Hello Everyone:
I want to thank everyone who responded to my request for literary criticism
databases! Thanks to your collective feedback I have a much better idea of what's
available in this area.
The following is a summary of the responses I received. If you'd like the verbatim
responses, contact me directly and I'll send you the compilation in a Word document.
Lorelei Perkins writes:
I would strongly suggest doing an evaluation when a teacher will
actually have an assignment needing it. As we found doing ours, one of
the areas that were assigned did not have the materials that the other
databases did provide. What may seem great in general may not meet the
individual assignments and expectations of teachers. Plus, using it with
kids also tells you if your population is ready to use the more academic
search techniques and style of language. It is an area you can then work
to develop, if that is the database you decide on.
I would definitely not make the decision alone, but would get those
language arts teachers to help evaluate.
Library media specialist
Papillion-La Vista South High School
Papillion, NE
Jeri Hurd made this comment re: Ebsco's Literary Reference Center:
I just previewed Ebsco's new literary reference center. I'm a librarian
now, but spent 20 years teaching English and it FLOORED me! I was
practically drooling over it! We're running a trial while the seniors
research their thesis (lit based). This database has EVERYTHING-- LOTS of
criticism (full Bloom's, plus several academic journals), full text of
hundreds (thousands?) of poems, stories--guides to writing analytical
literary essays.
Drawback-==hefty price. $3500. I'm talking to the English dept. head
about splitting the cost.
Jeri Hurd
Library Media and Technology Specialist
King and Low Heywood Thomas School
1450 Newfield Avenue
Stamford, CT 06905
Paul Birkby has created a pathfinder for lit. criticism @:
https://penfieldhighlibrary.wikispaces.com/Literary+Criticism
Paul D. Birkby
Media Specialist
Penfield High School
25 High School Drive
Penfield, NY 14526
Paul_Birkby@penfield.monroe.edu
The Virtual Learning Resources Center seemed to have a lot of potential:
To find many appropriate literature resources recommended by librarians and
educators world-wide, try searching the Literature section of the Virtual Learning
Resources Center, http://www.virtuallrc.com , for the terms "literary criticism".
You'll
find a number of useful resources.
(Be aware, it took me over 10 minutes to download the opening page. It seems to be
a popular site!)
Submitted by:
Michael Bell
drmichaelbell@virtuallrc.com
Former Chair, Texas Association of School Librarians
Retired school and university librarian
webmaster at http://www.virtuallrc.com
webmaster at http://magbot.virtuallrc.com
webmaster at http://alphamarks.virtuallrc.com
webmaster at http://www.academicindex.net
By far the most popular resource mentioned by those who responded to my questions
was the Thomson/Gale (now Cenage (pronounced sen-age) online resource titled
Literature Resource Center. Out of 21 respondents, 9 mentioned Lit. Resource Ctr.
The following is from the Gale/Cenage website promoting Literature Resource Center:
Literature Resource Center is the world's most current, comprehensive, and reliable
online literature database. Uniquely relevant to today's curriculum, Literature
Resource Center's rich critical, biographical and contextual materials support
interdisciplinary approaches, information literacy, and the development of critical
thinking skills. Researchers at all levels will find the information they need on
authors and their works in all genres and disciplines, from all time periods and
from around the world.
The nearest competitors, w/ two "hits" each were:
-EBSCO Host
-Facts on File (very reasonably priced @ $800/year), which apparently includes
Bloom's Literary Reference online, a very important db
-Contemporary Literary Criticism (Thomson/Gale)
I spoke w/ my rep. for Gale/Cenage, and the product lists for $7000/year. A
tentative price he mentioned for our district was in the $4-$5000 range per year
for Literature Resource Center. The price varies based on a tiered pricing package
depending on how many schools/districts are involved in the purchase of the
product. If you're interested in this product, contact your local Gale/Cenage
sales rep. @:
http://gale.cengage.com/rep/
You may also want to check w/ you local public library's school liaison. After
checking w/ our Multnomah County School Corps, I learned that our local public
library, Multnomah County Library, has Lit. Resource Center as one of their
databases!
All the student's need to access it is their Multnomah County library card and
their password!
I hope this is of help to some of you.
Have a great week,
Mike Weidlich
Media Coordinator
Gresham-Barlow School District
mike_weidlich@gbsd.gresham.k12.or.us
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