Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Database Use Patterns In Public Libraries., Carol Tenopir, Eleanor Read

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Database usage data from a random sample of ninety-eight public libraries and library systems in the United States and Canada reveal patterns of use. Library users at all sizes of public libraries tend to use research databases most frequently early in the week, at midday, and at times that correspond to the academic calendar (November in this six-month sample.) Peak usage varies with size of library, but a capacity of between one and ten simultaneous users will satisfy 99 percent of demand in every size of library. A questionnaire sent to these libraries revealed many other factors that might influence …

The Database Marketplace 1999: Data Dealers Forging Links, Carol Tenopir, Jeff Barry

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

A year ago, the database marketplace was described as stormy weather, and while this phenomenon won't cease in 1999, it may be getting more predictable. A look at the 1999 database marketplace is presented.

Data Dealers Face Stormy Weather, Carol Tenopir, Jeff Barry

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Librarians should consider forming alliances to strength for negotiating the stormy database marketplace's flood of new information and new choices being promoted by database companies. Libraries must choose from among at least 29 database providers using 58 separate online, web or CD-ROM systems.

The Evolving Database Marketplace, Jeff Barry, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Initially propelled by online searching and CD-ROM networking, and now given added momentum by the Internet, electronic reference resources are changing the way librarians provide reference service. Library users are accessing traditional citation and abstract databases with greater ease and efficacy than before, thanks to more consistent and friendlier interfaces and the integration of full text and graphics.

How fundamental are the changes to library reference services? According to LJ's 1996 Reference Survey, librarians estimate that in the next three years their CD-ROM reference sources will grow by 51 percent and their online sources by 43 percent, vs. fairly …