The Devon local studies web site provides integrated access to web pages and references to books, periodicals, newspapers, illustrations, maps and other information sources held in local collections across the county. The subject coverage extends to all aspects of Devon, past and present, but there is also much information on the South West region and some non-local information held in special library collections or in works written by local authors. Unless you limit your search by the type of record therefore, your search may display web pages mixed with references to books and other items, with a note of where copies may be seen and sometimes an image of the item. A key to the main locations is available. This powerful database is provided by System Simulation and it is possible to search for keywords in most parts of the record.

Search facilities. How can I search your web site? There are various search pages on the web site, the main one being on the catalogues search page. The following search engines have good coverage of the web site:

• Google. To confine the search to the Devon local studies website, add "etched" to your search terms, e.g. Andrew Brice etched
• Alta Vista uses search terms in a similar manner to limit searches to this site.

Contact. How can I get in touch with you? It depends on what you want to ask. Please see our contacts page.

Obtaining books. I have found details of a publication on your website. How can I obtain a copy? The items listed on this website form part of collections of the Westcountry Studies Library in Exeter ( WSL) or other major collections such as Barnstaple Local Studies Library ( BAR), the North Devon Athenaeum Library in Barnstaple (NDA) and the local studies collections in Plymouth (PLY) and Torquay (TOR). All these collections are for reference only, and many of the items are no longer in print. There are a number of ways in which you can obtain access to a copy of these publications:

1. By visiting the library. All libraries are open to the public and most are part of the public library service. There is a guide to the Westcountry Studies Library and the Library at Barnstaple on this website. Before undertaking a long journey it may be advisable to check that the library actually holds the item referred to. It may be still on order, it may have proved impossible to obtain a copy for library stock, it may have been misfiled or it may have been sent away for binding or conservation.
2. By locating a copy of the title in a more local library. There are a number of library catalogues available on the internet. COPAC is a useful union catalogue which provides free access to the merged online catalogues of 24 of the largest university research libraries in the UK and Ireland plus the British Library & the National Library of Scotland. The UNESCO libraries portal provides access to library catalogues around the world, as does LibDex.
3. By inter-library loan. Your local library may be able to locate a copy through the interlibrary loan system. You will normally be expected to pay a contribution to the costs involved. You can search the main catalogue of Devon Library Services, which includes lending copies as well as reference copies, and users who are registered with Devon Library Services will normally be able to reserve lending copies through their local branch.
4. By looking for a copy of an in-print title to purchase. Many local bookshops have access to national and international databases of books in print and can order a copy for you. There are also internet bookshops such as Amazon (click on the "Books" tab). A service which offers a price comparison is Best Book Price. In many cases the item may be a locally or privately published item, particularly if there is no ISBN or it is described as "Typescript". In this case it may be helpful to search for the name of the organisation or individual who published it on the internet. If none of these approaches bear fruit, staff in the Westcountry Studies Library may be able to search for contact information provided in the publication itself.
5. By looking for an item on the antiquarian market. Here a local antiquarian bookseller may be able to advise or there are a number of sites on the internet. The Clique is a service run by and for antiquarian booksellers in the UK which offers a search facility for finding old books using the database provided through Haybooks.com. A major source for out-of-print books is Abebooks. A good antiquarian bookseller for books on South West England is Ambra Books.
6. By requesting a photocopy or microfilm. Many items may be too fragile or large to copy or they may be within copyright. Copyright normally extends to a period seventy years after the death of the author but copyright law is complex and guidance may be required from library staff. Staff is not available to undertake extensive copying of material on behalf of enquirers but short extracts, such as a periodical article or a few pages from a publication can often be provided. Where items are too fragile or extensive to permit photocopying, microfilm or digitisation may be possible, but full costs would have to be borne by the person requesting such work to be undertaken.

Intellectual property. How can I use material on your website?
The contents of the Etched website are licensed under a Creative Commons License. The County Council holds the copyright in almost all material included in the web site and other contributors have agreed to the terms of this licence which permits copying of their work for attributed non-commercial use. This licence does not override the terms of Devon County Council's own copyright statement.

Genealogical research. I noticed my family name on your website. Can you send me details of anything you have on my family? Unfortunately library staff is not available to carry out genealogical or other research on behalf of enquirers and you would normally be expected to visit the Library. There is a guide to the Westcountry Studies Library and the Library at Barnstaple on this website and also information on family research in Devon. For those unable to visit Exeter Devon County Council operates a professional service in Exeter through the Devon Record Office which undertakes genealogical and related searches on a paid basis. The genealogist is familiar with and has direct access to collections in the Devon Record Office and Westcountry Studies Library. These collections include most Devon parish registers, census enumerators' returns tax and rate assessments, trade directories, newspapers and comprehensive indices in both departments. There will be no travelling expenses and a limited number of photocopies may be supplied where these can present the results of the research more economically. Fuller details of this service are available on the Devon Record Office website. Other internet sites which may be of use are listed on Devon's local studies links page.

Newspaper searches. Could you please check your newspapers for an obituary of my great-great-grandfather who died in Devon in April 1902? The Westcountry Studies Library holds files of many newspapers and listing of Devon newspapers held in collections throughout the world is on the web site. In Devon most of these titles are only available for use on microfilm. This medium is time consuming to search, especially when more than one title is available, and unfortunately staff time is not available to do this on your behalf, even where a reasonable indication of the date is given. As with genealogical research, you can use the professional search service operated by Devon Record Office if you are unable to visit Devon.

Missing persons. My mother was evacuated to Exeter during World War 2 and stayed with a Mrs Longlost near a large church with a spire. Please can you help me trace the family she stayed with? Unfortunately library staff is not available to trace missing persons but the library can be visited to consult back files of sources such as telephone and trade directories. A good guide to sites for on-line telephone directories world-wide is Teldir and most of these are available free. It may produce results if you write a letter for insertion into a local newspaper. The main titles for Devon are:

• Regional, daily: Western Morning News, 17 Brest Road, Plymouth PL6 5AA
• South Devon, daily: Herald Express, Barton Hill Road, Torquay TQ2 8HN
• East Devon, daily: Express and Echo, Heron Road, Sowton, Exeter EX2 7LY.
• West Devon, daily: Evening Herald, 17 Brest Road, Plymouth PL6 5AA