Hit: U*X*L Biographies

[ccapron <ccapron@traverse.com>]

Several people asked me to post a hit regarding the comments I
received re: U*X*L Biographies.  I am sorry that I hit the delete key
too soon on a couple responses, but most of them are included below.
All responses were very favorable.
****************
Cathy,
Greetings from San Francisco....I am the Gale Rep for this part of the
country. I didn't know if you knew, but you can look at any of our
cd-roms on an approval basis for 30 days (or a bit more if you need
it)
with no strings attached. You would only be responsible for sending it
back to the warehouse in Kentucky, and that only costs a couple of
dollars. This way you and your students and teachers could actually
use
it, to see if it fits your needs. Your Rep, by the way, is Laverene
Hughes, and she can be reached at 800-877-4253 X1587. Also, she would
probably be able to get ahold of a review of the product should you
need it. Hope this helps...
Scott

Scott A. Bloom
Gale Research
Sr Acct Manager
California, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawaii
800-877-4253 X1576
ph 415-431-7915
fx 415-431-8068
sbloom1@ix.netcom.com  /  scott_bloom@gale.com  /  SFBookMan@aol.com
..................Books Build Strong Characters.....................


Hi, We have UXL in our high school library on the network.  Kids love
it,
tend to print too many pictures of stars from it, find it useful for
researching scientists, political types, people from particular
countries
(though there isn't much for that).  It's a fun thing to have.  Ruth
Jacobsen, Maine South HS, Park Ridge, IL
****************************************
Check out a review of that product in the Jan/Feb 1997 issue of our
magazine, MultiMedia Schools. (page 73)

An abstract of the lengthy review appears on our Web site:
<www.infotoday.com/MMSchools>.  Go to the Jan/Feb issue, the Product
Reviews-In-Brief column, and look in the Middle/High School Titles.

Hope this helps!

Patricia Semple, Assistant Editor
MultiMedia Schools
11600 Toulone Drive
Potomac, MD  20854-3144
301/983-4753; Fax 202/363-9148
semple@well.com
*******************************************

We bought Junior Discovering Authors and are very happy with it.  It
is in
DOS (only problem).  If you need more info, please write.

Wendell Rector
John Read Middle School
Rt. 53
West Redding, CT  06896
203/938-2533
FAX 203/938-8667
JReadLib@aol.com
*********************************************

Cathy,  I am in a middle school (6-8) and we have had the network
version
of UXL Biographies for two years now.  My students love it! They
browse
on it all the time and therefore when they need something for class
they
know exactly where to go.  My only complaint is that there is very
uneven
coverage (does not include some presidents, etc.). Hope this helps.
Alana S. Banaszak
West Allegheny Middle School
Imperial, PA 15126
banaszak@genesis.duq.edu
*******************************************

Dear Cathy--We haved had UXL Biographies networked on our LAN for
about
a year and have been pleased.  We also have Current Biography from
Wilson.  We find the UXL to contain a different assortment of persons
than CB and thus it extends our range of what we can offer.    Lois

ccapron wrote:
> I am considering purchasing the networking version of U*X*L
> Biographies for our K-8 Media Center.  If any of you can offer any
> feedback or advice as to the value of this program,
--
Lois Roberts Bishop O'Dowd HS Library, Oakland, Ca
lrobert@odowd.pvt.k12.ca.us
********************************************

We've had this for about a year aqnd love it.  The only thing I'm
changing
is pur printers... we have plain paper on some right now and it takes
a
long time to print.  It's much faster on our pin-feed and I don't have
to
add paper so often!  But the program is excellent.  Good luck.

Phyllis Harper
*********************************************

We purchased UXL Biographies last year and have found that we use it
for
quite a few different assignments in our curriculum, such as for
inventors, authors, person I most admire, etc.  You may choose between
a
full or brief biography and the full is fairly extensive.

Hope this helps.

Nancy Giacomini
Sterling Middle School
Sterling, CO 80751
ngia@csn.net
************************************************
Cathy - I purchased UXL Biographies for my junior high library and I
found it
to be an excellent product.  We have the network version and it is
used all
of the time.  The articles are very interesting and well written.  It
is easy
to use and the graphics are just great.  I highly recommend it.
********************************************

I've had UXL Biographies for about 2 years.  It works quite well but
over our network (Novell 3.12) the pictures take quite a long time to
print and many have very dark backgrounds so they use lots of ink.
There is no way to turn off printing of pictures.

The coverage is pretty good, but I would be happier if they had left
out
Snoop Doggy Dog (rap group).  It also includes very few women
scientists
and inventors.

Hope this helps.
--
Philip Stohrer
Portage, Michigan
pstohrer@edcen.ehhs.cmich.edu   http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~pstohrer
**********************************************

I have only the single user version, but am planning to buy the
networked
version next fiscal year. It is very useful. I am a 6-8 school. Other
middle schools in our district have the networked version already.
spopescu@umd5.umd.edu
susan Popescu
***********************************************

  I initially purchased UXL Biogs for our Middle schoolers to use in
English and Social Studies.  I find my older students using it also.
Granted, we have all questioned some of the folks or groups (Rock) in
the
database, but there are usually good pictures and lots of info, covers
the
subject fairly well.  I'd recommend it.  Emily

Emily Boutwell                    boutwele@aspire.cs.uah.edu
UMS-Wright Preparatory School
65 N. Mobile Street
Mobile, Alabama 36607
(334)479-6551 ext 027

***********************************

Hope this helps everyone, and a huge thank you to all who responded to
me.

Cathy Capron
Suttons Bay Schools, MI
ccapron@suttonsbay.tbaisd.k12.mi.us  (or) ccapron@traverse.com