BLOG REFLECTION #4
As more library materials are made available on Electronic databases, the public comes to expect more data resources to be available on the library database. When purchasing new materials as manager of a public library, I would purchase electronic materials that library patrons could easily and conveniently access from their home computer or mobile access. When considering the storage expense and maintenance of hardcopy resource journals, many new resource additions will be purchased as electronic data.
As research on electronic databases show, improvements will have to be made in archiving large databases in the near future to preserve resource databases for future generations of online users. The fact is that printed material available as hard copy journals is not becoming obsolete because of electronic databases but because most printed journal materials is out of print. As for my personal experience with using electronic databases I found the vast amount of information offered is staggering. While there is a vast amount of electronic resource information like the ProQest databases, a user would still have to knowledge of how to perform productive searches to access the electronic information. I found this to be time consuming while researching scholarly journals. I do agree that in all, electronic data bases are still the wave of the present and future.
Library collections would be of the most benefit to academic sources such as schools, universities and other scholarly research needs. Hard copy journals would best kept in an academic setting library.
Hey Gloria,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your blog, i agree when you mention that you would purchase electronic database because it make it easier for patrons to have access at home or on there application on the phone. And sometime people doesnt feel like driving to the library to get a print materials to read. Me personally rather used electronics materials because it is fast and convience for me. You also mention storage as well. With electronic you save a lot of storage because everything is electronic. I use ProQuest alot.
Most of your comments are well expressed, I think one thing that most of our class is not considering when minimizing the value of print sources is that for young users online databases are really difficult to use and without a teacher or librarian can almost have too much information. Even young editions of encyclopedias or dictionaries are n't useful if students can't use them
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that you mention having electronic materials available on mobile devices. This is one of the most popular and quickly growing phenomenons. Purchasing a database that can be accessed from a mobile device would probably the smartest move when investing in a new database for a library.
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