Re: full-text databases

[Betty Dawn Hamilton <bhamilt@TENET.EDU>]

> that WILSONDISC doesn't. I'm trying to make a decision for next year. Has
> anyone looked at both of these programs? Any suggestions?  Also, I have
> some concerns about the high usage of paper with full text--a 4 page article
> in an actual magazine took 7 pages to print out from cd-rom, minus the picture
 s
> and charts!

Karen, I haven't compared the two (WILSONDISC and SMAS) but we *do* use
SMAS (Select Magazine Article Summaries).  The students love them.  SMAS
is so easy to use that the word has spread to some of our students who are
attending a regional junior college about 30 miles away.  They have begun
coming in after school to get all of their required articles for a class
at one time; I finally had to tell one this afternoon that he would have
to come back because it was way past my closing time.

Now to the next issue.....YES, much paper is used.  I have finally told
our students that if an article is over 400 lines (400 = about 8 to 10
pages) that they must bring a 3.5 disk to copy the articles to.  Then they
go to Wordperfect at home, in the lab, or to some other computer where
they have time to read the document before they print it out.  That way
they can just take notes or decide if they even *need* the entire article
printed.  That method also saves time on the one computer that has the MAS
program.  Someday when we are networked, perhaps we won't need to make
such stiupulations.

To save *good* paper, we collect all of those office memos that can be
thrown away after reading and print on the blank side.  The students
understand.  Before they print, I always ask if the document is to be
handed in or used for notes.  That determines which kind of paper they
use.  People in the office and classrooms are also saving paper for us.

Betty

Betty Hamilton      <bhamilt@tenet.edu>     Voice: (806) 637-4523
Director of Library Media                           701 Cub Drive
Brownfield High School                        Brownfield TX 79316