Like many libraries, our library is part of a great statewide consortium that gives us discounted access to databases and resources we may not be able to afford on our own. Like many states, our state recently slashed a whole boatload of programs and other expenditures in order to balance the budget. This week we got this news from the Illinois State Library:
as a result of the budget reductions, statewide subscriptions supported by the Secretary of State’s Office for the following electronic resources must be cancelled, effective immediately: Periodical Abstracts, Wilson Select Plus
Today we got an email from the consortium to let us know that as of noon today, the plug would be pulled. Users, thanks to CARLI, didn’t get a dead link, but the following page:
(click for the full visual experience)
Which, I have to say, gives some mixed messages: “You don’t have access! Welcome to the OCLC FirstSearch Service!” And besides, we already know that students don’t read instructions or directions in databases– they look for a search box and start typing. In this case, if you miss the red warning and try and search you get this bit of loveliness across your screen:
A student came to the reference desk today around 1pm and was so thoroughly confused by the case of the disappearing database she was in a bit of a state. She had printed out some articles just yesterday and now couldn’t get back into Wilson Select to get more information. Luckily she didn’t actually need to get back into the database, but what about students who didn’t think to print their articles, or didn’t get their bibliographic info, or didn’t send the whole article to themselves via email?
And how do we explain it to students? “I know you just used this database yesterday, but see, with state budget cuts and all…” Students probably hear “blah blah blah the library is completely unreliable blah blah and just wait til you try to find the book that says its on the shelf but isn’t! We’re just messing with you here at the library!”
Anyway, the consortium is working to get all its members a new subscription package for these databases, so with luck this database yoink will only inconvenience us and our patrons for a short while.
