To: The SUNY Library Community
From: Randolph Gadikian, SUNYConnect Advisory Council Chair
Re: SUNYConnect Electronic Resources
Date: May 1, 2006

The Electronic Resources Evaluation Project Team was charged by the SUNYConnect Advisory Council (SAC) to investigate many of SUNYConnect’s information resources to see whether changes should be made to the centrally purchased databases. The Team’s recommendations have been reviewed and approved by SAC.

SAC is delighted to provide these expanded resources to the SUNY community. Beginning July 1, 2006 the following will be available to all SUNYConnect participants:

(You will be seeing additional information about accessing these resources prior to the July 1, 2006 date.)

We are confident that this decision will result in SUNYConnect institutions having significantly more full-text information resources appropriate to major portions of the SUNY curricula. See http://www.epnet.com for more information about these and other EBSCO products and services.

The Team’s final report is attached. Please see that report for additional details about the decision; information about the Team’s charge; committee members and evaluation process; as well as more specific information about the various changes inherent in this decision.

Resources that will no longer be available via SUNYConnect are the FirstSearch Base Package, InfoTrac OneFile (Gale), Investext (Gale), Opposing Viewpoints (Gale) and the AP Multimedia Archive.

Nylink has price quotes for the Base Package, the OCLC databases as well as price estimates for a subscription to the WorldCat database. A Question & Answer document is attached, along with this pricing information. It should be noted that among the options for WorldCat access is the possibility of purchasing that access on a per-search basis. Please direct questions regarding FirstSearch and/or WorldCat to Ms. Donna Dixon at Nylink (800-342-3353).

If your institution is interested in Gale resources and/or the AP Multimedia Archive, please contact John Schumacher (SUNY OLIS; john.schumacher@suny.edu). John will serve as the point of contact to coordinate with the vendors possible group purchases of these resources by a number of SUNY institutions.

The SUNYConnect Advisory Council would like to express their thanks to the Electronic Resources Evaluation Project Team. We believe this decision will result in information resources that fulfill wide-ranging curricular needs across the large and diverse SUNY system. Your questions and comments should be directed to your sector representative on SAC. (see http://www.sunyconnect.suny.edu/SAC/sacmem.htm)

Randy Gadikian, Director
Daniel A. Reed Library
Fredonia University Fredonia, New York 14063

Phone 716-673-3181
FAX 716-673-3185
Email Randolph.Gadikian@fredonia.edu