xreferplus online reference library Online Ready Reference for the Digital Library Jeffrey LaPlante

Sound familiar? Trends: RUSA study found only 9% of in-library reference questions were answered w/reference books Students searching internet for reference info but getting caught in web of unauthoritative, unstructured mess Mass of information found in search engines don’t give big picture/context Budgets! Resources are being scrutinized to provide most value across disciplines

What is xreferplus? Reference portal to: –Begin research on new topic –Browse and explore related concepts –Check facts, find definitions 43 publishers 170+ titles integrated over 1.8 million entries more than 35,000 images 76,000 audio pronunciation files

A few of our 40+ publishers

A sampling of content

Content increased by 60% in last 12 months!

Collection is ALWAYS growing! Coming soon:

xreferplus subscription options: xreferplus100- ‘Pick and Mix’ your favorite 100 titles Make changes throughout the year Choose new titles as they go live xreferplusUnlimited All titles available today (167) and all new during the year Includes updates to existing titles Both options include: unlimited users remote access

Specialist titles available ‘a la carte’ in 2005: Encyclopedia of Health Care Management by Sage Encyclopedia of New Media by Sage Encyclopedia of Health and Behavior by Sage 12 Blackwell Handbooks of Psychology The MIT Press Encyclopedia of Visual Neurosciences The MIT Press Encyclopedia of Communication Disorders Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction by Berkshire Publishing Biographical Dictionary of Modern Egypt by Lynne Rienner

Content is integrated, not isolated cross-search all content at once to save time xreferences – integration of content to gain accurate, contextual knowledge “ What is exceptional about xreferplus is its cross-referencing system, which unites content throughout the entire database in effective and innovative ways”—Information Today

Multiple search options Across entire collection Within subject Within title Advanced search options

xreferences – the backbone of xreferplus What are xreferences? Added links that seamlessly connect related entries What do they do? Integrate content across topics and titles as well as text, audio and image files Provide context for research Facilitate corroboration of facts

No one else offers this patent-pending technology xreferences: think outside the book

The Research Mapper Shows context of related terms A good research starting point In depth review: Against the Grain, June 2004

Case Study: Library instruction on xreferplus tied to 1 st year writing program Students: “Cool way to browse new topic” Usage up from about 100 hits/month to over 2,000!

CIA World Fact Book Available free on 10+ web sites but, Implementation here is superior Dynamic Tables –Add columns –Sorting –Export to Excel –Static URLS Example: Military manpower compared to expenditures Detailed review in Online, July/August 2004 issue

The Bridgeman Art Library 16,000 images! Links from WebCT,Blackboard Lots of xreferences to other titles… Example: Artist linked to Biographies

Collins World Atlas 90,000 points globally Many ways to search Lots of xreferences to other titles… Example: Map showing Mt. Fuji with links to more content

Case Study: Metasearch xreferplus and other db’s at same time. Remote Access for card holders Integration with subject specific pages Result: usage up 1200%!!

Want to increase usage? Remote access Unlimited simultaneous users Usage stats Downloadable MARC records Subject- or title-specific links a friend “Ask a Librarian” link User guides Pick and Mix content selection xreferplus toolbar Static URLs for VLEs Open URL – MetaLib, SFX and more… Posters, brochures to promote to users

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Customers

What the experts say “May well become the killer app in the ready reference category….” —CHOICE Named an Outstanding Academic Title by CHOICE, 2002 “The ability to perform cross reference searching across a large reference collection is liberating and powerful.” —Library Journal “The very model of a modern major database [with a] sleek Web interface, lots of powerful search and browse features and flat-rate pricing.” —Information Today