Dear all,
Sorry, but I've got a bee in my bonnet about the ENB database!
Medline indexes c 3,000 journals
CINAHL indexes c 1,500
BNI indexes c 220
ENB indexes (I don't know, but around 50? and what of their research
quality?)
ENB might be the easiest to use, but we need to encourage students and
staff to put effort into their searching, to ensure that when it matters,
they get reasonable results. I'm not very keen on being treated by a Nurse
who felt as a student that the ENB database was good enough for up to date
clinical information. S/he might as well do a general Internet search.
As Librarians, we need to take a long-term view, and train students to use
the best tools for information retrieval, not just the easiest. Equally, we
need to apply pressure to make the searching interfaces easier, but
sometimes the easier they are to use, the less control you have over HOW
they search.
Waiting for the disagreements!
Jim 'how does he get time to do all that e-mailing?' Moore
Jim Moore, Librarian,
Goldberg Library, King George Hospital,
Barley Lane, GOODMAYES, Essex. IG3 8YB
Tel: (020) 8970 8239
Fax: (020) 8970 8237
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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