We have ProQuest, eLibrary, Ebsco, five Grolier encyclopedias, Nettrekker. We
briefly looked at Gale two years ago and are probably
going to review (and try trials) again for 2005-6 year. It looks like we are adding
CultureGrams and dropping SIRS for next year
I point different classes to different databases based on level of class, topic,
review of previous work, etc.
One thing that I think is important is to sit down and run similar searches through
your choices and compare. Then look at how
defaults are, what changes you can make, and support materials available. When I
first started comparing ProQuest to Ebsco (two
years ago), the defaults made searches return wildly different results as one
seemed to do phrase and the other do keyword, one
might have stemmed and the other not, one might have defaulted to different Boolean
term, etc.
It might not make sense to have one DB search only citation and abstract and have
other set to full text, or one on keyword and
another looking at subject headings, or one displaying in a way that makes it hard
to compare results with another, etc. On the
other hand, if you are doing current events, you might want sort to be by date
while a health resource might want to be set by
relevance.
I tend to look in Ebsco first, unless I know one of the others really has an
advantage. But, just like googling before thinking of
what sites might really be better to access, often I discover that one of the
others has some specific niche of datta or some
feature that helps access what is there. Playing around with them is usually an
edifying experience.
Robert Eiffert, Librarian
Pacific Middle School, Vancouver WA
Pac.egreen.wednet.edu/library
Beiffert at egreen wednet edu
beiffert.net
> -----Original Message-----
> From: School Library Media & Network Communications
>[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of pam
> mcdermott
> Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 12:44 PM
> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Subject: Subscription databases -- Need help
>
> I am at a middle school. Currently we have Middle Search Plus (Ebsco)
> and Student Resource center (gale). We have not been happy with our
> student search results in the Gale product. If we replace it what
> should we get?
>
> Proquest?
> ELibrary?
> Webfeet?
>
> I will post a hit!
>
> Pam McDermott Librarian
> Glen Crest Middle School
> Glen Ellyn, IL
> pmcdermott@ccsd89.org
>
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