Friday, August 15, 2008

ABC CLIO Social Studies Database Trial


Instead of reviewing a book this week, I want you to take a look at the ABC CLIO Social Studies Database, to which we have a free trial from EBSCO. Here's how you can log on: Go to
http://www.socialstudies.abc-clio.com/ and use janebrown as both the username and password. To me, it looks very much likes our Facts on File database, so you may want to compare the two.
This is a free trial given to us by our EBSCO representative when she found out that we would not have to pay the $5000 extra for Academic Search Premier. The price would be approximately $6300 and this includes remote access. Facts on File and Facts.com combined are $2623. So it would have to be a whole lot better for that price. Check it out and let me know what you think.

4 comments:

Barbara said...

The link is not working for me.

Catherine Harper said...

Me neither.

Kristin said...

There was a typo in the link, http://www.socialstudkes.abc-clio.com - if you change it to spell "socialstudies", it'll work.

That said, it looks like a fine database. I particularly liked the Issues section for high school students, but beyond that, there doesn't seem to be enough justification to get it over FOF. The coverage seems too similar, and, although the related materials they offer on the sidebar of a topic you're looking up seems a little better than FOF, it's still just too parallel (to FOF). A vote of nay for me.

Romina said...

It looks like a nice database but replicates a lot of the information that can be found on Facts on File. The Issues section is nice but reminds me very much of Points of View which we get through Ebsco. Don't really think it's worth the cost of purchasing.