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Counting Databases

Page history last edited by Kim Miller 8 years, 1 month ago

August 24, 2009

 

Question

 

Howard Boksenbaum, RI

 

Hi all--

 

We are having trouble consistently counting licensed databases in RI. Here is what I have proposed and would like your comments on:

 

454 local - this one is easy: how many databases does the individual library subscribe to and pay for itself.

 

455 State (state government or state library) the state agency will provide this number. We are actually purchasing from EBSCO, ProQuest and Tutor.com databases (services in Tutor.com's case) a number of statewide database licenses that are available to all state residents through a grant to the Providence Public Library. These are designed to be available all through local RI libraries as well as from home, school, etc. We plan to count every database separately and each local library will enter the same number.

 

456 Other Cooperative agreements. Ocean State Libraries, Inc., the not-for-profit consortium that operates a ILS for all of the state's public libraries also buys database licenses from a variety of aggregators. We plan to count each of those databases separately as well; local libraries obtaining the appropriate number from the consortium. 

 

Is this how others are handling these data?


 

SDC Comments

 

Michael A. Golrick, LA

 

Hi-That is what we do with one exception. In the data collection software we enter the number that the state provides and then “lock” it so that it can not be modified by the local library. The software then automatically tallies the database total (as it does for a number of other fields which call for addition).

 


 

Rob Geiszler, VT

 

This is exactly how we collect this information in Vermont. I didn’t make this procedure up. The first year that I was responsible for the report, I posed the same question and other SDCs, as well as the Census people, indicated that this is the correct way to collect the data.

 

You have good instincts.


 

Frank Nelson, ID

 

It is much easier to have the state database field locked and then enter the same number for everyone. Could work for other state provided access too if one decides to set up the form that way. Less confusion.


 

Howard Boksenbaum, MLIS, RI

 

Thanks, Michael. Good idea. Is you state total then the sum of all; i.e., the produce of the state number x the number of libraries?


 

Despina Wilson, DE

 

Wouldn’t this grossly duplicate the number of electronic databases (in the sum as a state)?

 

On the state library report, I report the number of databases that the state library purchases on behalf of the public libraries.

 

On the public library report we report -1.


 

Ann Reed, OR

 

Yes, it does result in a useless state total. But consider the use to which the data is put. It was felt at the time that since most library funding was local, the more useful number was the number of items the public library patron had available to them as they walked into their public library on June 30.


 

Michael A. Golrick, LA

 

Yes it is.

I probably should have also announced that our 2008 statistical report is up on our web site here:

http://www.state.lib.la.us/la_dyn_templ.cfm?doc_id=278

 

Our tradition has been to offer the current year as a spreadsheet, but prior years are all PDF files. We have 2000+ on the web site.


 

Scott Dermont, IA

 

We have been way underreporting our databases for 455, so this year I am pre-filling for libraries and then locking it. So far it is going quite well.

 


 

Bruce Pomerantz, MN

 

I have several multicounty regional systems license databases for their members.

 

Informata/B&T in Collect has the ability to enter different numbers for the libraries in different regions and lock the data, which I learned, like the rest, was necessary.

 


 

Kathy Sheppard, SC

 

South Carolina does exactly what Michael does.


 

Edythe S. Huffman, IN

 

As does Indiana


 

Alka Bhatnagar, NJ

 

So does NJ.


 

Dianne L. Carty, MA

 

Ditto for MA.


 

Grace D. Kelly, NY

 

NY will be doing that this year.


 

Genny Carter, TN

 

We also count databases that way. For now, I do not have that field locked in Bibliostat, but that is a good idea, and will do so in future studies. We currently supply them with the number, they enter it, and I spot check for accuracy.


 

Ron Winner, IL

 

IL will be doing that this year as well.


 

Jay Bank, KY

 

In KY our report heading reads "State (State Government or State

Library) ** Include 30 KYVL databases **," since all libraries have access to these 30 databases at minimum. Of course we still have a few libraries that will, for some unknown reason, enter "0."


 

Scott Dermont, IA

 

That's why I've had to pre-fill and lock our question. We have 2 databases (EBSCOhost and FirstSearch) where libraries can opt in for a small fee. In the instructions I tell them to count EBSCOhost as 13 and FirstSearch as 12. You would not believe the variety of answers that I got. So this is the first year we've pre-filled and locked this field. I think it works much better this way.


 

Holly Van Valkenburgh, NV

 

This is what we do in Nevada.

 

 

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