Washington Online: How to Access the Government's Electronic Bulletin Boards

Library Journal

This is a useful guide for anyone needing access to information on federal government jobs, cleanup of hazardous substances, software of modeling environmental habitats, or many other types of government information. The book is essentially a detailed directory of modem-accessible bulletin board systems (BBSs) run by U.S. federal government entities and/or providing a preponderance of federal information. All of the BBSs covered are publicly accessible at no cost, although some charge fees for downloading files (e.g., The Government Printing Office's Federal Bulletin Board). Descriptions of gateway services and individual BBSs vary in length from one paragraph to four pages, mentioning useful or noteworthy files, links to other bulletin boards and conferences, and special features or glitches to watch out for. Basic information for each service is printed in a box, including phone number for modem connection, voice phone, Internet access (if available; a forthcoming book by Maxwell will cover federal government Internet sources), the board's number on the FedWorld gateway, file information, time limit, and hours of availability. In the introductory chapter, Maxwell describes basic hardware, software, setup, and BBS registration requirements and discusses typical bulletin board menu structure, how to request help, and what to do about busy signals, failure to connect, and "garbage" on your computer screen. Annual editions are planned. This book is a bargain and a necessary addition to reference collections in academic, public, and special libraries, as well as a useful desk reference for librarians.-Patrick Ragains, Montana State Univ. Lib., Bozeman

Booknews

Provides detailed descriptions of some 200 federal government bulletin board systems (BBSs). One-page entries offering information on how to reach them, how to navigate through them, and what they offer are organized by topics such as information access, defense, energy, and government. Includes appendices on BBSs added and deleted since the 1995 edition, and name changes, plus a glossary. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)