[Genealib] U.S. History Publishers

[Libby Feil]

Hi, all--
	My library has received a faxed questionnaire from an 
organization called U.S. History Publishers.  They are asking us to 
give them information about our area, to be included in one volume of 
an upcoming multi-volume set called the Dictionary of United States 
History.  The questionnaire also asks for the names of historical 
books about our county, with the note that "We plan to obtain copies 
of the books you recommended, digitize them for reprinting, and make 
the digital images available on Google Book Search."
	I'm a little wary of getting involved with the company, 
particularly when their website looks new, has little information, 
and provides no contact information.
	This data collection effort seems a bit simplistic and 
underdeveloped.  The company does not stipulate which area they are 
interested in, for instance; some of the questions ask about our 
"city/town/unincorporated area" and about our 
"city/town/county/region."  They ask for very little substantive 
information, but leave a lot of space for "two or three interesting 
facts" and "historical and famous people who were born or lived in 
your city/town/unincorporated area."  They ask for the names of 
"historical document locations," but only provide room to list one 
library, one historical society, and an "additional individual." 
They also ask for the publishing information about historical books, 
providing room for only seven.  (We have thousands, which I couldn't 
possibly begin to list.)  Further, the request for books doesn't 
specify books that are out of copyright, although presumably that's 
what they'd be interested in, but it does ask for an ISBN, which 
would only be found on relatively current copyrighted material.
	Has anyone heard anything about this publisher?  What is this 
company's reputation?  Thanks for any light anyone can shed on this.
Best wishes,
Libby Feil
-- 

Elizabeth "Libby" Feil, Librarian

Manager, Local & Family History Services
St. Joseph County Public Library
304 So. Main Street
South Bend, IN  46601

574-235-4181
l.feil at sjcpl.org
AIM:  sjcpllibby
http://www.libraryforlife.org/localhistory/
To subscribe to our monthly Local & Family History
e-newsletter, email me at l.feil at sjcpl.org


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