PD Libraries Update                    
                                         
  The following libraries are more or    
  less definitely still in action (as of 
  April 1993), and will provide info if  
  you send them an SAE:                  
                                         
                                         
  JJF PD, 49 Hollyberry Close, Winyates  
  Green, REDDITCH, Worcs, B98 0QT        
  Run by James Famer, who I think also   
  contributes software to the Public     
  Domain himself, JJF PD seems to me to  
  be the most promising of the new PD    
  libraries, and hopefully will be very  
  successful. It has similarities to the 
  very popular BBC PD, with a choice of  
  formats between DFS 80T SS, DFS 80T    
  DS, ADFS M and ADFS L.                 
                                         
  Only 5.25" disks are supported.        
                                         
  There is a fair amount of software     
  available, with around sixty disks     
  with usually about 300K on each,       
  though nearly all of it is available   
  elsewhere. Prices are nicely           
  competitive, #1.40 each for orders up  
  to four disks, #1.30 for between five  
  and nine, and #1.20 each for orders    
  for ten disks or more. There is also a 
  free disk in exchange for new PD       
  offer.  The catalogue and intro disc   
  is in the TBI pool as TBI-25           
                                         
  Different Ideas PD, Archway Cottage,   
  The Mount, Headley, Nr. Bordon,        
  Hampshire, GU35 8AG                    
  Supply a catalogue of around 35 disks, 
  most are 5.25" DFS 80T only            
  (presumably double-sided), there are a 
  couple of ADFS L 5.25" only disks.     
  They haven't told me how much they     
  charge, but I believe it is #1.50 per  
  disk. There are a number of disks in   
  their catalogue that I haven't seen    
  widely distributed elsewhere in the    
  Public Domain.                         
                                         
                                         
  Headfirst Public Domain, 97 Chester    
  Road, SOUTHPORT, PR9 7HH               
  This library supplies disks in both    
  5.25 and 3.5" formats, and you can     
  choose between DFS and ADFS. However,  
  their DFS and ADFS versions are        
  effectively identical, and the DFS     
  disks they supply are only 40T (ADFS   
  are 80T). This means that, since their 
  catalogue menu appears on all their    
  disks as well, there ends up being     
  well under 100K on each disk you order 
  (I think).                             
                                         
  However, their prices are competitive  
  at #1.25 per disk, and they do supply  
  an ingenious menu which lets you       
  choose what you want then prints out   
  an order form ready-filled-in for you. 
  There are only eleven disks in their   
  BBC section (and all are obviously     
  fairly small), but a few have stuff    
  previously unseen elsewhere, plus      
  software by at least two 8BS members!  
                                         
  Another plus is their free disk for    
  any new PD offer, and also their offer 
  of ten blank 5.25" disks for #3.50, or 
  ten black 3.5" DD for #5.00. They also 
  have Archimedes, Electron and Atari ST 
  sections.                              
                                         
                                         
  "Screenteach" are not in fact a PD     
  library. However, if you send #10 to   
  their address in Acorn Computing,      
  Screenteach will supply you with the   
  official BBC Computer "Save-a-Life"    
  program and the accompanying paperback 
  book. (These are intended to teach     
  ordinary people resuscitation          
  techniques in case of heart attacks    
  etc.)                                  
                                         
                                         
  Datastream PD only supply Archimedes   
  software.                              
                                         
                                         
  I have corresponded at length with the 
  following libraries in the past, but   
  am currently awaiting replies to       
  letters from all of them and cannot    
  confirm that they are still running:   
  Welsh Boys PD                          
  Mad Rabbit PD                          
                                         
  BBC PD and GLM PD are still running    
                                         
                                         
  I have written to the following        
  libraries, enclosing SAE's, over a     
  month ago but received no reply:       
  Frisky Clams                           
  Re-run                                 
  The Wizard                             
                                         
                                         
  Daniel Shimmin, The Queen's College,   
  OXFORD. April 1993