A c t i o n f o r L i b r a r i e s — N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 2

SYBWorld Keeps Users
Up On World Affairs

By Rosario Garza

SYBWorld, a new online service from Grove Dictionaries, is designed to provide users with the latest information about all 192 countries in our rapidly changing world. SYBWorld will be updated monthly, with daily updates when key world events warrant an immediate update. This update schedule ensures that libraries will be providing their users with the most current information.

SYBWorld was developed by the same team responsible for the Statesman's Yearbook, a publication long respected for its comprehensive and objective coverage of government and politics, geography, history, economics, social policy and culture of individual countries. The online version provides users with information retrieval options not available in a print format. In addition, SYBWorld contains information such as biographies of political figures and details of banks and financial institutions, also not available in the print version.

SYBWorld offers an intuitive, map-based interface, along with powerful search and browse tools, to access detailed reports on every country in the world. Library patrons can view key information on a variety of subjects for each country, such as history, profiles of major cities, international trade and key individuals and can compare statistical information, such as population figures, between countries.

To help your patrons get the most out of this new service, SYBWorld also includes over 2,000 links to other trustworthy sites. These links will be checked regularly to ensure that they are active and available.

SYBWorld is made available through BCR at a discount. BCR discounts are available for high schools, academic and public libraries, as well as corporate and government libraries. For public libraries, pricing is based on population served. Academic libraries can choose a simultaneous user or FTE pricing model. A complete list of pricing options is available on the BCR Web site at www.bcr.org/~ids/Reference/Grove/ pricing_menu.html.

A free trial is also available. To register, go to www.macmillanonline.net/alliance/trial.htm for a no-obligation look at this new database.

Signing up for SYBWorld is easy. After you've completed your free trial, use BCR's web-based sign-up form, available at www.bcr.org/~ids/Reference/Grove/Groveform.html. If you have any questions, contact Karen Graham (kgraham@bcr.org) or Rosario Garza (rgarza@bcr.org).

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SYBWorld Keeps Users Up On World Affairs

SYBWorld Keeps Users
Up On World Affairs