[WEB4LIB] RE: cross-database search

[Oberg, Steve]

I'm glad someone brought up the issue of some commercial solutions like ENCompass and MetaLib.  As an ex-Endeavor employee (I left earlier this year after deciding that an academic environment was a better fit for me and especially, for my family, outweighing the greater $$$ on "the dark side"), I think it would be safe for me to say that internally, when I was there, Endeavor was keenly aware of the perception or fear you've articulated.  From what I can see, I don't think their actions since being purchased by Elsevier Science have shown an exclusive bent.  In fact, it would be slitting their own throat to do so, and I think that is recognized not only by them, but by their parent company as well.  Just my thought.
 
Steve

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: Jim Campbell [mailto:campbell at virginia.edu] 
	Sent: Fri 11/15/2002 1:16 PM 
	To: Multiple recipients of list 
	Cc: 
	Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: cross-database search
	
	

	The September 15 issue of Library Journal has an excellent article by Mary
	Jackson on "The Advent of Portals" which spends some time discussing
	cross-database searching and has a useful list of vendors. In our investigations
	here I've been impressed by MuseGlobal, by Fretwell-Downing, and by what I've
	seen of the new Sirsi product to be released early next year, as well as by
	EnCompass and the ExLibris Metalib.
	
	I'm a little suspicious of claims that affiliation with a given data vendor make
	a product such as EnCompass more desirable. I'd be afraid they'd give in to the
	temptation to give an advantage to that vendor's products, or that we'd see in
	this new area what we've already seen in the competition among the database
	vendors, a refusal by one vendor to let their data play well with someone else's
	product.
	
	- Jim Campbell
	
	Digital Access Coordinator
	and Librarian for German
	University of Virginia Library
	Charlottesville, VA 22904-4112
	Voice: 434-924-4985  ~  FAX: 434-924-1431
	E-Mail: campbell at virginia.edu