News
Washington Statewide Database Trials Go Live
The Washington State Library is pleased to host its 2008 Statewide Database Trials. The trials allow libraries to test out new and interesting databases without having to purchase them. The trials begin November 14th and will last through the end of December.
Once the trials are finished, please remember to fill out the survey expressing interest in those databases that you would like to investigate further.
Go to the 2008 Statewide Database Trials Page.
ProQuest Loses Access Rights to The Seattle Times
Effective January 1, 2009, ProQuest will no longer distribute full-text ASCII content from The Seattle Times in its current newspaper products. However, abstracts and indexing for The Seattle Times will remain. This means that full-text Seattle Times content (both current and backfile) will be removed from the ProQuest Washington Newsstand database on that date.
ProQuest will work with its customers who currently subscribe to The Seattle Times via ProQuest products to offer alternative solutions. A proposal to compensate Washington libraries for the loss of this content is expected by next week. State Library staff will work with the SDL (Statewide Database Licensing) Advisory Committee to make a recommendation on behalf of Washington Libraries.
Additional information, as it becomes available, will be posted on the SDL web site here and announced on the WALIBSDL e-mail list (to sign up for this or other WSL lists, visit www.secstate.wa.gov/quicklinks/lists).
Gale Hospital/Medical Library Offer
Gale has announced special one-time pricing for a group of Gale databases to medical or hospital libraries in the Pacific Northwest, including all of the states and provinces covered by the HLIB-NW e-mail list. Specific details are available here. The deadline to respond is September 30, 2008.
Training
Want to learn more about ProQuest? Sign up for an online class. Special online training for K-12 libraries is also available.
Other training materials, such as Quick Reference or Quick Start Guides, are available here: http://www.il.proquest.com/pqtraining.
Marketing
ProQuest has created a marketing toolkit for libraries, to assist them in marketing subscription databases to their patrons. Visit the ProQuest Library Advocacy page located here: http://www.il.proquest.com/division/libraryadvocacy.shtml.
Product promotional brochures are also available for many ProQuest databases on the ProQuest Training materials page: http://www.il.proquest.com/products_pq/training/
SDL Mission Statement
Through Washington libraries, all Washingtonians will have access to a range of electronic database products with which to address their informational and educational needs. And, Washington libraries will be able to leverage their resources to gain more cost effective access to database products.
adopted 1998
SDL is a project coordinated by the Washington State Library to give Washington state citizens access to online commercial databases through their local libraries at a discounted cost.
With guidance from the project's steering committee, the project uses federal LTSA grant funds to underwrite expensive licenses to full-text magazine and newspaper databases. Initiated in 1998, this project pays one half the annual costs. Libraries' local funds pay the rest. Local library shares are determined by the statewide advisory committee.
Libraries participating in SDL include:
- 21 Four-year academics
- 35 Community and technical colleges
- 67 Public Libraries
- 25 Medical Libraries
- 23 Tribal libraries
- Approximately 2,200 K-12 libraries
The basic database package includes:
- Access to eight Washington daily newspapers, five national newspapers and over 4000 magazines, periodicals and journals, of which over 3000 are available in full-text.
- Customized database packages for different audiences including eLibrary and eLibrary Elementary for the K-12 audience as well as packages designed for public library audiences and academic research purposes.
- Remote access from homes or businesses.
SDL also coordinates group purchases of other databases purchased and funded with local library funds.
