Alternative Resources to Online Journals An Adventure In Research Gary Smith Vice President, Global Sales The Gale Group

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™ On Libraries You must think of the library, whether popular or scholarly, circulating or reference, as an essential part of our system of education. Whatever it has been in the past, this is what it is to be in the future and, while it will still do a great work in furnishing innocent recreation, even this feature will be utilized to develop the taste for better books, thus making the main work of educating and elevating the more practicable.

--

Melvil Dewey, A.M.

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™ Why?

 By nature of what you are communicating to us, there is a danger of useful and much needed materials being eliminated:   Vendors use publications such as Online, Searcher, etc. to gauge future product enhancements Recent article count was 80% banners declaring the death knell for anything “non electronic”

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™ Is the “Hype” reality?

“ In the first days of Microfilm, the industry was convinced this format would completely replace paper.” -Heinz Dettling UMI

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™ Other Examples of “Hype”  Z39.50  The Paperless Office  All Information Being Free On The Internet

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™ Sometimes It Is Good To Examine “Hype”   Who is attempting the “Hype?” Where is the “Hype” coming from?  Is there a common sense basis for it?

 What massive investments and changes will we have to make with regards to it? (No matter what you’re told, hype is expensive.)

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™ Why Did We Pick This Topic  In 1999, the Gale Group Released a New Concept Called RESOURCE CENTERS.

  Every library we visit simply wants to look at the journal content, and will not take into account the “other” content available within the subject based centers.

We’re trying to understand “Why?”

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™ Interviewing Librarians  We started asking librarians, and got the following answers:     We’re moving to E-Journals We need document delivery Since no one else has comparable materials, we have to compare evenly. (?) This is simply too new.

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™ Interviewing Librarians (Continued)  We asked if librarians were actually supposed to encourage the use of alternative materials?

 The answer was Yes.

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™ Part of The Problem  Through our interviewing process, it became evident the biases and attitudes were mainly being caused by the limits of the classification into which materials are purchased for the library. (Budget designation.)  Libraries are still concerned regarding the leasing and non-ownership of information.

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™ Print Index Decline “ Although we use subject encyclopedias, print directories, and other basic factual sources [in print], we rarely touch print indexes any longer. Even if we get patrons over to the print index section, it is clear they are not interested unless they are doing historical retrospective searching.” -Online 1998

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™ Print Journal Collections “ Patrons expect full text. Patrons now seem surprised if a source is not full text. They keep asking what button to push in PsycInfo to get the full text." -Online 1998

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™ What Are Some Of the Effects?

 Primary research is being redone, as electronic databases only go back so far.

 According to some librarians, the sources found via the Internet carry more weight in the student’s mind than print.  What is being missed?

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™ Recent Examples  Fire Stone Tires being recalled in 1972 for same problem as now, but no one (to date) in the media has realized this.

 A recent paper by a fellow business student cited his assigned company’s

Web Page

as a primary source of gathered material.

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™ How Can You Help?

 The role is changing from the storing and sorting of information - to the guidance to the appropriate content.

 It is recommended not to become caught up in the “holy wars” of formats, but to recommend the most appropriate content stream for the user, no matter what the content stream is.

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™ What Are Some Strategies?

 Web Pages  Subject Based       Recommended Readings in library (Yes, BOOKS!) Other things available (Audio, Video, etc.) Suitable Web sites Local documents available electronically and in print Primary source materials available Links into the institutional OPAC with the pre defined materials.

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™ What Are Some Other Strategies?

 OPAC Integration  Changing the mind-set in the library itself - buy into the hype when it is proved to be reliable and cost effective.

 Viewing content streams as total tools in the library whether print, electronic, or microfilm.

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™ What We Do To Help  Resource type centers providing a subject library in an electronic box.

 Reliable materials with integrity backed by a professional editorial process.

 Doing some of the work and sorting so you don’t have to, freeing up your valuable time & resources to truly help.

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™ Example #1 Of An Electronic Resource Center (History)

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™ Electronic Resource Center Example #2 (Business and Company)

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™

Thank You

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