BCR Sponsors Three-month Free Trial
of ELECTRIC LIBRARY Online Database

By James Speed Hensinger

BCR and Infonautics, at meetings at the recent ALA Midwinter conference in New Orleans, have worked out an agreement giving BCR member libraries three months free access to the ELECTRIC LIBRARY during February, March and April. Normally trials are offered for only 30 days, but the extra time negotiated allows BCR member libraries an extended opportunity to explore this unique online database.

The ELECTRIC LIBRARY is not just another bibliographic database, but a complete information resource. It provides a unique content collection that is 100 percent full text and pulled from six different source categories, including:

Designed for the novice user, but powerful enough for an experienced researcher, ELECTRIC LIBRARY has a colorful, easy-to-use interface available in Macintosh and Windows formats or accessible via a web browser. Users can pose a simple question in natural language and immediately launch a comprehensive search with little or no supervision. Boolean searching is also available for more advanced searching. With more than 2.6 million documents from renowned sources such as Reuters, Simon and Schuster, Gannet, Archive Photos, Times Mirror, NPR and ABC, ELECTRIC LIBRARY is updated daily by satellite and has an expanding archive of three to nine years.

In April, BCR and Infonautics will study the usage statistics from the trial and set pricing. During May and June the new pricing will be publicized, and BCR member libraries will be asked to make a commitment.

To participate in BCR's ELECTRIC LIBRARY three-month free trial, register on BCR's web site using a simple online form. Do not sign up for the 30-day trial offered on Infonautics' web page. During the trial all access will be password controlled. (IP number ranging is available only in a non-trial environment.) For more information, click on the link on BCR's home page or surf to Contact BCR's Jim Hensinger.