HIT: periodical databases

[Bonnie LaClave <blaclav@IN-MOTION.NET>]

Hello Friends!
        Well, since it's now Spring Vacation, I have time to post the hit on
periodical databases on CD-ROM for elementary.  Thanks again to all who
responded.  I hope this will be helpful to those of us who are making decisions.

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I've tried both for my k-5 school and found I got many more hits with
PRIMARY SEARCH.  All our schools have it at our elementary level and the MS
and HS also have the EBSCO products.  We also got a group rate purchase
discount.  I'll be curious to know what others say.

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I have SIRS discoverer at my middle school campus.  It is great for
social issues and the kids like using it.  Other middle school campuses
in my district use TOM JR. and like better than Ebsco.  TOM JR. is
supposed to be in Windows next year and have monthly updates.  TOM JR.
has a database of 62 index/abstract, 52 full text, and full text of
thousands of tribune newspaper articles selected from a newspaper service, 4
full text reference books, journal coverage most current 36 months, and
reference books (Information Please almanac, Information Please Environmental
almanac, Information Sports almanac, Reader's Companion to American History.)
The price is about the same for TOM JR. and Ebsco.

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I have both Primary Search and SuperTom, the latter as a freebie to get me
to subscribe next year.   I am inclined to favor Tom since it has full text
rather than abstracts.  The coverage is better in P.S. so I guess if I had
tons of money I might keep both.  I can't speak about Sirs; I think it is
similar to PS.

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if you can only have one, take Primary Search (or Middle Search,
which has more coverage and includes the news magazines, Time, etc., in
full text.).
SIRS is good, but it isn't an index.  It offers selected articles,
sometimes edited for ease of reading, and you can't tell how fully it has
covered the magazines it excerpts.  Primary Search indexes over a hundred
titles with all articles in summary and some 30 magazines in full text.

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I have Primary Search.  I love it.  I can call up almost any subject and
get valuable articles, some in full text.  My teachers love it.  If they
ask wellin advance, they can also order what articles aren't full text from
the public library through interlibrary loan.  Of course, how many teachers
tell you they need something more than a day or two ahead of time?

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I just got Readers Guide for YOung Readers CD to preview. I have looked at
Sirs (least expensive version) . Looking for opinions of K-6 LMS  as to which
one to buy for a low budget library. I will probably have to take some of my
subscription money. ( I get about $800 for a school of 500 students).
Presently all I use is print format Childrens Magazine Guide.


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Bonnie LaClave                  Phone 765-436-2333
Library Media Specialist        Fax  765-436-2630
Thorntown Elementary
200 Mill Street
Thorntown, IN 46071
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