Creating a Leaner, Meaner, Database Collection to Leverage Instruction LOEX Conference | May 6, 2011 Mary Anne Erwin, MALS & Emily Scharf, MALS Instruction & Liaison Services | Webster University Library 1

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Library User Satisfaction Survey Spring 2010 Please rate your satisfaction with access to and quality of online materials (e.g., databases, full-text journals, ebooks) Rating: 4.32 out of 5 4 = satisfied, 5 = very satisfied 5

Special Projects - 4 Year Cycle 2010 – Database review Annual spring project: new database review 2011 – Weed main collection 2012 – Journal review 2013 – Standing orders/weed reference collection 6

Goals Examine curriculum support Discover database overlap No mandate to cancel – only review 7

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Reviewer Assignments Subject-specific databasesLiaison librarians’ subject areas Total databases reviewed 13 Art, Theater, Dance, Literature17 12 Behavioral & Social Sciences, Legal Studies18 29 Business & Technology (Math & Comp. Sci)31 7 Education18 6 History, Political Science, International Relations6 11 Media, Communications, Religion21 9 Music9 14 Nursing, Biological Sciences14 8 Reference8 2 Philosophy, Foreign Language

Quantitative vs. Qualitative 10 vs.

Quantitative Usage & proxy server stats Consortial pricing Full-text content Cancelation of print content 11

Qualitative Discussions with faculty Instruction or reference use Technical set up and ongoing issues Search capabilities, etc. 12

Rating System Liaisons agreed on a 1 – 4 scale Ratings: 1 = Cancel 2 = Questionable, Cancel If______ 3 = Important, Fills Niche 4 = Essential 13

What is Essential? Some liaisons gave all databases in one subject a “4” rating. Next time, encourage reviewers to define critical evaluation. 14

Walker School of Business & Technology (WSBT) Serves Students 3 departments 20,000 students (head count) 63% of Webster students 80% of WSBT students attend at extended campuses or online Reliable online resources mandatory 15

Walker School of Business & Technology Database Review(s) Place business databases in context 29 subject 10+ related, e.g. Academic Search Premier NetLibrary PsycInfo New database evaluation 16

How Did WSBT Review? Quantitative Qualitative How database is used in instruction 17

Quantitative Serials Solutions Overlap Analysis of Full-Text Title (vendor)Titles Unique Percent Unique ABI/Inform Complete (Proquest) % Business & Company Resource Center (Gale) % Business Source Premier (Ebsco) % 18

Quantitative/Qualitative Analysis: Full-text & Journals TITLETOTAL HITS FULL-TEXT (FT) HITS FT DATE RANGE JOURNAL HITS ABI/Inform Business & Company Resource Center Business Source Premier Analysis by D. Church, February 2010 Search: banking and bailout

Qualitative Analysis: Instruction DATABASEUSE WHEN…DB RATING Business Source Complete Upgraded from Business Source Premier fall First for grads (or undergrads) searching for scholarly, peer- reviewed, journal research 4, essential Business & Company Resource Center - First with undergrads (or grads) who need company, trade and industry information 3, important, fills niche (was 4) ABI/Inform (Proquest) - Second for grads (or upper undergrads) article research - Graduate students who want articles about a business or management function (e.g. human resources) via classification code index 3 20

Promoting Databases – Business faculty – Business staff & student workers – Students Instruction sessions – Survey of DB knowledge & quiz “How-to” Videos – e.g. industry video: RMA & IBISworld – Define “what’s in it for me” – worldclass/sbtresrchguide.htm l worldclass/sbtresrchguide.htm l 21

Vendors “Be assertive but reasonable” (Anderson, 2004) Pricing – (Re)negotiate pricing – Consortia Improve databases – Content – Search Interface 22

Sample Ratings & Comments Rating : 1, Cancel … EIU Viewswire because much of the full-text content is available in ABI/Inform. Interface includes advertisements and citations to content not readily accessible. 23

Rating: 2, Cancel Mergent if… we subscribe to Standard & Poor’s Net Advantage Business Intelligence Package which contains more comprehensive financial data. 24

Rating: 3, Important, fills niche … Business & Company Resource Center is a one stop database for novice (undergraduate) researchers looking for a company directory; magazine, trade & journal articles; basic financials; investment reports (not found elsewhere in our databases); or industry and market share reports (from canceled Gale print reference books). 25

Rating: 4, Essential … Business Source Premier, like other EBSCO subject databases, is the foundation of business article instruction. Because of full-text article content and open URL resolver integration, we have been able to cancel many print periodicals. 26

Quantitative Outcomes – All Webster Databases RATINGNUMBER OF DATABASES SAVINGS / REALLOCATION “1 – Cancel because” no longer supports curriculum 11$35,000 “2 – Cancel if” liaisons agree 1$5,000 “2 -- Cancel if ” get new database 3$20,000 Renegotiated contract and identified consortium savings 3$19, of 152 (11.8%) $79,000 27

Qualitative Outcomes – All Webster Databases Changes in instruction New understanding & appreciation of subject databases More faculty buy-in Need for an electronic resources librarian Plan for economic downturns 28

How to Make It Work for You Do not do it all yourself Empower reviewers Let instruction guide review Do it before you have to 29

Credits Images: – Heart Shape on Keyboard Key --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis, Mar 1, 2007, Love & Hearts - 123loveactually.blogspot.com (19).jpg – Question mark. Photo credit: Flickr user alexanderdrachmann. 4/13/06 – Goal. Photo credit: Flickr user Scott Willis. 8/20/2005 ( – Pathway. Photo credit: Flickr user YSPsculpture. 5/6/10 – A thing of beauty in NYC ( / HA! Designs - Artbyheather ( – Coffee at the Melbourne GPO ( / Kerry J ( – number 4 / LEOL30 ( – Bullseye. Bulls ( / The iconoclastic yet iconic ionic icon ( – Used Car Salesman. bmw_guy / Paul Couture ( – Teaching. Dina and Donatella ( / Joi Ito ( – Tim Gunn. made it work at the costume cave Amazing wardrobe! ( / Timothy Greig ( – Questions. Photo credit: Flickr user Oberazzi 12/9/06 Citations: – Anderson, R. (2004) Buying and contracting for resources and services. Neal-Schuman: New York. 30

Contact Us library.webster.edu Mary Anne Erwin (314) Emily Scharf (314)

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