[1466] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
FirstSearch Service Policies
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU ((Carol Sullivan))
Tue Oct 13 15:23:06 1992
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 14:13:01 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
From: "(Carol Sullivan)" <CSULLIVA@afit.af.mil>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
About a month ago, I asked about policies for providing free FirstSearch
service to patrons. Here's a summary of the responses I received.
A couple of academic libraries provided access through an open
authorization account. It's the easiest way to go, but monitoring usage
can be a problem. It's impossible to know how many searches each user is
performing, and even determining WHO is using the service (faculty,
students, etc.) is difficult. Neither library had much of a problem with
abuse, although one library had some severe spikes in weekend usage until
they uncovered a library school student who was using FirstSearch at a
public terminal for hours at a time!
Two other libraries handed out free authorization cards to patrons. With
this method, it's possible keep track of who has cards and how many
searches each person is allowed. The main problem seems to be wasted
searches - a patron picks up a card and then doesn't use all the searches.
The library ends up paying for searches that were never used. At one
library, only 25% of the card searches that had been paid for and
distributed were actually used. Reclaiming unused searches looks to be
very difficult if not impossible - I got mixed input on that issue. One
librarian told me that it would be possible to find out how many searches
were unused on each card using the administration functions on FirstSearch,
but then she conceded it would be a lot of work to do.
A couple other libraries recommended that we either charge for cards, or
set up authorizations for each department and charge back for usage. These
approaches certainly help the cost and control problems, but they're not
workable for my library. We're restricted from charging our users for
library services - we don't even have overdue fines.
We're holding off on FirstSearch for now, although we are still interested
in providing access to article indexes for our users some day.
Thanks to all who responded to my question.
*****************************************************************
Carol Sullivan, Systems Librarian
Air Force Institute of Technology Library
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH
csulliva@afit.af.mil
