ECO query results

["Susan J. Martin" <libadm16@uconnvm.uconn.edu>]

Folks,

Here's a summary of the comments sent regarding my ECO question. UConn
invited our FirstSearch / ECO rep from Nelinet to come down and
demonstrate ECO last week.  We've drawn up a listing of what we think we
learned from that meeting, and I have included that in this summary.

Thank you for all the people who took the time to share their thoughts on
ECO.

Sincerely,

Susan Martin
Acquisitions Librarian
University of Connecticut


*******

We looked at it last spring and the Catchword downloads were klunky. A
quick look this month indicates that the Catchword interface has improved,
but fonts are still not as clear as we would like.  Font and image clarity
are important to medical consumers. Library retains access to licensed
years of content in perpetuity, but must pay a tiny per title access fee.

**********

..  began subscribing to 150+ journals in the ECO "Print Subscriber
Program" this year. This program works with publishers who offer free
access to their journals if the library maintains a print subscription.
OCLC does charge a $16 per title service fee, but that seemed reasonable
to me. One of the advantages of accessing these journals through ECO is
that there are links to full text of articles from FirstSearch databases,
in addition to direct URL access. Also, as with other journal aggregators,
it's possible to directly search the collection of online journals
subscribed to. Another advantage is that OCLC "is committed to providing
your library with ongoing archival access to all of the journals it
subscribes to through FirstSearch Electronic Collections Online." The
publishers they work with have "agreed to an ongoing, perpetual archive
stored at OCLC."  (http://www.oclc.org/oclc/eco/main.htm -- 11/04/1999)

I have to admit that I did not look too closely at the licensing
provisions assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that OCLC was on "our" side. One
item that is a little troubling indicates that use and copying of the data
in the collections is governed by the library's subscription agreements
with the journal publishers. However, if no such agreements exist, the
provisions specifically defined appear reasonable and include reference to
exceptions made by the US copyright laws, which I take as alluding to fair
use.

***********UConn's information gathering**********

Folks:

Below is a first cut at what I think we learned yesterday and its import
for us.  Please add, correct, gloss or dispute.  I'd like to try to come
to a common understanding while the meeting is still fresh and then follow
up with questions to our guests. ******

OCLC is trying to gather a large ejournal base on their server that is
sufficient to make their databases competitive and occasionally compelling
choices for users looking for full text.

Users of New First Search will have the option of linking to available
full text, which their library has not independently licensed.

All search statements in such a database would be the equivalent of 5
current searches or $3.00.

Links could be limited to just our independently licensed full text
resources on ECO.

Links can also be made to our print serial holdings, but only at OCLC
union list level for the forseeable future.

TechPro is producing MARC records for all ECO journals.  Purchasing tapes
by publisher is an option.  Availability of customized tape of selected
titles was not covered.

New First Search databases can be linked to OCLC ILL.

OCLC has a strategic partnership with ISI to link ECO journals to web of
science. No such arrangements exist with Silver Platter or Cambridge
Science. OCLC claims proprietary software is the inhibiting element.

long term archival management 


Susan Martin
Acquisitions Librarian
Liaison Librarian French and Italian
University of Connecticut Libraries
U-5AM Storrs  CT  06269
tel : (860) 486-5266
Fax : (860) 486-6493
e-mail : smartin@lib.uconn.edu