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March 15, 2002
Online and Electronic Libraries
By Jeffrey Branzburg
This page is designed specifically with the new-to-technology educator in mind. Please feel free to reproduce it for use in your teacher training sessions or other staff development efforts.
There are many computer-based library and reference resources available on CD-ROMs, local-area networks, and the Internet. For many educators, they are an easily accessible and handy first step in integrating technology into their curriculum.
Encyclopedias
Still a mainstay of student research, especially in elementary and middle schools, the encyclopedia is a commonly accepted resource when teachers or librarians require multiple sources. Today's options include the following:
Online: Web-based encyclopedias can be accessed via Internet-connected computers. Some popular subscription-based Internet encyclopedias are Britannica Online, The World Book Encyclopedia, Encarta, and Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Online.
Individual CD: Encyclopedias on CD can be purchased for use on a single computer.
Networked CD: Encyclopedias on CD can also be purchased for use on a network, CD tower, or CD server.
Print: The original encyclopedia format is usually available in 20 or more print volumes.
Subscription Databases
In addition to encyclopedias, many databases are available to schools on a subscription basis. Would your students benefit from access to The New York Times archives, The Wall Street Journal or Newsweek? The following provide this and more.
Electric Library provides access to the full text of magazines, newspapers, news wires, books, transcripts, pictures, and maps. Some resources include the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Webster's Dictionary, and transcripts of the TV news program 60 Minutes.
ProQuest Platinum has more than 2,000 titles covering business, education, general reference, health, language arts, sciences, social sciences, and many other curriculum-specific subject areas. Full-text versions of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are included, plus more.
Free Library Resources
As good as the above encyclopedias and databases are, they all require a school to pay for a subscription. The resources below are free.
Encyclopedia.com contains more than 50,000 articles. In addition, it links to Electric Library, mentioned above.
Internet Public Library, or IPL, was one of the first public libraries "of and for the Internet community." Some available collections are general reference, associations, literary criticism, newspapers, youth, and teens.
Library of Congress Online Catalog records represent the holdings of the library, including books, computer files, manuscripts, cartographic materials, music, sound recordings, and visual materials; it also includes searching aids for users.
Pros and Cons of the Various Formats
Staying Current. As important events unfold, online encyclopedias and databases can be updated rapidly; for example, Britannica Online routinely updates every two weeks and the Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Online is updated monthly. Many CD-based encyclopedias are updated quarterly, and print encyclopedias publish yearly supplements.
Possible Downtime. If your Internet connection or local-area network crashes, your online and networked CDs cannot be accessed.
Multiple Users. With a print encyclopedia and individual CDs, only one student at a time can use a particular volume, whereas Internet-based encyclopedias allow many users to simultaneously access the same information; networked CDs also allow many users, possibly limited by the network's infrastructure.
Searching. Electronic searches can also find connections where students may not. For example, Isaac Newton is mentioned in World Book Online articles on Relativity, Color, Mass, Planet, Rocket, Tide, and Light.
Cost. A subscription to an Internet-based encyclopedia can be much more affordable than a print encyclopedia. For example, Britannica Online costs $50 per year, while the print version lists at $1,295.
Space. A print encyclopedia takes up an entire shelf; a CD encyclopedia is a fraction of an inch thick; an Internet encyclopedia takes up just computer bits, not classroom or library space. |
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