I recently found out that the Smithsonian has the entire library of Folkways releases on its website for digital download. I would actually just prefer to wait and pick up the vinyl whenever I find it. (Plus, isn't it some sort of twisted mercantilism for the government to collect the people's music and then sell it back to them?) But the website has another useful feature: you can download PDFs of all of the liner notes and album covers.
Folkways' packaging is always impressive—the heavyweight paper; the high standards of art direction; the extensive liner notes, often in booklet form—and it's pretty cool to be able to preview that stuff online.
Here are selections from a couple favorite Folkways records in the crates:
Rev. Lewis Jackson & Charlotte Rucell(New Orleans, LA May 25, 1954)
Tallest Tree in Paradise mp3
George Herod (Near Scott Station, AL May 8, 1954)
O, the Sun Don't Never Go Down mp3
Richard Jolla (Pond, MS June 25, 1954)
I Heard My Old Mother Call mp3
Riding Hood Boogy Man mp3Sister Suki mp3
Click here to check out the Folkways site.