Rare Book Monthly
Wikis: Changes and Additions
Deep detail within a collecting focus
We have also added a new Wiki that is the best one so far. It is based on the "Check List of Publications on American Railroads before 1841" that was issued by the New York Public Library in 1942. It is a gem of precision. It identifies more than 2,800 related items as issued between 1800 and 1840.
For those looking to find this material we have developed extensive search terms to unearth matches which, while not yet perfect, will capture almost all related materials at auction and in Books for Sale, whether or not the material is actually in the bibliography. The matches, in time, will increase this bibliography to more than 3,500 items. For a collector this is both a very appealing area as well as a vivid demonstration of the power of collecting based on Wiki Bibliographies.
Included with this article are two images and various links. The first image and link are to the recently revised Wiki Landing page. This page is the jumping off point when you select Wiki Bibliographies either from the pie chart or the brief menu under the sign-in box. The second image is of the Wiki Global Search. Reach it by selecting Wiki Search. The default setting on the Wiki landing page is to search all Wikis. The same search, which appears as a link on all individual Wikis, is set to search that particular Wiki but can be reset to search any specific or all Wikis.
The third image is a Wiki Search Results page. The searches are quick. The results invite experimentation. On all Wikis there are links to Current Auction Matches and to Books for Sale Matches. These files suggest there is plenty of early railroad material available.
Finally, I want to note that the internal Wiki search parameters for searches for this newest Wiki employ a wider date range than is implied by the source name. We are matching all material that otherwise meets the search criteria up to 1870. That year is the hinge point, the before and after date for the development of railroads in America. Our expectation is that those who are interested in the earliest material will not feel abused by being offered material up to that date.
