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Improving accuracy of the CDL Directory of Collections and Services

February 4, 1999 Author: CDLCategories:

The CDL continues to use staff and user comments to update many entries in the CDL Directory.  Two of the most important recent revisions cover Highwire Titles and additions to the database that supports the Directory:

A. Highwire titles

The records for all Highwire Press titles (except those listed below) were updated to reflect the fact that the CDL and/or the campus libraries do not license most of these titles and most are no longer freely available.  Highwire titles were showing up in Directory listings when campus availability limits were applied (e.g., limiting your browse/search to a particular campus).  According to a number of comments we received last week, this was causing some confusion at the campuses.  As you may know, the situation regarding access to many Highwire titles is very fluid at this time.  Some are currently in a free trial period, with a variety of expiration dates; others are only available to campuses that also subscribe to the print; some do not yet have institutional licensing policies, etc.

The access permutations are quite staggering, given the number of titles, their access policies, and campuses.  We simply are not able to accurately reflect the current access status for these titles in the CDL Directory at this time.  In an effort to create less confusion (the lesser of two evils, perhaps) these titles now will NOT be included in lists when a campus availability limit is applied.  They WILL be included when “No Limit by Campus” is used.  Once the CDL Directory management interface (which we have started developing) is in place, we will be able to make changes quickly and keep information about resources like these more immediately up-to-date.  The ultimate goal, as you know, is for the campus libraries to assist with the accuracy of the Directory by helping track and maintain local information themselves.

Highwire titles that are licensed by the CDL/campuses and do have complete access information in their Directory records (and thus will appear even when a campus limit is in effect) include:

  • Journal of Biological Chemistry
  • Journal of Neuroscience
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Science

And those titles that are available with no access restrictions:

  • British Medical Journal (BMJ)
  • Journal of Clinical Investigation

Two new Highwire titles were added to the Directory:

  • American Journal of Botany
  • American Journal of Psychiatry

B. New resources added to the Directory include:

  • New Journal of Physics (IoP)
  • Environmental Information Resources (CDL/LOC EIP)
  • Academic Universe (LEXIS-NEXIS)
  • MathSciNet
  • Chicano/Latino Net (CLNet)