Thursday, July 5, 2007

Databases suggestion

Here are a few things that have occurred to me recently regarding the organization of our online databases (based on the categories and the alphabetical list):
  1. rename "Kids and Teens" to "Students" and/or keep appropriate lists/links on those pages
  2. rename "Pictures and Sound" to "Multimedia"
  3. take off Encyclopedias, Magazines, Newspapers and make a new, separate list called "Format" - this would then include the above plus ebooks and the newly renamed Multimedia

4 comments:

Zoedoodle said...

I'm right with you on the first two, Marcie, but I'm not sure I understand about the "Formats". Can you fill it in a little, please? Thanks.

Marcie said...

"Format" just describes the kind of source. Everything else on the list of databases by category is a subject (e.g. People, History and Geography, Health and Science) - encyclopedias, magazines, newspapers, eBooks, sound clips, videoas, websites are not subjects, they're formats. So the kid who needs a journal article will know which database(s) to use, regardless of what the subject of his/her project is.

Karim Khan said...

Not saying this page is perfect -- but the example of a listing by format can be seen at:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/dbsRemote/

Anonymous said...

I don't think I care for the suggestion of "Formats" - seems very much puzzle to me... perhaps something a little clearer as a name? Otherwise I'm okay with this as a concept - just want to make sure patrons understand what we mean when we say "format" sounds a bit jargonish to me...

Oona