I DO intend to give a http://books.google.com a try . . . as there are many kinds of inquiries for which I can imagine it would be very useful. Ultimately the choice of a search tool depends both on what's available and on what we're looking for in any given instance : there are lots of times when a quick web search and even Wikipedia snages the discrete bit of information one is seeking - other times when the search has to be more challenging. And sometimes the latter require a trip to the archive or library . . . I didn't mean either to dismiss this new tool or to suggest that one size fits all. (And one of the features that is really nice is the ability to do subsequent searches WITHIN the frist batch of results so taht you can eventually refine a huge number of 'hits' to those that get at what you're seeking.) VA-HIST folks of a certain age will remember the late Waverly Winfree of the Virgnia Historical Society, who once commented to me that "books come and go, but a good index is forever" . . . . Have a good weekend. Jon Kukla To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html