cross-database search

[Jim Campbell]

>From what I've seen and heard, I'd agree that that is Elsevier's current
attitude. On the other hand, I've been in negotiations with them over journals
often enough to know that their corporate policies can swing pretty far, and in
the interest of promoting their brand they've made other decisions I thought
were stupid. Kluwer/Ovid is pulling back from general publishing to focus on
their core medical market, but Elsevier still seems to have some dreams of
global hegemony.

I'd really be more worried that some other journal vendor might not want to work
with an Elsevier product. Again, that might not be the smartest thing to do, but
it happens now that companies that provide both full text and database services
choose not to allow other database companies equal access to their texts.

But of course the real issue for all these cross-search products is standards
and perhaps their greatest long-term benefit will be to push the data providers
closer to real acceptance of standards.

	- Jim Campbell
	E-Mail: campbell at virginia.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of Oberg, Steve
Sent: Friday, 15 November, 2002 1:41 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: cross-database search


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