The previous editor of the BSI Journal, Chet Blackburn, worked very hard scouring over back issues of the BSI Journal to construct the 50-Year Index in time for the BSI's 50th anniversary back in 2000. Chet sent me an electronic copy of the huge document that is the Index. From this starting point, I modified the formatting to make it more readable by an automated conversion program. After this, a program was written to convert the wealth of data in the Index into a structured computer database. In this format (and with a borrowed set of Journals) it was easy, though time-consuming, to locate and fix the relatively few typographical errors in the original text.

Using this organized database of over 24,000 references from the 10,444 pages included in the Index, a search engine was then created to allow a simple access to the data. This search engine is now available to BSI members as yet another benefit of membership.

In order to provide this service as a benefit to BSI members while preventing it from being accessible to the general public, the link to the 50-Year index is secured with a password.

NOTE: If you are a current member of the BSI you may find the new combination of username and password for accessing the Members-Only section printed inside the back cover of the latest Journal at the bottom of the page. Usernames and passwords are case-sensitive so make sure that you pay attention to capital letters.