[Publib] Reference USA alternatives

[Catherine Ahern]

It is good to learn about some of the great used of Google 
and other sources for residential and business telephone 
information. I detest the Reference USA price tag as much 
as anyone but I think that the value in the database goes 
beyond the simple directory listings. Our users manipulate 
the data through the custom search to get lists of 
businesses of a certain type or street addresses for 
eventual mailing lists.  I am not sure how easy that would 
be to do on some of the other sources that were mentioned. 
 What I have been pushing for, and I am not the only one 
doing this of course, is to have Reference USA be included 
in our CT Digital Library, making it accessible to 
everyone and of course, sparing our library the hefty 
price tag.  Thanks for listening

Cathy Ahern
Russell Library
Middletown, CT