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It used to be that a conscientious bookseller amassed a reference library that, over time, paid for itself ten-fold or more. Research became easier with the Internet, and bookselling was not forgotten. The following information was presented to Bookologist by Rarebooks.info http://www.rarebooks.info, a research site that can substantially cut down the number of reference books you have to have on hand and allows for an easy entry into the world of research.
A little over two years ago, Michael Demont and Francois Leray launched Rarebooks.info with the goal of providing a comprehensive bibliography of books on rare books. Since that time, the site has accumulated 600,000 pages of key op (out of print) bibliographies that can be researched online. Among these references include but are not limited to Goff, Brunet, Sabin and Lipperheide.
The works available are not e-texts but scanned facsimiles of the actual books, offering what Rarebooks.info calls a Reference Gateway that provides bibliographic resources to books on books in more than 100 categories. And, according to Isabelle Aubert, managing editor and administrative assistant for the site, both the online facsimiles and the Reference Gateway are updated on an ongoing basis.
Researchers, professors, students, book professionals, and collectors have access to more than 40 works of reference in facsimile, that will hopefully diminish the cost and time a personal reference library entails in a three-tier membership format. The first is free and has general information. The next tier provides access to the individual offerings. Membership entitles one to full access.
In addition to providing reference works, Rarebooks.info provides a selection of links about book history, book dealers, national and university libraries, private collections, major book fairs and international exhibitions. The site also includes links to auction sites in order to search realized prices.
The site is promising easier access and search services, French to English translations of information, and a browsing feature, a news bulletin, and monthly reviews of bibliographies, and institutional subscriptions. Tariffs are 9 Euros for one month, 27 Euros for 3 months, and 85 Euros for a year. The Euro translates to $1.27 USD.
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