NYS Library Catalog - Access for Users of AOL, Compuserve and Web TV

Cliff Lamere 

July 2000, revised May 2001

If your internet service provider is AOL, Compuserve, or WebTV, you may have a compatibility problem with the catalog search engine on the NYS Library's website.  However, there is a way to work around it if your operating system is Windows 95 or 98.  [Note:  If you are an AOL user, try the alternate instructions at the bottom of this webpage first.]

First, you must start your AOL, Compuserve, or WebTV.  Then do the following in Windows:

   WINDOWS 95 & 98     
Click on Start 

Click on Run
Type      Telnet

Click on OK
Click on Connect
Click on Remote System
Type       NYSL.nysed.gov
Click on Connect
Type       catalog

Press     Enter  (A page of technical information appears)

Press     Enter  (Begin is highlighted on next screen.  Read page.)
Press     Enter (Library Catalog is highlighted on next screen)
Press     Enter (You can now do a search)

It is an archaic system; a real dinosaur in black and white.  But it will work if you have patience and try to learn it.  Normal key functions like Page Down and the arrow keys don't work.  It is frustrating to use until you get the hang of it.  If you mistype something, you must use Backspace to erase everything back to the mistake.  Then you can retype the rest of it.

At each step, be sure to read the instructions at the top of the screen.

If you should do an author seach and get a result that says something like "You Found 32 Items", only 4 of them will appear on the screen at once.  You must hit Tab twice to go to the word "Forward" and hit Enter in order to look at the next 4 selections.  Or, you can use "Jump to" in order to skip ahead.

                                          Visitors since 14 Aug 2000