Today's scholars face an outstanding array of choices when choosing search tools: Google Scholar, discipline-specific abstracts and index databases, library discovery tools, and more recently, Microsoft's re-launch of their academic search tool, now dubbed Microsoft Academic Search. What are these tools' strengths for the emerging needs of…

Reference services in public libraries are changing dramatically. The Internet, online databases, and shrinking budgets are all making it necessary for non-traditional reference staff to become familiar with online reference tools. Recognizing the need for cross-training, Chesapeake Public Library (CPL) developed a program called the Database…

The year 2011 was the PALNI (Private Academic Library Network of Indiana) consortium's "rookie season" for the implementation of Primo, the 2010 Discovery Layer 500 race winner. In this article, the authors report on their transition to the cloud within Ex Libris Ltd.'s Primo TotalCare environment: their preparation, the steps involved…

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a quantitative analysis exploring the interaction and relationship between the online database and electronic journal collections at the J. N. Desmarais Library of Laurentian University. A very strong relationship exists between the number of searches and the size of the online database…

Libraries are not so unlike market giants Netflix, Amazon, and Pandora. Despite their significantly different business models and missions, they share an interest in facilitating the search for information, including what to read, view, and listen to next. Librarians, too, want their patrons to be able to use their tools to make connections among…

This article reports that the Scopus Student Ambassador (SAm) program, funded by Elsevier, permitted the University of Connecticut (UConn) Libraries to hire graduate students to teach citation searching, using both Scopus and Web of Science, to other graduate students. The training does not cost the libraries anything, and it is free for graduate…

The ability to search and receive results in more than one database through a single interface--or metasearch--is something many users want. Google Scholar--the search engine of specifically scholarly content--and library metasearch products like Ex Libris's MetaLib, Serials Solution's Central Search, WebFeat, and products based on MuseGlobal used…

Describes EasyNet, a gateway system to multiple online vendors. It allows occasional access without learning each system's commands or contracting with each vendor, with either the searcher selecting the database or letting the system select one. Costs are described and various special option plans for specific types of libraries are explained.…

This brochure describes the online information services at the New York State Library, which has online access to over 250 databases covering a broad range of subject areas, including current events, law, science, medicine, public affairs, grants, business, computer technology, education, social welfare, and humanities. Many of these databases are…

A joint project of the University of Pittsburgh Library System and the School of Library and Information Science investigated the need for a rapid document delivery service within the University Library System (ULS). Two instruments were designed to answer questions about library patrons' uses of bibliographic citations retrieved in online…

This paper describes online newsmedia databases which have been intentionally designed to respond to needs for information that is more current than the information in printed indexes or online versions of these indexes. It is suggested that these databases are useful to libraries because, in addition to subject indexing, they have "word…

This article provides realities in reaction to myths that have developed around online searching based on experience at Northbrook Public Library (Illinois). Discussion covers experience needed by online searcher, use of the multitude of databases, retrieval of relevant material, and cost. Two reference situations utilizing online searching…

Discusses the changing relationship between information professionals (vendors, database producers, and searchers) and end users during the last three decades. Examines the concept of the end user, including professionals; libraries; end user searchers; DIALOG and BRS; ease of use issues; search intermediaries; menu-driven systems; and CD-ROM…

Describes EasyNet, a gateway service that allows users access to over 900 databases. Use of EasyNet at the University of Richmond (Virginia) libraries is explained, search strategies are discussed, problems with the price structure are examined, and its use both as an end-user service and for mediated searching is described. (LRW)

Discusses the use of the OCLC Authority File for answering reference questions. Contents of the authority file are described, including personal, corporate, conference, and geographic names, uniform titles, and subject headings; accessing the authority file is explained; searching strategies are discussed; and examples of authority records are…