Phone to library databases

Many middle and high school students are seldom seen without their iPhone in hand. Now they can use that phone to access the databases in their school library. A new app reported in School Library Journal recently allows a student to enter a password and be given access to many of the databases purchased by their school library. Of course they are limited to a ten-mile radius of their school but that shouldn't be a problem. More difficult for an adult to understand might be how they'll be able to read the references on the tiny iPhone screen, but no doubt many youthful eyes can cope with that. Teachers may find better documentation in homework assignments and essays as students learn about this useful new tool.

Where have all the articles gone?

Children and young adults are heavy uses of databases that include articles from popular magazines like Time, Sports Illustrated, and Discover. Most school and public libraries subscribe to several databases produced by companies like Gale and EBSCO. Now EBSCO has signed an exclusive contract with a whole string of magazine publishers giving it the right to be the only source for these article. This is going to make a huge difference to many librarians who depend on having a choice of which database to choose for their library. Read Joyce Valenza's blog about her fears of limiting information flow. Librarians with limited budgets (and that includes just about everyone) will have a hard time deciding how to continue offering this content to their users if they do not subscribe to EBSCO. These exlusive contract deals are a worrisome development.