Ulster listservs - using that as occasion for a caution re extensive copying/posting. >> Those cautions should be trotted out occasionally I suppose, just to pick up the new people - same with the notice about the Ulster County NYGenWeb genealogy page I maintain. I'm glad the former hasn't needed much airing, but apologise for not posting the latter more frequently. Here goes --> http://www.hopefarm.com/geneatop.htm You are all invited. There are approximately 1000 queries posted and more added each week, contributed indices, cemetery lists, and tidbits of genealogies are posted along with my indices, tocs, tours, rosters, excerpts, and the early history of each NYS county with a map and a history of the towns of both Greene and Ulster county. Also, full library contact info with holdings (including LDS, ) full contact info for both counties (museums, newspapers, genealogists, historians, Town Clerks, etc) and an extensive list of genealogy links. I also list over 300+ genealogy books, but you can avoid the commercial section if you want, and just enjoy the genweb. There - I hope that covers it. Thanks for reading this far! Richard Frisbie d/b/a Hope Farm Press & Bookshop 252 Main Street Saugerties NY 12477 Subscribe to my free monthly New York State Books Newsletter http://www.hopefarm.com/sampl03.htm#news