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