Just a suggestion.  Amazon.com has come up with a
rather amazing search engine.  http://www.a9.com .  It
is incredibly fast and pretty accurate in times of
pulling up direct hits for what you are searching.

But the reason I offer it here is that it also
generates a list of books that match the query, and it
will save your searches.

If you have someone who comes in and wants to take too
much of your time, suggest A9.com to them.  They can
read their hearts out on the web and find all the
books they might possibly want to find on the same
topic.  For info junkies, it may be a dream come true,
and it could send them packing if you show enthusiasm
when you recommend they search.

If pushes comes to shove, you could, conceivably, have
a computer on site for them to do their own research
and then only fill in the blanks after they've done
their homework.



--- "REYNOLDS, Trevor"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Our response to this sort of letter would be firstly
> "I'm afraid we
> don't give valuations. Your local auction house will
> be able to help
> you" optionally give them a list of reputable
> auction houses in the
> area.
>
> Then something like "The most comprehensive/best
> book I know of about
> David Mann is ...... you should be able to buy this
> from your local
> bookshop (if in print) or local public or university
> library."
>
> For the Civil War relative question you might put
> together a fact sheet
> on "researching what your relative did in the civil
> war" if you get a
> lot of these.  Then you can just say "I enclose a
> copy of our fact sheet
> on ...".  Again you can direct people to appropriate
> books for specific
> regiments etc.
>
> Trevor Reynolds
> Collections Registrar, English Heritage, Room 530,
> 23 Savile Row, London
> W1S 2ET, United Kingdom
> Tel: +44 (0) 20 7973 3482  Fax: +44 (0) 20 7973 3209
>
>


=====
Indigo Nights
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