November 27, 1998

Having trouble finding an old hardbound copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover that Aunt Edna remembers fondly from her youth and would love for Christmas? Try one of the online book finding sites that search the catalogs of several used or antiquarian bookstores at once, like Bookfinder.com http://www.bookfinder.com or Bibliofind http://www.bibliofind.com.

Each site lets you search through the databases of a half dozen or more book dealers by author, title and so on, as well as more collector-oriented criteria (first edition, signed, etc.). The sites return wide-ranging lists of varying quality, from out-of-print paperbacks of pulp fiction to expensive, signed first editions of classics. Note that neither of these services offer secure ordering; instead, you should e-mail the seller directly to ask other questions or order the book.
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Michael Tedeschi mtedes01@gumedlib.georgetown.edu