Creating a Leaner, Meaner, Database Collection to Leverage Instruction

LOEX Conference | May 6, 2011Mary Anne Erwin, MALS & Emily Scharf, MALS

Instruction & Liaison Services | Webster University Library1

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Webster University info

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Webster University Library supports all campuses

Why did we do this?

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http://libguides.webster.edu/loex

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

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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

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

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Review Tasks

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Reviewer AssignmentsSubject-specific

databases Liaison librarians’ subject areas

Total databasesreviewed

13 Art, Theater, Dance, Literature 17

12 Behavioral & Social Sciences, Legal Studies 18

29 Business & Technology (Math & Comp. Sci) 31

7 Education 18

6 History, Political Science, International Relations 6

11 Media, Communications, Religion 21

9 Music 9

14 Nursing, Biological Sciences 14

8 Reference 8

2 Philosophy, Foreign Language 2

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Quantitative vs. Qualitative

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vs.

Quantitative

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

content

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Qualitative

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

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Rating System• Liaisons agreed on a 1 – 4 scale• Ratings:

1 = Cancel2 = Questionable, Cancel If______3 = Important, Fills Niche4 = Essential

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What is Essential?

• Some liaisons gave all databases in one subject a “4” rating.

• Next time, encourage reviewers to define critical evaluation.

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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

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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

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How Did WSBT Review?

• Quantitative• Qualitative• How database is used in instruction

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Quantitative Serials Solutions Overlap Analysis

of Full-TextTitle (vendor) Titles

UniquePercent Unique

ABI/Inform Complete (Proquest)

1166 37.3%

Business & Company Resource Center (Gale)

1875 47.3%

Business Source Premier (Ebsco)

5585 77.2%

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Quantitative/Qualitative Analysis: Full-text & Journals

TITLE TOTALHITS

FULL-TEXT (FT) HITS

FT DATE RANGE

JOURNALHITS

ABI/Inform 2078 1996 1982-2010 82

Business & Company Resource Center

1635 1261 1979-2010 14

Business Source Premier

1585 883 1983-2010 153

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Analysis by D. Church, February 2010

Search: banking and bailout

Qualitative Analysis: InstructionDATABASE USE WHEN… DB RATING

Business Source Complete Upgraded from Business Source Premier fall 2010

- 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

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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”– http://library.webster.edu/worldclass

/sbtresrchguide.html

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Vendors• “Be assertive but reasonable”

(Anderson, 2004)

• Pricing– (Re)negotiate pricing– Consortia

• Improve databases– Content– Search Interface

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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.

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

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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).

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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.

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Quantitative Outcomes – All Webster Databases

RATING NUMBER 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 $19,000

18 of 152 (11.8%)

$79,000

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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

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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

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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

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottwills/35750854/in/photostream/)– Pathway. Photo credit: Flickr user YSPsculpture. 5/6/10– A thing of beauty in NYC (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hadesigns/2243736233/) / HA! Designs - Artbyheather

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/hadesigns/)– Coffee at the Melbourne GPO (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerryank/2791709044/) / Kerry J

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerryank/)– number 4 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/49968232@N00/4767249862/) / LEOL30 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/– Bullseye. Bulls (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mentalman1369/2354309981/) / The iconoclastic yet iconic ionic icon

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/mentalman1369/)– Used Car Salesman. bmw_guy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24995774@N06/2358339193/) / Paul Couture

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonked/) – Teaching. Dina and Donatella (http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/3555429170/) / Joi Ito (http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/)– Tim Gunn. made it work at the costume cave for @thebrockoli. Amazing wardrobe!

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/timothygreigdotcom/4055141392/) / Timothy Greig (http://www.flickr.com/photos/timothygreigdotcom/)

– Questions. Photo credit: Flickr user Oberazzi 12/9/06

• Citations:– Anderson, R. (2004) Buying and contracting for resources and services. Neal-Schuman: New York.

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Contact Us

library.webster.edu• Mary Anne Erwin

maerwin@webster.edu(314) 246-7841

• Emily Scharfemilyscharf99@webster.edu(314) 246-7818

http://libguides.webster.edu/loex

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Questions? 32