This is intended to be a very basic introduction to searching the Library of Congress catalogs, including LOCIS via TELNET. It is not our intention to make professional researchers or librarians out of our readers, but to give you a general idea of how to find the somewhat less obvious material listed in the publicly accessible portions of the Library of Congress catalogs.
We last left our courageous explorer nearly daunted in his attempts to find information about whether his very own work had actually been copyrighted (since his filing cabinet only offered a photocopy of the original application). To delve as deeply as he needed to go, he'd need to venture off the beaten path of the World Wide Web into the depths of LOCIS (Library of Congress Information System) through the use of TELNET software. (Searching the catalogs is only available during certain time periods; check your access point -- either web page or TELNET -- for times.)
Much of the Library of Congress Catalogs search functionality is duplicated in LOCIS, but not in the straightforward way we're used to seeing on the web. This is a menu and command driven system, and although access to help is always available that help can often be as inscrutable as just trying things yourself. For an example, let's try to a search similar to the one we did last week.
First you'll need to log on to LOCIS. (We'll be presuming that your TELNET software is set up correctly to make the connection.) If you click your browser is set up to hand off a link to your TELNET software, clicking this link should launch the software and make the connection. Otherwise launch your TELNET software and type in this address:
locis.loc.gov
You're present with a number of choices. Type 1 and hit enter or return to access the Library of Congress Catalog. Last week we searched the "PreMARC" area to find versions of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman published prior to 1980. Let's stick with the PreMarc database, so type 4 and hit the enter key. You should be greeted with a screen which begins:
***PREM- THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS COMPUTERIZED CATALOG
is now available for your search.
Let's look for published works by Stephen Schwartz (prior to 1980, of course). Type in b schwartz, stephen and hit enter. You should get a list like:
B01 Schwartz, Simon//(AUTH=1)
B02 Schwartz, Sophie 1901-1937//(AUTH=1)
B03 Schwartz, Sophie, 1901-1937//(AUTH=1)
B04 Schwartz, Sten, 1908-//(AUTH=1)
B05 Schwartz, Stephan//(AUTH=1)
B06+Schwartz, Stephen//(AUTH=5)
B07 Schwartz, Stephen Paul//(AUTH=1)
B08 Schwartz, Steven Otto, 1911-//(AUTH=1)
B09 Schwartz, T//(AUTH=1)
B10 Schwartz, Teddy//(AUTH=2)
B11 Schwartz, Theodor//(AUTH=1)
B12 Schwartz, Tibor//(AUTH=2)
The list may be different since the names appear alphabetically and this database is constantly updated. Find "Schwartz, Stephen" in the list; the number which proceeds it (e.g., B06 in the example above) is what you'll type in next. To browse the five entries (AUTH=5 tells us there are five entries), type b06 and hit the enter key. The next screen lists the pre-1980 published works of Stephen Schwartz registered with the LoC (hit the enter key to advance to entry 5).
Ah, but you're wondering "What about those unpublished works we're itching to get at?" Well, when we first entered the LoC catalog you may remember having seen this statement:
To search LC's Music, AV, Manuscript, Computer Files & other catalog files, sign on to any LOC file (choices 1-3, 5-6) and see HELP screens.
I've searched those help screens and found nothing. Hundreds of help screens. But the information is here. It wasn't until a did a search of the web looking for a page that would explain the cabalistic depths innards of LOCIS that I found an answer. A page from the Doheny Memorial Library of the University of Southern California site provided the clues. Ignore that stuff about signing on to any LOC file. As a matter of fact, at the main screen skip the Library of Congress Catalog choice entirely and choose "Copyright Information."
To do this let's back out of the system. Type "exit" and hit enter. This brings us back to the main "L O C I S : LIBRARY OF CONGRESS INFORMATION SYSTEM" screen. Type 3 for "Copyright Information" and hit enter. There it is: Choice 1 "Works registered for copyright since 1978." Type 1 and hit enter. You should see:
***COHM- THE COPYRIGHT MONOGRAPH FILE
is now available for your search.
The commands are basically the same as for the main sections of the LoC catalogs. If we want to join the crowd and sue Sir Andrew but need to make sure our copyrights predate his, type b lloyd webber, andrew and hit enter. We'll get a list similar to this:
B01 LLOYD WARREN ORIGINAL SONGS//(TITL=1)
B02 LLOYD WAS GOOD TO ME//(TITL=1)
B03 LLOYD WAYNE JENKINS COPYRIGHT TAPE NUMBER 9//(TITL=1)
B04 LLOYD WEBBER//(AUTH=3; XREF=2)
B05 LLOYD WEBBER PLAYS LLOYD WEBBER//(TITL=1)
B06+LLOYD WEBBER, ANDREW//(CLNA=5; AUTH=50; XREF=1)
B07 LLOYD WEBBER, ANDREW, 1948-//(AUTH=42)
B08 LLOYD WEBBER, JEAN//(CLNA=38; XREF=1)
B09 LLOYD WEBBER, JULIAN//(AUTH=20)
B10 LLOYD WEBBER, JULIAN, 1951-//(AUTH=1)
B11 LLOYD WEBBER, MRS//(CLNA=1)
B12 LLOYD WEBBER, MRS. J//(XREF=1)
To view the multiple entries type b04/b06-b07 (or whatever the appropriate numbers are in the list as it appears to you) and hit enter. (We used the slash to indicate a jump in sequence since we don't care about "LLOYD WEBBER PLAYS LLOYD WEBBER," entry B05. In the set that first appears
1. RE-29-591: Four pieces for pianoforte. Grade 2/3. Music by acLloyd Webber. CLNA: Lloyd Webber (A)
2. RE-218-462: Six sketches for organ. Music: Lloyd Webber. CLNA: <Mrs.> J. Lloyd Webber (W)
3. RE-501-330: Two carol-songs for children. w & m Madeline Chase, pseud.of Madeline Thomas, & aLloyd Webber. CLNA: Madeline Chase (pseud. of acMadeline Thomas) (A)
4. RE-506-172: Quiet movements from Rheinberger. For organ. Arr. aLloyd Webber. CLNA: Jean Lloyd Webber (W)
5. RE-714-547: Down thru summer. w acTimothy Rice, m acAndrew Lloyd Webber. CLNA: Timothy Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber (A)
6. RE-752-885: Joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat. For voices and piano. m Andrew Lloyd Webber, w Tim Rice. CLNA: acAndrew Lloyd Webber & acTim Rice (A)
the first four don't appear to be our Lloyd Webber, but number 5 is the one we may want to sue for. To view the complete entry, type display item 5 and hit enter. Unfortunately, the entry
RE-714-547 (COHM) ITEM 5 OF 98 IN SET 7
TITL: Down thru summer. w acTimothy Rice, m acAndrew
Lloyd Webber.
CLNA: Timothy Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber (A)
DREG: 26Dec95
ODAT: 6Jul67;
OREG: EFO-123594.
OCLS: E
shows that indeed Sir Andrew wrote his version first: July 6, 1967. Darn, we'll have to find another way to finance the purchase of our country home.
Luckily for me, my search (b alper, steven m) revealed that our work was officially registered with the Library (PAu-1-812-526).
Happy searching!
For more information on the use of TELNET software, contact your ISP, internet guru, or check Suite 101's computing areas (Mac / PC).
C U @ the Theatre!
Originally published at Suite101.com Theatre, 1/19/99
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