[Publib] databases---keep them or not!!

[Robert L. Balliot]

Look at the product that Ginny has said is
a winner – Ancestry.com.  Ancestry effectively
markets their product.  People searching genealogy
see what it would cost them to subscribe as 
individuals:

U.S. DELUXE MEMBERSHIP

Annual
$12.95/month*

Three Month
$16.95/month*

Monthly
$19.95/month


If you market them, they will come.
If they are valued, they will be used.

*************************************************
Robert L. Balliot
Skype: RBalliot
Bristol, Rhode Island
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm
*************************************************
________________________________________
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of Wolter, Virginia
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2008 4:59 PM
To: Elizabeth Speigle; PUBLIB 
Subject: RE: [Publib] databases---keep them or not!!

Elizabeth,
 
I was on the database selection committee at my library system.  One big
criteria is whether the database was actually being used via statistics on
number of searches over time.  One thing we found is that each company may
have different ways of determining, some are straight forward, some will
only give you stats for the bundle of databases they sell you, some just
don't keep track either consistently or well.  So it becomes a little art
(Do we think patrons will use this database?; Will we be able to make them
aware?; Is it easy to use?; Is it the only thing out there that fill this
need?; etc) and science (number of hits in a given time period).  
 
Some are real obvious winners (Ancestry.com/the antiques database/infotrac)
and you keep them.  Others, are more tricky, and may require being pushed by
the staff and ultimately don't stay in the collection.
 
Hope my less than hard and fast answer gives you some help,
 
Ginny,
Toledo-Lucas County Public Library

 
________________________________________
From: Elizabeth Speigle [mailto:espeigle at nngov.com]
Sent: Thu 10/2/2008 10:20 AM
To: PUBLIB 
Subject: [Publib] databases---keep them or not!!
Good morning,
 
There have been some conversations on publib regarding marketing of
databases. Does anyone use a return on investment strategy to determine
whether to keep them?  Or perhaps some sort of metric that indicates an
acceptable amount of hits for the type of database (more general reference
or specialized)? Thanks VERY MUCH in advance! Elizabeth
 
Elizabeth K. Speigle
Assistant Director
Newport News Public Library 
700 Town Center Drive Suite 300
Newport News, VA  23606
Ph. 757.926.1350
Fx. 757.926.1365
www.nngov.com/library