Q. What is all this about?
A. The basic concept is to provide free 24 hour access to research materials in the area of antiquities two ways.
1)By providing a web site useful to researchers.
2)By opening up facilities for the public to use that will house reference materials that cannot be accessed over the Internet.

Q. Have you been around long?
A. No. We're brand new. Just opened up the web site May 1, 2010.

Q. Where are you located?
A. The HeadQuarters is in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The address is yet to be determined. More generally, we will be located anywhere there is a sufficient volunteer network and base of support to open up a local 24/7 Scrolls Reference Hall.

Q. Who do I contact?
A. Contact the Founder, James Carvin

Q. Who is James Carvin?
A. James Carvin is a student, teacher and author. He recognized the need for local Reference Halls housing documents and reference works. James had a day job and could only do his research at night, when the library is closed. As you probably know, reference works can never be checked out of your local library. The Internet is tremendously helpful but does not offer everything for free. James had to ask for money for a grant or scholarship in order to access the archives of the University of Chicago and fly to Israel, Leipzig, Sweden, Rome and Egypt for research trips in order to complete his work. For almost the same cost a local Reference Hall could be opened and the required works purchased not only for his own use, but the use of anyone else who might be interested. James realized that there were probably many other people with a similar need. Thus the idea for 24/7 Scrolls was born.

Q. Is 24/7 Scrolls tax exempt?
A. The tax exempt status has not yet been applied for.

Q. Can I donate at this time?
A. Yes, however we would prefer a financial pledge since we are not yet tax exempt and since there is not a location determined for 24/7 Scrolls Reference Hall #1 yet.

Q. What will the 24/7 Scrolls Reference Halls be like?
A. They will be a place to come and read any time you want, use the computers to do research and will also be a relaxing place to network with others who have similar interests. A Hall requires adequate shelf space for a large number of reference materials, plenty of computers and desks, coffee and snacks, a lounge for socializing and a lecture hall with media facilities for use by local colleges, churches, synagogues, teachers, history buffs, presenters, authors and the community at large.

Q. Can I be on the Board of Directors of 24/7 Scrolls?
A. Maybe. What are your qualifications? What are your passions? Can you demonstrate that you can be trusted and that you will be diligent? Will you be a contributing member? Feel free to contact us.

Q. What kind of documents will you house?
A.The first project will be the Dead Sea Scrolls. Typed versions of these have become available through Oxford University Press in the forty volume series known as Discoveries in the Judean Desert (DJD). We will only house works that cannot be accessed over the Internet for free. JP Migne's PL and PG are high on the list. Each local Reference Hall will determine what types of works it is interested in acquiring. The guideline limit is to copies of or information about sources from antiquity or works that teach the languages necessary to understand them. "Sources from antiquity" can mean anything from the published narrative literature from the Tebtunis Library in Egypt housed among the Carlsberg Papyri at the University of Copenhagen, available through Museum Tusculanum Press to a book like Sword of San Jacinto: A Life of Sam Houston by Marshall de Bruhl, which was published fairly recently, available through Amazon.com, which might be of interest to a Reference Hall in the City of Houston.

Q. What kind of documents will you refuse to house?
A. Since space is very limited we need to be very selective. We will only house documents if the local administrators approve them. The scope of this will depend on their particular interests. They are also not to acquire documents that are available for free on the Internet. For instance, the Edwin Smith, Papyrus is the oldest known manual of surgery (cerca 1600 BCE). As interesting as this document is, since it can be viewed online in its entirety we would not be interested in housing a copy of it.

Q. Can I donate my books to you?
A. Maybe. That will depend on whether your books meet our criterea. Once we have a 24/7 Scrolls Reference Hall we need to determine which books will be best for that location. There is a limited amount of shelf-space so we need to be very selective. Also, many books are available on the Internet without cost. There is not point in housing such books.

Q. Will you house any works that are found on the Internet?
A. Yes, if either 1)the publisher charges to download them. Or 2) Occassionally we may make purchases that will later be released to the Internet. If this happens we will offer the books back to the donor. If the donor declines we may contribute them to a library, or keep them.