I posted my query to comp.lang.javascript and was given the answer: You want var Qr = document.getSelection(); var Qa = prompt('Author...', Qr); at least for Netscape 4 and later, and for Opera 7. I re-wrote my bookmarklet ever so slightly so that it now reads: <a href="javascript:var Qr=document.getSelection(); var Qa=prompt('Author...',Qr); var Qt=prompt('Title...',Qr);if(Qa&&Qt) location.href='http://library.ccbcmd.edu/search~S4/q? author='+escape(Qa)+'&title='+escape(Qt)"> Combined Author and Title... FFX</a> I tried it and it worked perfectly. Giles W. Riesner Jr., Library Tech Support Community College of Balto. Co. - Catonsville 800 S. Rolling Rd., Baltimore MD 21228 USA Tel/V-Mail 1-410-455-4245 Email: [log in to unmask]