Database listings on web pages

[Tim Smith]

Dear Colleagues,

One of the facets of the "information explosion" that we're trying to deal
with at our library is the ever-increasing number of electronic databases
available to students and faculty. As many other libraries are doing, we
are providing both alphabetical and subject-based listings of databases.
The problem is that they have become so numerous--more than 250, at rough
count--as to cause much confusion among our patrons as to which database(s)
they should choose for their particular purposes.

Has anyone come up with a simple, good way to highlight the "best"
databases or otherwise guide the user to those titles that will best meet
his/her needs? At one point in the evolution of our database menu system,
we had tried using a category "Major Databases" to highlight certain
databases on our subject-based submenus, but this proved to be unpopular,
and was therefore eliminated.

I can't help but imagine that this is an issue for many libraries, and
would welcome some discussion on this list.

Tim Smith
Ohio University Libraries
Athens, OH 45701
http://www.library.ohiou.edu