North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[prcenter@webtv.net]

--- In nafex@egroups.com, "Christopher Mauchline" <mauch1@a...> wrote:
> I would love a searchable, electronic copy of Pomona, but I would 
> still want my paper copy.  I work in the computer industry - 
> electronic data is vunerable to loss from device failure,  
> format/technology change or organization failure (small example of 
> this:  I use (and will hang on to my last copy) of Bear Creek's 
> catalog for a description of apple varieties.  They're now out of 
> business.  If I had depended (if it had been available) on an 
> electronic copy I might not have that resource any more.)  
>

This is disconcerting news to say the least. I too have Bear Creeks 1999-2000 
catalog here on my coffee table and consider it one of the most valuable 
resources available. 

I was planning on ordering some scionwood from them this year!

I have been back to the BearCreek website many times over the years (still 
under construction last I saw) and wrote to them recently... via e-mail and 
asked why they had not done more to develop it and put the catalog online. I 
did not receive any reply. Now I know why I guess.

Considering the number of other nursery seed and garden catalogs that have 
produced online versions... though I have no idea why Bear Creek has gone out 
of business... could it have anything to do with the fact that they did not 
put this valuable resouce online?

I would still like to see the catalog archived online... Otherwise all that 
great information IS LOST to everyone who never got the print version of the 
catalog. There is alot of great information in POMONA... I would hate to see 
it FOREVER LOST (to the world at large) because it did not produce a digital 
version.

That makes me wonder... does (or can) the library of congress preseve copies 
of digital publications? 

Tom


-------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~>
eGroups eLerts
It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free!
http://click.egroups.com/1/9698/0/_/423498/_/976141752/
---------------------------------------------------------------------_->