This list is the greatest! Thank you, everyone, for giving of your =
expertise and time to reply to my problem of which encyclopedia CD to =
purchase. In order to save space and time, I did not specify that our =
school is very small (480 total K-12) and my own library budget =
(covering all levels and types of materials) is micromidget. Anything I =
buy under this grant will have to be maintained next year out of my own =
funds.CD is the least expensive way for us, since the online cost is =
prohibitive for annual renewal. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading all of =
your suggestions and I WILL contact the companies mentioned below to try =
to wrangle the best information source for our grant's buck! Here is the =
HIT of all replies, as promised! Thanks to all of you again!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----------------------------------------
Hi Darlene....
GOOD LUCK IN YOUR ENDEAVORS! (FIRST AND FOREMOST!)
What a bizarre situation.
First know that you can buy (for $900.00) 45 cd rom encylopedias at =
20.00 each and load them indiviually on 45 of your machines at a WORSE =
CASE scenario.
Now with that over and done with, and you can rest assured that you =
DONT HAVE TO give up the funds, 1st, how about calling Britanica/ World =
Book / Compton's, and explain the situation to them, and ask if they =
have a similar product to what GROLIER HAD that you looked at, and then =
they discontinued.
Also call Grolier, and ask if they still have LAST YEARS version =
still available at REDUCED PRICES
after checking THOSE things out....
check to see if your STATE is paying for these items to be run to =
all schools already/ or homes
in Louisiana, the State Dept of Education has a state lisence for =
all schools to receive several databases (including encyclopedias) and =
we are able to network this thru the server into all classes.
also try calling the cd rom creators and ask for PERMISSION TO run =
over the server....at a special cost...written of course, as a contract =
and that you will spend a similar amount with them each year of your =
GRANT PERIOD to not forfeit the hardware. (Literally in a few years it =
will be yours to keep anyway)
KNOW THAT ENCARTA (microsoft)sells these products on cd rom for =
servers...so you might wanna check thier prices too for a 50 user lisc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
World Book still has CD's, however, it still might be pricey. Their =
World
Book Online, however, is less than Grolier's. The online product is =
better
for many reasons: No lost/damaged disks, articles are continuously =
updated,
more features available with the online version. However, it is a
subscription, so you'd be paying every year. We bought the CD's in 1998 =
for
our lab (I don't know how much $), and frankly, they are a bit of a pain =
in
the neck. I'm looking at purchasing either Grolier or World Book (I'll
probably go with Grolier). Ask for a representative to visit you to =
demo
both products. You can contact them at www.worldbookonline.com. Good =
luck!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
World Book puts out a CD, although I had trouble loading the most =
recent
version (2002) on my IMACs because I do not have OS 10. They allowed me =
to
return it and purchase the 2001 version instead. As for Grolier's. I =
know
that an annual fee does add up, but the nice thing about Grolier's =
on-line is
that there are three encyclopedias at different levels for the basic =
price
and then for a little more you can add on a Span. language encyclopedia =
and
other refererence works produced by Grolier's.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I haven't seen them recently (but haven't been looking)=20
but Compton's has a nice CD encyclopedia. Our district=20
and state have subscribed to quite a few online=20
databases and encyclopedias (we get Grolier online) so I=20
haven't checked prices on CDs recently. Good luck!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---
Contact Wordbook. Their online product was the one we chose after
looking at several for our district. It was very reasonable and the =
setup of
their product was very child friendly. It is geared for students from =
grades
3-12.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------------------------------------------
I would no longer purchase encyclopedias on CD. I now have seven online
databases, including Grolier and Britannica Online. Our 45 computers in
the IMC have access to all of these databases. If you integrate these
resources into curriculum areas and teach students to use the databases,
it is well worth the money and convenience to have online sources. I
would only purchase a CD to load a singler user program now.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----------------------------------------
The encyclopedia that we used the most because we are a PC school and =
most of our products are Micrisoft, is Microsoft Encarta. Since it is =
Microsoft, it is very easy to cut and paste, every photo has a credit to =
Microsoft Encarta under it, so you don't have to worry if the kids or =
teachers forget to give credit to the source. It may not be as complete =
as others, but it has a virtual globe, music, and other reference tools. =
I believe that if you go to MSN.com, it is available there so that you =
can see what it looks like and what it can do. Microsoft Encyclopedia =
Africana is also available if you have a need for it. I have both on =
CD, unless they are no longer available I have the 2000 version.=20
I am looking at the Educational Resources catalog online, where I make =
most of my software purchases and I see they have a 2002 edition. =
www.educationalresources.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------------------------------------------
Did you read this email which arrived about 6 or 8 messages before yours =
(see
below)? It seems to answer your encyclopedia question.
Gordon Walter, Ackley, Iowa
I just switched to the online WorldBook and the kids and I love it. No
CDs to switch or to keep track of. The price right now is quite
reasonable, Our school has 750 students and for less than $500 I got
what they call 200 seats. That means that 200 computers in the school
can be put on line. And if I need more, I can get it for no extra
charge. It is a little complicated to install (that might not be true if
you read the directions rather than just play the way that I do) but
once on it is there, you don't need a password or User ID to use it. We
love it. Just for students information the home subscription is very
reasonable and can be purchased a month at a time. I like this. Anyway,
we love it.
--
Phyllis Roche, Librarian
R.T. Cream K-8 Family School
Camden, NJ 08104
pmroche@comcast.net
http://www.camden.k12.nj.us/S/Cream/Phyllis/lib.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-------------------------------------
We have World Book on CD-ROM (network version) and Encarta & Ency. Brit. =
both loaded locally. If you cannot find a network version for that =
price,=20
you can buy standalone versions & load them on individual machines to =
run=20
from the C drive (won't be able to access it all over the school, but it =
will work in the Library). Last fall there was a special Ency. Brit. =
offer=20
from Kohl's (the dept. store) for $5.00, I bought 20 of them and loaded =
one=20
on each of my computers. I still use several CD-ROM programs, I just =
hate=20
to pay the online fees & have nothing to show for it in a year. We don't =
have to update all our encyclopedias every year--I just can't afford the =
online charges! We had a older version of Grolier (network) & the =
students=20
much prefer World Book or Encarta.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------------------------------------
Darlene Forsythe, Galeton Area School, K-12, Galeton, PA =
dforsythe@adelphia.net=20
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