WELCOME !
The TCI Library was created and is maintained by Telephone Collectors International, a non-profit organization, as a public service. It supports our goal of helping to preserve the history of telephony -- particularly fragile paper documents that may otherwise be lost to posterity. It is supported by members through dues and by the generous donations of funds and files from other sponsors and site visitors. All work is done by members, who unselfishly volunteer their time.
The Document Repository is a collection of:
- downloadable files,
- documents which describe the contents of each file,
- categories, which group documents by subject and
- sub-categories, which group documents within a category.
Files are the scanned version of the material to be saved and viewed. They are typically in .pdf format to preserve formatting and for ease of printing. These files require a pdf reader, such as Adobe Acrobat to view. Occasionally other formats, such as .jpg are used. Most other formats can be viewed directly by popular browsers.
Documents typically include a title and description for each file. A document is added for eqach file by the Library Staff, and is not part of the original file. Where possible, we have added keywords that can be used to search for documents. Thus, the simplest way to find a particular document of interest is to search for one or more keywords. (See the search document for suggestions.) Recommendations for additional keywords for any document are always welcome.
Categories are defined to group documents for ease of browsing. Where possible, the manufacturer’s coding structure is used. For example, Bell System Practices (BSPs) are grouped by BSP series then BSP number. If there is no unifying manufacturer code, documents are generally grouped by manufacturer name, then alphabetically or by date.
Each category may include a list of sub-categories and documents. By clicking on the appropriate link at the beginning of the document section, the list may be re-sorted alphabetically or by number of hits in ascending or descending order.
Sub-categories are created as the number of documents in a category becomes large. This helps keep the number of documents at any category level manageable for browsing. There may be several levels of sub-categories. Documents that don't fall into sub-categories may be at any category level. They are found after the sub-categories listed.
Examples of levels of sub-categories for various document types include:
Technical Reference Documents (e.g. BSP, GSP)
- By Company Name
- By Document Series
- By Document Number
Catalogs, Manuals and Educational Documents
- By Company Name
- By Document Type
- By Date or Document Title
Wiring Diagrams
- By Manufacturer
- By Telephone Model Type or Model Number
Switching
- By Manufacturer
Please use the "Contact Us" link to send corrections, suggestions and additions.
Mouse over Introduction on the Menu Bar and select Using The TCI Library to learn more about the Library.
{docmanlist showExpanded hideCategoryLinks get_subfolders 4 22}
Using Google Search
Google may help find more items in the Library than are found by Basic or Advanced Search.
Its user interface is much more complex, so is recommended primarily for power users.
Google Search uses the "Google Site Search" capability to only return matches in the TCI Library, rather than searching the whole internet. It uses the same Google Search interface you may already know.
It works by automatically indexing the contents of the Library's PDF files, giving us access to many more keywords within the documents. The user interface also permits more complex searches.
Note that this process isn't always 100% accurate, as some of the PDF files lack the quality needed to be properly OCR-ed. In addition, the availability of so much more text in the search yypically results in many more matches. Some skill in crafting the search is needed to keep the number of matches reasonable.
In many cases, documents are still best found with the Basic or Advanced Searches, which use only the Library's keywords.
Try the following operators in your Google searches.
|
Search for an exact word or phrase |
Use quotes to search for an exact word or set of words in a specific order, without normal improvements such as spelling corrections and synonyms. This option is handy when searching for song lyrics or a line from literature. Tip: Only use this if you're looking for a very precise word or phrase, because otherwise you could be excluding helpful results by mistake. |
|
Exclude a word |
Add a hyphen (-) before a word to exclude all results that include that word. This is especially useful for synonyms like Jaguar the car brand and jaguar the animal. |
|
Include similar words |
Normally, synonyms might replace some words in your original query. Add a tilde sign (~) immediately in front of a word to search for that word as well as even more synonyms. |
|
Include a "fill in the blank" |
Use an asterisk (*) within a query as a placeholder for any unknown or "wildcard" terms. Use with quotation marks to find variations of that exact phrase or to remember words in the middle of a phrase. |
|
Search for either word |
If you want to search for pages that may have just one of several words, include OR (capitalized) between the words. Without the OR, your results would typically show only pages that match both terms. You can also use the | symbol between words for the same effect. Tip: Enclose phrases in quotes to search for either one of several phrases. |
|
Search for a number range |
Separate numbers by two periods (with no spaces) to see results that contain numbers in a given range of things like dates, prices, and measurements. Tip: Use only one number with the two periods to indicate an upper maximum or a lower minimum. |
Find more on Google Search here:
http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=134479
Using Advanced Search
Advanced Search is similar to Basic Search, but has additional capabilities to help limit searches by finding files of interest within a specific TCI Library category, or data type.
It uses commands that are different than many operating systems and internet search engines. Please read the following and note the known issues at the end of this article. Features details that are common with Basic Search are not repeated here. See "Using Basic Search."
HINT: Click on the 'Print" icon on the right to open a text copy of this page in a new window for reference. Then click on Advanced Search to view the keyword entry box and try some searches.
To start an Advanced Search:
- Click on Search / Advanced Search on the Menu Bar or click the Search Document icon (magnifying glass) if visible.
- Enter your keyword or keywords in the “Search Terms” box.
- If desired, limit the search results using the drop down boxes.
- Click on "Search."
Keywords are matched to any word in the title and/or description. These are added by TCI Library staff. Advanced Search does not search the contents of a file.
The keyword string including spaces between keywords is currently limited to 255 characters.
Each keyword must include two or more characters. One character keywords are ignored.
WARNING! If Advanced Search returns more than 1,000 documents that match your keywords, you are not seeing all the relevant documents in the Library. Use more keywords or a category search to limit the number of matches.
By default, an Advanced Search is: all categories, alphabetical, all words and both title and description. To change the scope or order, use the following entries on the request form:
“Select category” – Use the drop down box to select a single Library category from the list. These are usually groups of related documents such as catalogs from a particular manufacturer, or technical reference documents (BSPs, GSPs, etc) on a related topic. This is very handy if you know the most likely BSP division and section for a good result.
“Search by Type” -- If you enter multiple keywords, the default is to return results containing any of the keywords. This may be limited by using the options in the drop down box (see examples).
Name is the title of the found result (highlighted in blue).
Description is the text below the name.
Search Examples: (Keywords underlined for clarity.)
Keyword: -000-000
- Find documents with "-000-000" -- which are index BSPs
Keyword: index
- Find documents with "index" in the title and/or description.
Multiple Keywords: Bell System
- Search by “any words” to find any document with either bell or system.
- Search by “all words” to find any document with both bell and system.
- Search by “exact phrase” to find only documents with “bell system.”
If you don't find the BSP you're looking for...
... try looking up a BSP number in one of the index documents and search for the full BSP number. The titles and descriptions may not contain the search keywords you're using. You can also try using the Google Search, which may find keywords within the files.
... try a different form of an abbreviation -- for example, WE, W.E. or WEco.
... try the Google Search.
Since this site is a work in progress, recommendations for additional keywords for any document are always welcome.
Please use the "Contact Us" link to send corrections, suggestions and additions.
Known search issues
Searches may fail if strange characters are entered into the search box.
This can happen when using copy-and-paste to move text from an html email to the search box. In some cases, the characters are not visible, so you won't know they're there! If a search returns 0 results, try typing in the search string and restart the search.
Browse or Search?
With over 23,000 documents on file, finding anything in the TCI Library can be a daunting challenge.
TCI Library users have several tools to help find information.
DISCLAIMER: The TCI Library is built using commercially available software tools. TCI has little control over the design or operation of the tools. We understand that the tool set selected has some unique features that do not perform in a manner that most users find intuitive. A learning curve is required to use the Library to its full potential.
At the time the tools were selected, they were the best we found that supported the type of storage and access anticipated. We are looking for volunteers to help us evaluate and select alternative tools, especially for sorting. Until alternatives are found, tested and installed please read the introductory pages on browsing and sorting completely and refer to them often until you understand how they work.
HINT: Click on the 'Print" icon on the upper right to open a text copy of this page in a new window for reference. Then click on Basic Search to view the keyword entry box and try some searches.
Browsing is hunting for information by looking at titles in the Library’s category folders. Looking in each category is similar to looking at the titles of books on a shelf and selecting one to read.
Browsing is useful for general research or when you know the document or type of document that may contain the info you seek.
Searching is hunting for information using one or more keywords that specify characteristics of the desired information. A search engine hunts through all items in the Library and returns a list of recommended files.
Searching is useful to find info on detailed specific subjects, such as a particular model of phone or equipment.
Browse by category
Clicking on Browse the Library or Document Repository takes you to the top level of the Library filing system, where you see the major sections of the Library displayed as links with folder icons.
Clicking on any category link (with a folder icon) takes you a level deeper into the Library. As you go deeper, note that the path you took is displayed on the “You are here:” line.
On some levels, you have the choice of selecting a sub-category to go deeper to a more specialized level or selecting a file (link with a pdf icon). Each link is a title of the document associated with the file. The Description, if any, is shown as following lines of text. For each file, you have the choice to Download, View or look at expanded details for the document.
Document Repository Categories
- Sub-category
- Sub-category and documents
- Sub-category and documents
- Documents
Eventually, you will find a level with only documents, so you cannot go deeper. If you want to keep looking elsewhere, you can use the browser back button to go up a level, click on any link in the path shown on the “You are here:” line to jump up to a higher level category and try a different path or start over by selecting the Browse the Library link on the Menu Bar.
Note that the sort is based on the text currently in the document title. Some titles for similar items may not be in a consistent format, so similar items may not be grouped together. For example, BSPs coded C32 001 and C32.002 will not be in the desired order. Please let us know if you find any confusing entries, so we can make the Library easier to use.
Where available, the List View shows the category structure of part of the Library. See Introduction / - Using List View for details.
To browse by category, continue with Browse the Library in the Menu Bar.
Browse using Menu Bar Drop-down lists
The Menu Bar provides short cuts for Power Browsers to help you jump around faster. As you mouse over a menu entry, new options may be revealed below or to the right of the current entry. These links do not follow the Library hierarchy, so can go to any pre-selected location in the Library. The Staff has selected some of the more popular pages to include in the drop-down lists.
Try mousing over Browse the Library, then Wiring Diagrams then Automatic Electric. A left click takes you straight to the AE Wiring Diagrams page. We refer to that move as follows:
Browse the Library / Wiring Diagrams / Automatic Electric
Search
Search allows you specify keywords and instructions to the search engine, and it may return several likely documents for your review. These can be filed anywhere in the Library.
The Library offers a choice of three search engines with different capabilities, for a variety of search types and users.
Details of how to structure searches are contained in the “Using the …” entries associated with each search engine shown under Search in the Menu Bar.
To learn more about searching, continue with Search / - Which Search to Use? In the Menu Bar.
New User?
Read the articles under "Introduction" in the black menu bar above.
Recent Contributors
Thanks for new documents from Bruce Patterson, Jon Kolger, Paul Ivester, Len Hicken, Paul Fassbender, Fred Haynes, Kurt Rudolph, Wade ("Kellogg KITT"), the Connections Museum, Rick Walsh, Jeff Lamb, Jeremy Walters, Mark Cuccia, Alan David, Harry Joseph, Charlie Terry, Karl Brose, Dennis Hock, Tim Griffin, Remco Enthoven, and Steve Cichorsky.
Please send a file to add your name to this list!
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Hints for using the TCI Library
Three search options.
When browsing, to change the category listing view from normal to compact, click on Browse the Library in the black menu bar.
Telephone Collectors International was incorporated under the laws of the state of Kansas on May 13, 1986. The goal of the organization is "to educate the public, as well as the members of the Corporation, regarding the history of telephony, the value of old telephones and related items, their collectability and preservation; to research telephone history and publish and provide literature thereon; to promote the public exhibition of old telephones and related items; and to promote common courtesies and guidelines for use by the public." Telephone Collectors International is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization, to which U.S. tax deductible contributions can be made.