Some Interesting Information about Online Databases!
By Patsy Divver

Recently, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners announced its upcoming contract awards for contracts of online resources for the Regional Library Networks. As David Gray, Director of Public Communications, stated in the press release:

“The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is pleased to announce that it has awarded contracts to Thomson Gale, ProQuest CSA and EBSCO Industries for statewide online magazine, newspaper and reference book databases to begin on July 1, 2007.

Among the Thomson Gale products will be 13 periodical, biographical,

reference and news databases covering an array of subjects and 23 Gale

Virtual Reference library titles. ProQuest CSA will be providing 12

Massachusetts full-text newspapers (some going back to 1980), and EBSCO, its Literary Reference Center.

These resources will be available to all Massachusetts Regional Library

System member libraries. All residents of the Commonwealth holding a

valid library card from Massachusetts can also use these resources from

any computer with Internet access. School libraries and academic

libraries that are members of the Massachusetts Regional Library System

will have campus-wide access, and non-profit institutional member

libraries are permitted access for their offices in Massachusetts.

To read the entire release and see a list of the individual database

titles, go to www.mass.gov/ mblc and click on Statewide Online Database

Contracts Awarded.”

If you are a certified library teacher, you should be able to connect to your regional library network. These online resources are only a part of the value of this connection, but one many of us can’t afford to lose. It’s made a difference in my school, and helped to supply information needed for student learning when my budget was reduced.

However, shortly after receiving the email announcing these upcoming contracted resources, I noticed a question on our MSLA Listserv. Michelle Tanguay, Library teacher at the Pollard Middle School in Needham, posted the following query about databases:

“I'm exploring spending less on reference books and investing in databases. I'm interested in feedback about databases other than those provided via regional library systems. Does anyone subscribe to any EBSCO databases, for instance? Are they worth the investment? Are there any other products I should consider?”

The following are the responses (no names!) I found these to bring a different perspective to the topic, and – once again – I have new information to investigate for my library.

************

We subscribe to EBSCO. It has many student-oriented features. We are a high school, but it might be even more useful for your middle school. Also, you can sometimes find articles that you can't find in Infotrac - this happened to me the other day when I was trying to find a New Yorker article for a staff member. It is expensive, but we think worth the price.

************

We have a small resource center on our middle school campus

in addition to our main school library. Due to the limitations of space

among other things I purchased additional databases specifically for use

in the middle school. These would include World Book Online, Science

Resource Center, Culturegrams, AP multimedia archive. I have continued to

add databases each year as well--some to replace some print sources, but

mostly to supplement them. My reference purchases have been mostly

specialized books that are directly related to our courses and

curriculum. I also highly recommend NoodleBib for bibliography creation.

It is not too expensive-we pay $240 for our school population of 650. I

realize that I have a very generous budget to supplement what we get

from the regional library system. I think that what they offer is pretty

good and you just have to keep working with teachers to get them to

incorporate these resources into their assignments (as I am sure you

know!).

************

We subscribe to EBSCO, Access Science, Infotrac (Opposing Viewpoints and History Resource)

I have found the Infotrac databases especially helpful. I am curious about what other school libraries purchase other that those offered through SEMLS.

************

I put out a survey to my teachers about what they most need, which I highly recommend b/c otherwise you are throwing money at things they may not use. The science teachers requested Science Online through Facts on File, but I am going to preview one from Ebsco Host to see if it is better. All of these places will give you a free trial so you and your teachers can check them out.

My special ed. tutors and math teachers LOVE Ed-Helper, and everybody's in love with BrainPop - These are both just subscription web sites, not databases, but don't dismiss them b/c teachers often like what they come across themselves. We currently have a subscription to United Streaming, but BrainPop is winning the video battle.

************

I am trying to do the same thing at the Sharon High School. We have a

90-day free trial running through the end of June for the ABC-CLIO history

& geography on the recommendation of the Soc. Studies dept. who are

exploring it now. Expensive ($500/year for each database) but the PTO is

funding one database for a year. If the usage is high, we can justify the

expense the following year.

I would appreciate hearing any helpful feedback you get fro the rest of

the school libraries.

************ *

Although we can't afford these databases, there are many I use at the BPL

all the time. Go to the BPL.org and get your free E-card and try them all.

You'll have a much better idea of what can help your library.

************

Please post your responses-I am wondering about this also....do you know anyone that uses Accelerated

Reader-or the site license cost for this...I am also thinking of funneling some money toward databases if it makes sense...how many classes of what grade levels do you teach- I will have 7-8-9th next year-maybe 11

or so classes-and thus far have been using the NOBLE databases-but I would love to know what would be

helpful for teaching besides these....

************

Our library serves students in grades 4-7. We subscribe to EBSCO's Middle Online Package and find it excellent. It's good design makes the content accessible even for younger students. Many articles and excerpts come with a lexile rating which is very useful for both teachers and students.

Also included is a professional online package for research in education -- a great feature for faculty taking graduate courses.

************

I've had good luck until this year (changes in the school server over

the summer and subsequent school vacations that I'm still trying to get

tech to fix) with Grolier on line. Our subscription when it works is the

deluxe package for 5 encyclopedias plus a subscription for New Book of

Popular Science and Land and People's Encyclopedia. (URL go.grolier.com)

Costs are based for individual schools re their size and also for

districts. Next year's projected cost is about 2100 if memory serves

correctly. All the info is at school.

I also use Proquest --newspaper and magazine database for Vocational

Schools. They also have other areas. I was looking going to do a trial

version for Proquestk12. com. Select but had trouble getting tech to

break the firewall for the trial. I may try again later this spring.

Had I been able to do this, the full cost for all subscriptions would

have been about $5000. Expensive, yes but worth it when one figures the

cost of reference books. Proquest select had the options for lesson

plan suggestions, and choosing book carts, which could consist of titles

of articles and web sites teachers found and wanted saved for students.

I had a bad experience with EBSCO years ago and haven't gone back. They

may be better now, but I think they're a bit expensive. One can get

print and digital info from them. Another source is Newsbank. I've

never been able to justify its expense as it's predominantly

newspapers. Advantage, they're from all over the world and in a variety

of languages. I've liked the Proquest and Grolier for their easy to use

search menus and primary source info. I discourage students from going

to Wikipedia. Feel free to call or email me at school for more info.

************ *****

Because we belong to Westerm Mass Regional Library System (WMRLS) we

receive Infortrac database for free. The database is from Thompson-Gale

and the URL is www.gale.com. It has a tremendous amount of informaton,

all crebible sources. I'm sure you must have a similar organization out

your way. Check it out! I hold classes in my library on how to navigate

the database for my students.

************ ****

... subscribe to five FOF databases and LOVE them! ... great value, and teachers as well as students use them all the time.

************ ***

Michelle, I subscribe to CobblestoneOnline. net - it's the database archive

for all of the Carus Publications, including Cobblestone, Appleseeds,

Odyssey, Faces, etc. A school-wide license is $50 per year. We use the

database mostly for American history and other social studies projects. The

magazines are designed for middle school, so the reading level is just

right. The search interface is pretty easy to use, although kids expect the

functionality of the web - i.e. did you mean this word instead of your

misspelled word, etc. I often just review the articles myself and print off

a few copies for sharing. For $50, it's an incredible bargain. I also

subscribe to four of their magazines for about $95/year total.

************ **

So glad you are asking this question. I am also

looking at this before budget time rolls in. I

currently use the state databases and some additional

Thomson Gale products, but I'm wondering about

redundancy. I would love to know what everyone else

is doing, since budget money is slim and I'm trying to

get the most bang for my buck. I'll be anxious to

hear what the responses are.

************ **

Check out the Boston Public Library site ... electronic resources. Have your students get bpl cards and they get free access to many many databases. We are too far away here to do that, but you can make a field trip out of it! bpl.org

************ *

The two databases that I purchase that receive the most usage are Culturegrams Online and Grolier's Lands and People. They are used extensively during the 6th grade geography curriculum. There is a smattering of use for other grades and projects as well. I highly recommend either or both.

************

I subscribe to ABC Clio History, Gale's Science Resource Center, SIRS Researcher, Historical NYT, and ProQuest Literature & History. Worth every penny.

***********

Thanks, everyone, for helping to learn more about databases, through the regional network and otherwise!