Bowietreks

Free Access to Full Text Articles in Libraries

From Search Engine Watch blog:

More About Free Access to Library Materials via Web Engines

Mike Liedtke's article: Library Materials Given to Search Engines, takes a closer look at what I posted about earlier regarding an announcement today by Thomson Gale that will allow users to search and easily access for free full text articles via Google and Yahoo. Then, with a couple of clicks, the searcher will be able to access the material for FREE and from home or office via a library they have access to. Libraries offering free remote access to databases (think of them as verticals) containing full text material (articles, reference info, etc.) from thousand of publishers is not new. As many of you know, I've been posting about this for a long time here on the SEW Blog and on my ResourceShelf site. In 2003, I wrote an article for SearchDay on this topic. Last week, I wrote a guest column for BetaNews that provides an overview about what you can find. Needless to say, today's announcement is very exciting news. Hopefully, more people will become hip to the fact that many library services, not only databases, are accessible without having to go to the library building. So, how will also of this work? + As you review web search results from Yahoo or Google you might find results (articles) from a Thomson Gale database. If you see material you might find useful, you'll click and determine if your local library is participating. Then, simply enter your library card number. Click again and the full text should be available. + You'll also be able to access Thomson Gale material via the Yahoo Subscriptions service. TG was named as a content partner yesterday. See our overview here. I would guess that some material will also be included in the Google Scholar database. Remember, material is just starting to enter the Yahoo and Google databases. As Liedtke notes, The search engines began scanning the Thomson Gale data Thursday, but it could be awhile before the material starts to emerge in search results. + Simply and painlessly go to your library's home page (what I would suggest) and look for the link to their electronic databases. Again, more about this here. + You could also go to the AccessMyLibrary.com site, see if your library is participating, enter your card number, and begin searching. Just one caveat for now. Thomson Gale produces some great databases full of wonderful content from top publishers but they're not the only database provider out there. For example, someone with a San Francisco Public Library Card can also access materials (full text books) and full text articles from many other database vendors including ProQuest, EBSCO, and even the Oxford English Dictionary. Caveat aside, I think this quote from Clara Bohrer, president of the Public Library Association says it best, "It's a real positive step," Bohrer said. "Most libraries just haven't been able to get the word out about all the wonderful resources that they have online. Hopefully, people will start finding more information through these searches and say, 'Gee, maybe I better go check out my local library's Web site and to see what else I can find there.' "

*****

More people should become aware of this service from their local public libraries. Go to the website of your local library and check to see what reference sources are offered online for full text articles.

I have been using this service from my library for quite a while, and really appreciate it. I particularly like to use it to search for book reviews from Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal. Subscriptions to these two magazines are prohibitively high for personal use, so being able to search them on my library's site is truly appreciated. The articles, book reviews, and upcoming new titles lists can be read online, printed, or downloaded to be read using Acrobat reader.

Many other periodicals and reference works are available free of charge when you are logged in to your library's website. Try this for yourself and tell other people about it.

NYPL Launches Digital Audio Book Collection

Thanks to Dr. Web's Domain:

New York Public Library launches digital audio book library June 13, 2005, 11:02 AM EDT NEW YORK (AP) _ A little Melville for your MP3 player? Tom Clancy for your computer? The New York Public Library announced Monday that it is making 700 books _ from classics to current best sellers _ available to members in digital audio form for downloading onto PCs, CD players and portable listening devices. "We are delighted to announce the availability of downloadable audio books as part of our circulating collection," said Susan Kent, director and chief executive of the branch libraries. "Library users today are much more technologically sophisticated than ever; our aim is to continue to provide our users with free access to materials in whichever format they prefer." The service started Monday. Users can listen to digital audio books via computer, burn them to CDs or transfer them to many portable devices, library officials said. According to the press release on the NYPL site, the service is from OverDrive.. "Digital audio books have been licensed through OverDrive, Inc., a leader in managing distribution of digitized content utilizing digital rights management technology (DRM) to publishers, retailers, and libraries. Additional information about OverDrive is available at www.overdrive.com." *****

I would like to see this service offered at my local public library. It will be interesting to see how patrons use the service, and how popular it becomes.