In Reference ...

Colorado/Kansas FirstSearch Trial

BCR and the Colorado Consortium of Database Networking (CCDN) has negotiated another trial for participants in the Colorado/Kansas FirstSearch project.

At no additional cost, OCLC has added The World Almanac and Pro CD Home and Biz temporarily to the databases participating Colorado and Kansas libraries can access via OCLC's FirstSearch service. OCLC also has increased the number of available ports to 99 during the February 1 - May 1 trial to get an idea of how much access the FirstSearch group might need if more databases are added to the group package.

Participating libraries in Colorado and Kansas are urged to take advantage of this opportunity to use the new databases. World Almanac is a broad-based database covering arts and entertainment, U.S. cities and states, people in the news, nations, sports, the environment, vital statistics, science and technology, computers, taxes and more. OCLC use statistics show Pro CD Home and Biz databases, which contain listings of residences and businesses from the white pages of U.S. telephone directories, are among the most popular files on FirstSearch.

FirstSearch Expanded Base Package Available

As of January 22, individual libraries that subscribed to the OCLC FirstSearch Base Package as of December 1996 or earlier, have access to NetFirst, World Almanac and FactSearch. Those institutions also will have access to World Book when it is loaded later in 1997. Libraries subscribing to the FirstSearch Base Package as part of a group now have access to the NetFirst database in their subscription. Institutions with new and renewing subscriptions had access to the expanded Base Package on January 1.

Bowker Databases Available through SilverPlatter

The following R.R. Bowker products are now available through SilverPlatter Information in CD-ROM, ERL and Internet-accessible formats. They are:

  • American Library Directory (annual updates): BCR price $790 ($810 list);
  • Books In Print (monthly updates): BCR price $1,828 ($1,875 list);
  • Books In Print with Reviews (monthly updates): BCR price $2,438 ($2,500 list);
  • LISA (monthly updates): BCR price $2,584 ($2,650 list);
  • Marquis Who's Who (semi-annual updates): BCR price $2,803 ($2,875 list);
  • Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory (quarterly updates): BCR price $853 ($875 list).
  • SilverPlatter Introduces Health-CD

    Health-CD, published by the Stationary Office on behalf of the Department of Health for England, is now available through SilverPlatter. The database, available in quarterly updates for CD-ROM, hard disc, Internet and Partner Hosted server subscriptions, contains legislation, guidance and journals on English health issues. BCR's discounted price is $1,136 ($1,195 list).

    WilsonDisc Releases Readers' Guide for Youths

    WilsonDisc has introduced a new database, Readers' Guide for Young People, designed for elementary and middle school students and adults concerned with those students' education. The database delivers the contents of 64 publications with indexing and abstracting for all titles and full text for 22 titles. Readers' Guide for Young People is available in monthly updates from BCR's discounted price of $947 ($995 list), school-year updates (nine per year) at BCR's discount price of $663 ($695 list) and quarterly updates at $378 ($395 list). Charter subscribers who enter their orders before March 31, will receive an additional $100 off their initial subscription.

    (For questions or to subscribe to any reference database — CD-ROM, online or Internet-accessible — contact BCR's Jim Hensinger or Karen Graham .


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