Bowker Group Subscription
Available Soon from BCR
(March 2000 Action for Libraries newsletter)

By James Speed Hensinger

BCR is currently negotiating with Bowker for a BCR group subscription to Bowker's Web-based information resources. Through the group subscription, libraries will be able to access a new and enhanced version of booksinprint.com 2000 (with book reviews), ulrichsweb.com and librarymarketplace.com.

In February, Bowker unveiled booksinprint.com 2000. This new version contains 3.2 million titles, including 500,000 out-of-print titles, 350,000 full-text book reviews from 12 leading sources, 200,000 videos and 75,000 audio books with full publisher information. Its features include:

  • A friendlier, more intuitive interface.
  • The ability to search for titles based on names of key fictional characters and real or imaginary settings.
  • Direct searching and complete information for more than 165,000 publishers, distributors and wholesalers.
  • Author biographies.
  • Hyperlinks by author, publisher and subject classification.
  • Access to two best-seller databases and best-seller lists including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Amazon.com.
The uhlrichsweb.com is the online version of Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory, the definitive periodical reference tool. The database provides detailed profiles of nearly 250,000 consumer magazines, academic journals, professional monographs, newspapers, electronic publications, conference proceedings and other serials. More than 8,000 magazine reviews from Library Journal and Magazines for Libraries are also included. The digital version of International Literary Market Place, literarymarketplace.com, provides fast Web access to publishers, agents, trade services and trade resources all over the world.

As soon as the pricing for BCR's group subscription is available, it will be posted on BCR's Web site and disseminated via e-mail announcements at the same time.

Any subscribers to Books In Print through any of Bowker's third-party vendor-partners (CARL, DRA, Ebsco, Gale, Innovative, OCLC, OVID, SilverPlatter) and any of the Bowker local tape-load customers, are eligible for a significant discount on booksinprint.com as an add-on to the library's existing service. The amount of the discount is still being negotiated.

For more information, contact BCR's Jim Hensinger at jhensing@bcr.org.