telnet indexes -- keep 'em or ditch 'em?

[Jim Stemper]

Library Web managers,

How have the rest of you grappled with the issue of whether to maintain 2
versions of your journal and information databases, web and telnet? (known
by some of our auto sys folks around here as "icky old telnet")  While many
on the library staff are ready to bid telnet good farewell, we have heard
from other lib. staff and several users who would like to keep it around.
To me, the issues are:

- does it cost more from our vendors to offer users both web and telnet
indexes? (ie, will IAC charge us for both?  I have not yet been able to get
an answer to that around here... >:-|  )
- do ref staff want to (potentially) be prepared to teach 2 versions of the
same thing?
- do auto sys staff want to support 2 versions?
- does the telnet version offer features not offered in the web version?
(we're still not sure if anything is missing in FirstSearch web)

Any ideas to guide us here, much appreciated.  Thanks,

js
______________________________________________________

  Jim Stemper
  University Libraries                /             Digital Media Center
  University of Minnesota, 117 Pleasant St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455
  (612) 624-7082                                     (612) 625-5055
  http://www.lib.umn.edu                         http://www.umn.edu/dmc
  mailto:stemp003 at tc.umn.edu                Fax: (612) 625-5525