Task 17 - ELM

Oklahoma's version of this is the "Digital Prairie"  which provides access to EBSCO databases, FirstSearch, etc.  It's a great resource that many libraries would not be able to afford on their own so it's fantastic that the state library provides it for us. 

I have been a college student in recent history, so I used online databases a lot.  However, lots of people, including lots of library staffers, haven't.  There are some secondary school teachers who don't understand what those resources are (and thus try to tell their students they can't use things like EBSCO for research...) 

I think libraries have a real obligation to teach our communities about these resources.  They are available 24 hours a day by web - that's something our reference department could never do.  Fancy places (universities) are playing around with integrated searches that would retrieve articles, books, etc. all in one search.  As it stands for the rest of us, we have to a) know that EBSCO and the like exist, b) know how to navigate them meaningfully, and c) have the time/opportunity/access to sit down and help patrons navigate them. 

There's always a downside to electronic access to resources.  The guys who come in and look at old Chilton manuals aren't likely to want to sit down, learn how to use Chilton online, and print out pages of schematics.  Sometimes the digital format isn't really what a community most needs.  There's always a trade.  Online search functions are pretty darn handy (remember actually using the Reader's guide to periodical literature?)  In the end, the quantity of information available through databases often trumps the issues with having only online access.