[Original posting on this subject appeared in COLLDV-L no. 1399 and is
reproduced below; the responses follow it.]
From: Robin S Lent <rslent_at_christa.unh.edu>
We have had a demonstration and trial for EBSCOhost and
are trying to decide if a subscription to this or something like it is a
good idea for us at the University of New Hampshire.
Has anyone else had any experience with other similar products? If so, we
would like to know what else others have used or are considering. Did
you or will you be cancelling other subscriptions in order to pick up one
or more of these packages?
Thanks,
Robin Lent
Collection Development
Univ. of New Hampshire Libraries
rslent_at_christa.unh.edu
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(1)
From: HILL_at_myriad.middlebury.edu
The short answer to your query is that at Middlebury College we subscribe
to IAC's Academic ASAP database with fewer but a longer backrun of full-text
titles. I am not recommending IAC over EBSCO but simply delineating the
major difference, as I see it. We are looking at EBSCOhost, by the way,
to possibly migrate to. In any event, the general indexing and full-text
package is an essential part of library service, these days. If I had to
choose between this and JSTOR, for example, I might go with JSTOR. But,
that aside, we haven't cancelled anything except some paper indices. We
haven't yet cancelled paper journal subscriptions. We've viewed IAC as
a networked convenient resource for core journal literature which is not
a substitute for paper journals. Part of the reasoning is that some
material is omitted from full-text, like letters to the editor. Also,
occasionally titles are dropped from the database and, for core, titles,
you would have to be on top of this so you could pick up a paper subscription.
Good luck with your decision. I would like to know what you finally
decide to do.
Joanne S. Hill
Collection Management Librarian
Middlebury College Library
Middlebury, VT 05753
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(2)
From: William Wan <s_wan_at_VENUS.TWU.EDU>
TWU has a subscription to the EbscoHost Masterfile 1000 full-text
database for about a year for three simultaneous use.
Access is set up through our main campus computer in ascii format as
well as in web format. The former is available only to students and
faculty with password to the main frame and the latter is IP specific
and can be accessed from an authorized IP location.
EbscoHost provides an "admin" mode which enables the monitoring of the
usage of individual titles down to the number of pages printed.
TWU's commuting students and faculty who teach distance education just
love it.
The main concern is that the titles listed to be on the package may not
be there or the issues included are way behind the publication date of
the paper edition.
The staff have begun to review the titles duplicated in the paper
journal collection and have cancelled a few paper subscriptions.
The library has also subscribed to Ovid/UMI' General Periodical
Abstracts II through the Statewide TexShare program. There is a number
of duplications. Since these databases are presented as it is, there is
no way to avoid such duplication until the time when libraries have a
say in the collection development of these packages.
William Wan
Texas Woman's University Library
Denton, TX
s_wan_at_twu.edu
Received on Tue Jun 10 1997 - 17:18:52 EDT