NewsBank Trial

This week we're going to take a look at the NewsBank database to which we have a free trial until 10/15/08.

As you know, the Newark Star Ledger is no longer supporting the interface through which we received the Trenton Times archives (along with a number of other New Jersey newspapers). These have been sold to NewsBank.

Go to http://www.infoweb.newsbank.com/ The user name and password are both prinpl (although I didn't have to log in). Click on "America's Newspapers," then check New Jersey. The available newspapers for New Jersey will come up. We can get just the Trenton Times or any combination of the newspapers listed here.

They can be searched all together, or you can choose to search several or just one, by checking the desired titles. Clicking on the individual titles will give you the metadata for each, most importantly the dates of coverage.

NewsBank has entered into a partnership with EBSCO which provides two very desirable features. First, the user can search by issue just as in EBSCO. The most recent issues come up when you click on a title, and clicking on any one of these will give you all the articles. There is a drop down box beside this that allows the user to choose another month. The second is the fact that any of the newspapers we choose here can be searched along with any or all of our EBSCO products.

The scope of the coverage mimics Factiva coverage--full text of all articles, but no images, charts, tables, advertising or score columns.

The rep has not given me a price as yet, but I do know that is will be considerably more than the $420 we were paying for the interface we received through the Star Ledger. As soon as I know prices, I will let you know.

In the meantime, play around with it, and let me know which of these titles, in addition to the Trenton Times you would like to have (in the best possible world). I really want to hear from you on this one!

Europa World Year Book

The Europa World Year Book has long been one of my favorite reference sources both for the quality and depth of the information provided and its ease of use. It is updated yearly in two volumes and costs $1320 per year. So, of course, the questions are, do we use it enough to justify the price, and how much of this information is easily available on the internet or within our databases.

The entries are arranged alphabetically by country, and each follows the same format: for each country there is an introductory survey, followed by a statistical survey, and then a directory. There is also a 475 page section on international organizations (which I didn't know was there, and have never used).

Within our databases, Facts on File World Atlas has a nice summary for each country and Britannica Online also has good country information, but neither has the depth of information included in Europa's statistical survey and directory sections. Online, the best and most complete information I could find was the US Department of State's Background Notes (and, of course, Wikipedia).

Let me know what you think.

Rethinking Some Subscriptions

This is the time of year Jenny and I go through the Cox subscription list to add or subtract titles. This year, I want us to reconsider some big ticket items.

The first is the Official Airline Guide. This is one that you are going to have a hard time convincing me to keep. The cost is $669 per year. It is a monthly guide to flight schedules worldwide. However with the availability of online travel services like Expedia, Orbitz and Priceline, I doubt if it is being used much, if at all.


The next item is USA Today Newsview, a small newsmagazine of approximately 16 pages and no advertising published by the Society for the Advancement of Education. The price is a whopping $240 per year (probably because of the lack of advertising). According to OCLC, it is a very widely held publication, particularly in school libraries. But how much do you think it is being used here? Is it worth the price?



Weatherwise is $111 per year for 6 issues. It's a neat magazine and I will have a hard time giving this up. Nevertheless, that comes out to $18.50 per issue. What do you think?



Accra Cost of Living Index is a catalogued subscription (REF 338.528 Ame) which comes out twice per year. The cost is $137 per year. It gives the relative price levels for consumer goods, housing, health care, etc., for participating areas. This information is very interesting, however the operative word here is "participating areas" because not all areas are covered. For example, Princeton/Mercer County, which in my experience has been what most people have asked for, is not covered.

Jenny needs to get the updated subscription list to Cox by 9/8, so give me your opinions before then.

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.

Standard and Poor's Dividend Record

This is another big ticket item that really needs some scrutinizing. The yearly tab for the subscription is $1025. Unlike the S & P Statistical Record (cancelled--see previous blog entry in May) which I actually used years ago, I have never used this, but thought it was necessary information to make available at a public library. However, noting the pristine condition of the material, I realize that it certainly isn't being used heavily, if at all.

It provides a comprehensive record of dividend payments for virtually all publicly owned American and Canadian preferred and common stock shares. It also provides such information as issued stockholders rights, stock splits and dividend per share for S & P indexes. Components of the subscription include annual and quarterly dividend records with weekly updates.

So, the question is, do we need this depth of information on dividends, and at this price? I'll be interested to hear what you think.

Consumer Health Complete

This week we are again going to look at a database instead of a book. Consumer Health Complete is an Ebsco database with a special, more colorful, user friendly interface. The cost of the database is $2500. It is not included in the regular Ebsco suite of databases which are provided to us free of cost, so we must bear the entire cost ourselves. Previous to last year we used Bristol Myers Squibb funds for this. We no longer have this grant.

I had chosen this database as the one to be axed to make funds available for Academic Search Premier ($5000 per year) because of it's low usage statistics. In the first six months of this year it was accessed 34 times. At that rate it's nearly $37 per access.

Then I decided to use Serialssolutions' (our journal management system) new overlap analysis tool. I discovered that Consumer Health Complete has only 28 unique titles! All the rest are included in other health related Ebsco products already in the suite we get free, such as Health Source Consumer Edition, Biological Reference Collection and Nursing and Allied Health Collection! So basically we are paying for the special interface, which I actually don't like as much as something like the Mayo Clinic site and WebMD freely available on the web.

So, low user stats, few unique titles, funds needed for another more highly used database--that spells three strikes to me. You'll have a hard time convincing me otherwise (but you can try).

Plus YA has gotten a new Teen Health and Wellness database with grant funds, which we will also put on our database pages.

Directory of Obsolete Securities

This 2082 page tome is exactly what the title says--it is completely devoted to listings of all known obsolete securities. We had actually cancelled this as a standing order several years ago, but then got requests for it, and also questions through Statewide Reference asking for this type of information.

The price for the 2008 edition is $695. However, last year I got a 2006 edition (one year old at the time) for $495. This year I discovered that I could get a 2007 edition through Amazon used books for $365.

The entries are arranged alphabetically by the security name and include the name and such informtion as mergers, acquisitions, name changes, reorganization, liquidation, recapitalization, etc. (where appropriate), all with dates.

Several companies such as Orbis and Bloomberg offer this information online, but, of course, not for free. Newark Public does not have this directory, so we cannot call them for answers to these questions.

So, here are the options: new 2008, used 2007 for a little over half the price, or skip it entirely. Do we get enough call for this type of information to warrant either price?