Comments on: Reference Question of the Week – 3/11/12

By: Cari

Cari — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:54:01 +0000

Ugh, these are both situations I’ve run into. We have MasterFile, so the Consumer Reports thing isn’t a huge problem. We pay for the subscription for the extra ratings because there are a lot of things on there that aren’t covered in the magazine – but it’s a shame it’s not all included for non-MasterFile customers. The Ancestry thing is a giant bummer, though. I did a 14-day trial of the consumer edition, and it’s so much better than the library version. The whole trend of “lesser library editions” that people have mentioned in the comments bothers me, too.

By: madeline kelly

madeline kelly — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:27:33 +0000

FWIW I requested specifics from Proquest about what our Ancestry Library Edition subscription does not include that individuals’ personal subscriptions do. I linked that Proquest document to the “Ancestry spot” on our Online Databases page so at least it gives our staff something to consult/ reference when handling patron inquiries about this issue. http://www.pittsfieldlibrary.org/Ancestry.pdf

By: Brian Herzog

Brian Herzog — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:46:54 +0000

@Matthew: it also makes me laugh to hear library vendors (or any non-direct-to-consumer vendor) mentioned on NPR - but I'm glad they're supporting public radio! @Jen: yeah, sometimes the text-only just doesn't make sense (also, this is a huge complaint in the newspaper databases). Something you might look into, if you're interested, is Zinio, available to libraries through Recorded Books. It's a magazine database, but the interface shows the full magazine pages, so using it is like flipping through an actual magazine. I can't remember their pricing model, but it might be worth it for certain titles.

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:15:05 +0000

May I also add the online version of Vogue as a problem subscription? We get the full text version online – because we all just read that one for the articles, right? No pictures for the fashion students in the online version. I think of the online version as a complete waste of money.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:05:41 +0000

I, too, find it frustrating that not only do we have to have a good sense of what’s in DB’s, but also what gaps exist in which particular form. And of course, the fine print of contracts with vendors is confusing and will likely get more-so, as we have more formats to consider.

When I drive home from work and am reminded of how EbscoHost ‘helps’ libraries, I am reminded of the good and the bad of our electronic library world.

By: Brian Herzog

Brian Herzog — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:51:25 +0000

@Sara: You’re welcome – and if you don’t mind sharing, I’d be curious to see the notes from your presentation. We have a very active genealogy group too, and I try to pass along to them as much information as I can.

@Roberta: I think you’re right – and the rental DVDs is a good analogy. And you’re welcome for the PLA posts – I’m glad they helped.

By: Roberta

Roberta — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:49:15 +0000

This seems to be an emerging theme; the Lesser Library Edition. Lexis Nexis is another example. One of our staff is a former attorney, who pointed out key content is missing from the LN she knew in her previous life. Our database librarian laments this practice often, but I see it in other ways, like the “rental” copies of DVDs we purchase not having all the extras that patrons like and expect. I hope that this is the year of us acting like a customer, and not just taking what we get. I saw a lot of librarians at PLA lining up at Overdrive to tell them how they could improve their product, or insistently waving their hands at the hapless Penguin rep.

Thanks for your summaries of some PLA programs! so many talks I wish I could have attended.

By: Sara G.

Sara G. — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:31:30 +0000

Thanks for the Ancestry piece here. I recently found out the two editions had some content differences and am trying to wrap my head around the specifics in preparation for a presentation to my local genealogy group. Love your blog – esp. the Question of the Week!