i just bumped into this! (actually it was sent to me by the folks at SFC today)…
The search functions on their website allow you to search by artist, genre, album, release year, instrument, track title, country, etc. When you find an album you are interested in, they provide an image of the album cover, general information about the whole album, 30 second clips of each track, and free liner notes for download as a .pdf file. They also offer both the Smithsonian Folkways and A World of Sound catalog as .pdf files under the Customer Service tab at the top of the homepage.
You may order directly from their site. They offer downloads, CDs, cassettes, and LPs. Their website provides an easy-to-navigate, information-abounding, environmentally friendly option for browsing and purchasing from the Smithsonian Folkways catalog. They encourage ordering on-line at <a href=”http://www.folkways.si.edu”>www.folkways.si.edu</a> or by phone at 202-633-6450.
