I agree with Ian that a switch from locally available CD-ROMs to Web-
based resources (whether local or remote) potentially offers a much
better service to users, particularly distance learners).
At Leeds University, we were very interested in the Silver Platter
ARC service via WEB-SPIRS, but I have to confess that the
difficulties of installing the necessary software have forced us to
hold fire on that particular service.
We also evaluated the OVID Web interface to Medline, but the
functionality was presented in such a way that we considered a larger
proportion of inefficient and ineffective searches would be conducted
by users. We are still debating whether to proceed on this one.
Chadwyck-Healey LION is a great service in many respects - but there
is functionality in the Windows interface not available via the Web:
so Leeds is continuing with both for the moment!
The British Library Web OPAC97 does not have the foreign
character set display capabilities of the previous Windows offering
(which was however very unreliable and difficult to use!) - another
example of trade-off of functionality.
These are all just (concrete) examples of the sort of dilemmas which
face those thinking of switching from CD to Web. An alternative of
course, is to try (where possible) to mount a CD from a Web server.
Michael Emly
University of Leeds
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> From: "IAN RODDIS" <[log in to unmask]>
> Organization: Warwick Business School
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Wed, 2 Jul 1997 12:59:24 GMT
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> Subject: Web data sources
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> This is a subject to do with electronic libraries, but not
> necessarily the aims and objectives of Lis-Elib.
>
> Apart from HE being it's own publisher and creator of content what
> experience do people have out there of providing and using web data
> sources from commercial services such as Searchbank, ProQuest, MAID,
> FT Discovery etc?
>
> I ask as it would appear that such services (which depending on
> particular service can offer full text journal articles, company
> account information, market research info etc direct to the web)
> would complement many of the Elib projects. From my own perspective
> of a distance learning course this would really open up access for
> non-campus based students to sources which previously have been kept
> on CD-Rom or hard copy.
>
> Apart from the cost issue of subscribing, are these services being
> taken up? (And if anybody has any negative experiences of such
> services I'd be happy to hear of these directly . . )
>
> ps . . many thanks to all who responded to my query about PDF files
>
> Regards
>
> Ian
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Ian Roddis tel +44 (0)1203 523947
> DLMBA Development Officer fax +44 (0)1203 524411
> [log in to unmask] www.wbs.warwick.ac.uk/mba
>
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Michael Emly, Edw.Boyle Library, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
Email: [log in to unmask] Phone: 0113 2335565 Fax: 0113 2335539
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