BCR SerialSSolutions Contract Helps
Librarians Use Full-text Electronic Journals

BCR member libraries now have an affordable solution to ensure that their valuable resources are no longer under-used because it is too time-consuming for staff and too difficult for library patrons to search for a specific full-text journal.

BCR has signed an agreement with SerialSSolutions that gives BCR member libraries a 20 percent discount when they subscribe to SerialSSolutions' journal tracking service.

Partnering with 80-plus electronic journal providers, SerialSSolutions tracks the contents of more than 400 databases and keeps the access information current. SerialSSolutions provides subscribing libraries with a comprehensive report that shows all the full-text electronic journals available at the institution. The reports can help librarians and patrons:

• Reduce search time when looking for a specific journal.
• Find and use electronic journal resources that are often overlooked.
• Save money by using library resources — especially staff time — more efficiently and reduce costs for interlibrary loan and document delivery services.

The reports can be customized for each library. They are organized alphabetically by journal title and include holdings dates and URLs. A library's print and microformat holdings can also be incorporated into the reports, giving patrons a single directory of the library's entire journal collection.

SerialSSolutions offers subscribing libraries a choice of report formats, including:

• HTML format for use on the library's Web site.
• Print reports delivered in a three-ring binder for use at reference desks.
• MARC-ready data that can be incorporated into the library's OPAC MARC records.
• Spreadsheet format that can be incorporated into acquisitions software.

The SerialSSolutions database is updated every month, keeping the information on URL changes current. The standard update schedule for libraries is every other month, although a monthly update service is available.

To find out more about the SerialSSolutions services, view sample reports or take a look at how other libraries have implemented this service, visit the SerialSSolutions Web site: www.serialssolutions.com/. A list of the databases tracked by SerialSSolutions also can be found on the Web site. Interested librarians can request a no-obligation quote by filling out the quote form available at www.serialssolutions.com/rfq.asp.

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February 27, 2008
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