Need for S. Asia book search service (Was: Looking for a book)

[Allen W Thrasher]

Aditya Mishra's request for help finding a copy of S. K. Mishra's
"Gandhi and Jinnah" demonstrates that there is a need for a book
search service for South Asian countries, one that would not only have
its own stock of out of print and rare books but would receive and
check the catalogs of others and send out its own want lists to
antiquarian booksellers.  In the end of course it ought to be online
on the model of Bibliofind and the like.  But since only a small
minority of South Asian booksellers have their inventory lists online,
that must wait.  It seems to me this is a major commercial opportunity
either for a beginning entrepreneur or for an established bookseller
to expand its business.  Since it would assist the local and world
scholarly community and the literate public I venture to suggest this
here hoping it is not a violation of the non-commerical nature of the
list.

Allen Thrasher



Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.
Senior Reference Librarian
Southern Asia Section
Asian Division
Library of Congress
LJ-150
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC 20540-4810
U.S.A.
tel. 202-707-3732
fax 202-707-1724
email: athr at loc.gov

The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the
Library of Congress.