Magazine Article Summaries Elite/Other CDROM productss

[Health Sciences Libraries Consortium <lm_net@SHRSYS.HSLC.ORG>]

    In our part of Pennsylvania orders for the next school year are due at the
end of January.  So I have been trying to find out what expenses to expect for
the 1995-1996 school year.  Much to my dismay, microfiche has gone up in price
over 10% and magazines have gone up from 5% to 10%.  So I decided to
investigate the possibility of just ordering Magazine Articles Summaries Elite
instead of Microfiche.  I called Ebsco for a list of the titles included with
the Elite and discussed the archiving of magazines in this fashion.  Did you
know that after a period of time you cannot use your old discs?  They are
purchased under a lease agreement.  While Ebsco doesn't require you to return
the old discs, they do quit working after a period of time.  So if I purchase
the Elite Disc and decide after a year that my school staff preferred
microfiche (Yes, it could happen, most of the English department refuses to
use computers!) then I wouldn't have that year on either microfiche or
computer!  I would have spent over $1,000 for one year's use of non-archived
material.

     So my question to you is:  if you use Elite...is it worth the price?  If
     you use another product such as Proquest or TOM, is it also acquired on a
     lease?  I know that SIRS on CD is acquired through a lease agreement.
     What about others?

     I will post a hit if I get enough responses.

Janet Johns
7-12 Librarian
Berlin, Pa.
bbvschlib@hslc.org