August 10, 2009
Hi,
Not surprisingly, the official announcement about the switch from EBSCO to Gale has generated many questions. I’ll try to answer them here, but feel free to contact me if you still have questions after reading this.
How
will I access the Gale databases?
K-12 access to the
subscription databases will still be through OSLIS. We are working to update
the site by the time school starts and will post to this listserv when it is
ready. In the meantime, you can explore the databases on this transition
website: www.galesupport.com/oregon.
Will
my user name and password change?
No. Gale is
confident that by September 1st they can implement the same
authentication system we used with EBSCO. That means that if your IP address /
range was on file so that you did not have to log in from school when using
EBSCO, that should still be true when using Gale. Also, your user name and
password used for remote access will stay the same.
Is
this still free?
Yes. In the past,
K-12 access was partly paid by an LSTA grant that helps fund the entire
Statewide Database Licensing Program and partly supplemented through ODE. Under
the current contract, the LSTA grant alone covers the cost of access to the
subscription databases for all
Oregon
libraries.
What
if my library already subscribes to some of these Gale
databases?
A Gale representative
should be in touch with you about a credit.
Will
there be training?
Yes. We are
developing a schedule of webinars and site trainings. In the meantime, you can
use the Guided Tour and Learn More links on the transition website: www.supportgale.com/oregon.
Which
Gale databases have the info I used to access through
EBSCO?
On the transition
site, there is a link to a document that compares what you were using in EBSCO
to what you should now use with Gale. The link is in the resources box on the
left side of the screen. Currently it is called Database Transitions Document,
but we’re asking Gale to change it to something like Database Comparisons: Gale
& EBSCO.
What
is the transition website?
Gale set up a website
giving us access to the databases before our contract starts in September: www.galesupport.com/oregon. Those
who want may explore and start learning the new interfaces. For the transition
site only, no user name or password is required. Once school starts, you will
access Gale through OSLIS just like you used to do with
EBSCO.
Why
change at all?
The Statewide Database Licensing Program provides access
to subscription databases to Oregon libraries, and vendor contracts are
awarded for five years at a time. In anticipation of the EBSCO contract ending
in August, the Statewide Database Licensing Advisory Council met over the last
year and a half to develop an RFP (Request for Proposal) and then to review the
submitted proposals. Any vendor that met the basic requirements in the RFP
advanced to the review stage. Over 35 librarians representing academic, public,
tribal, and K-12 libraries helped evaluate the database package proposals, and
Gale received the highest score during that process. The LSTA committee
(Library Services and Technology Act = federal grant money) and the Oregon State
Library Board both voted to move forward with negotiations with Gale based on
their having received the highest score during the review process. The State
Procurement Office was involved with the entire process because of the size of
the contract, and negotiations were completed on July 31st.
Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Jen
Jennifer
Maurer
School Library
Consultant
Library
Development
Oregon State
Library
250 Winter Street
NE
Salem, OR 97301-3950
503-378-5011
jennifer.maurer@state.or.us