Marine Link
Monday, March 18, 2024

LR: A Register For The Millennium

The register book is at the heart of LR, and its evolution can be traced back to LR's earliest beginnings. Today's three volume Register of Ships, containing 5,700 pages with data on 85,000 selfpropelled merchant ships of 100 gt and above, irrespective of their classification society, is the descendant of a clever marketing ploy invented by Edward Lloyd, who ran a coffee shop in the City of London in the 18th Century. Lloyd attracted the custom of important shipping businessmen of the day, providing them with shipping information by means of announcements made by a servant from a pulpit.

LR has now launched the Register Books on CD-ROM. Although the format of the LR register book has changed over the years, the aim behind it ~ the provision of accurate and up-to-date information on merchant shipping — has remained the same for more than two centuries.

Today, LR has 36 editorial staff dedicated to looking after marine information in the world, and the world's largest maritime database. Each ship is identified by a unique LR number, and in 1996 IMO adopted these LR numbers for its international identification system. Since that time, all merchant ships of 100 gt and above are required to carry the LR number aboard, for identification by Port State Authorities. LR runs a service providing information about vessel identification, and in the last 10 years it has received around 20,000 queries. By introducing register books on CD-ROM, LR is combining the integrity and accuracy of the information with the flexibility and speed of modern technology. So far, three packages and two add-ons are available: • Shipfinder - an index to the Register of Ships • The Register of Ships on CD-ROM - fully integrated databases of the Register of Ships and List of Shipowners, with added search, query and report-building functionalities. • The Ultimate Guide to Ships - an integrated suite of publications including the Register of Ships, List of Shipowners, Register of International Shipowning Groups and Register of International Ship Managers.

Subscribers to the latter two products also receive: • Ship and company history: (historical details over the past five years) • New construction: details of ships projected, on order and under construction.

The Register of Ships on CD-ROM and Ultimate Guide to Ships are updated every quarter with a new CD, and from spring 1999, LR will supply weekly updates via the Internet.

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