[pd-discuss] Update on Gale

Wed Jan 9 20:41:31 GMT 2013

On Wed, Jan 9, 2013 at 2:52 PM, Jonathan Gray <jonathan.gray at okfn.org> wrote:

> Gale's restriction of access to public domain
> texts is something I've been wanting to write something about for a while,
> and now we have a good excuse!

It seems highly unlikely that Gale is doing anything of the sort.  The
page that I posted the URL for came from a text which is held in the
Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/007.html  They
publish a finding aid
(http://memory.loc.gov/service/mss/eadxmlmss/eadpdfmss/2009/ms009329.pdf)
which will tell you which manuscript box or microfilm reel to search
in.

You can see the text in their reading room or order the microfilm.  If
you wanted a crappy copy like Gale has, you could digitize the
microfilm and host the images on your server for all.  If you wanted a
better quality, you'd need to negotiate with the Library of Congress
for access to the manuscripts you want digitize (and probably pay them
for the staff time to assist you).

Gale may be doing all kinds of bad things, but I seriously doubt they
control access to U.S. Library of Congress manuscripts.

Tom