[LM_NET] TAR: The Value of Subscription Databases

["Mr. Major" <majormr@GSIS.SC.KR>]

Hi all,

I have been having problems finding information on our subscription
databases but usually figure it's because I am searching the wrong
way. Also I have overheard some librarians bemoan the lack of use
their subscription databases are getting.

One of our teachers is doing a research lesson on popular children
authors, so I decided to try our databases. I did a trial run on a few
authors such as Rick Riordan & Dan Gutman.
I tried EBSCO (novel list, literary reference center, Funk & Wagnalls
New World Encyclopedia), WorldBook, and SIRS Discoverer, but did not
find much if any biographical information. I also tried Enotes, but
most of that biographical information was copied from Wikipedia. So I
thought I would try our subscription search engines (netTrekker &
Webpath Express) and the VirtualLRC, again little luck. So then I
tried Google and found lots of information including the author's
website. The customized Google search put together by Dr. Bell
(infotopia) also worked.

I know I could buy another database specifically for biographies, but
feel for this level it would be better for the students to learn only
a few databases rather than many. OneSearch (our subscription "search
many databases at once" service) doesn't work well because it does not
distinguish between book reviews (of which there are plenty) and
biographical information (of which there is little).

Another example is searching for the 1980's Olympics "Miracle on Ice".
There is a two sentence mention in World Book Online, and there is a
few things mentions in EBSCOHost, but one can find some decent and
thorough information through Google.

Am I missing something here? Is there any nice comprehensive database,
or will I have to just purchase as many subscriptions as my budget
allows? I just find it a bit hard to justify when a free Google search
finds good information and wonder if I would be better off teaching
how to evaluate websites. What do you do?

Thanks for any suggestions you have.


Stephen Major
Secondary Librarian
Gyeonggi Suwon International School
South Korea
majormr@gsis.sc.kr

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