Status Line
- Reference Services
- September 2006
- Issue: 205
FirstSearch Content (Databases and E-Journals)
PsycCRITIQUES Added to FirstSearch
The database carries full-text reviews of current books, some popular films, videos, and software, as well as comparative reviews of books. The PsycCRITIQUES database replaces the American Psychological Association's (APA) print journal Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books as of January 2005. Weekly releases of approximately 15-20 reviews that include current year copyright book reviews will be added to the database. The PsycCRITIQUES database also includes a backfile of more than 5,000 Contemporary Psychology reviews from 1995-2004. The new database uses the Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms. PsycCRITIQUES joins the APA suite of research databases on FirstSearch, which are PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PsycBOOKS, and PsycFIRST. PsycCRITIQUES is available by annual subscription only.
OCLC Launches WorldCat.org
WorldCat.org is a destination web site. Its purpose is to increase the visibility of library materials on the Web. The main attraction of the site is the WorldCat.org search box, which users may download for free, allowing even more people to discover WorldCat library content via the Web.
End-users will retrieve results from the entire 70 million+ records WorldCat database, rather than the 3.4 to 4.4 million record subsets harvested by Open WorldCat search engine partners such as Google and Yahoo!. Each result leads to a "Find in a Library" information page. When users enter geographic information such as a zip code, they will receive a list of nearby libraries owning the item that subscribe to WorldCat on FirstSearch.
End-users can also create their own WorldCat account and add book reviews, table-of-contents information and notes to many WorldCat items, helping to personalize their library search experience.
WorldCat.org will initially be considered a beta release, with adjustments in design and function made as feedback is provided by librarians and end-users.
OCLC FirstSearch Contact Information
For more information about OCLC's FirstSearch service, please contact Nylink's Donna Dixon (dixond@nylink.org) or Joyce Rambo (ramboj@nylink.org).