In a step toward creating a national “library without walls,’' the Library of Congress recently made 26 million of its files available to the public through the Internet computer network.
Anyone with a computer and a modem will now be able to access the Library of Congress Information System (LOCIS), which provides catalogue records of books, audiovisual materials, computer software, maps, journals, and music. LOCIS also contains reference information on braille and recorded materials; tracks the status of current federal legislation; and lists some existing federal legislation and copyright information.
LOCIS is available through Internet, a nonprofit collection of computer networks that links millions of computer users in more than 100 countries. Individuals can access Internet through many of the community, college, or commercial computer networks available across the country. While LOCIS searches are free, many of the networks which provide access to Internet charge fees.
For a free list of networks with access to Internet, contact InterNIC, Information Services Referral Desk, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, Calif. 92186-9784; (800) 444-4345.
This fall, Time Life Inc. will release the first of several planned multicultural works, copies of which will be donated to some schools and libraries.
Perseverance, a historical overview of the African-American heritage, is the first book in a three-volume set. It recounts the African-American role in American society, from the days of slavery to the civil-rights movement. The next two volumes, available in 1994, will feature the civic and cultural contributions of black Americans.
Time Warner Inc., the parent company, plans to donate the three-volume set to approximately 50,000 public secondary schools and primary-branch public libraries nationwide.
For information on educational discounts, contact Rosalyn Andrews, Time Life Custom Publishing at (703) 838-7494.
From a writing program on a shoestring budget to an international journal that reaches 100,000 readers, Stone Soup, a literary magazine for the age-13-and-under set, celebrates its 20th anniversary this month.
Stone Soup has published over 4,000 pages of writing and art by children around the world since its founding in 1973 by two University of California undergraduates. Its first edition showcased works by students in a local community-arts program.
Subscriptions for the five-times-a-year children’s journal are $23. Contact Stone Soup, P.O. Box 83, Santa Cruz, Calif. 95063.--S.K.G.
