Options for the E-reference Collection

Abstract

Last year, we looked at 5 options for the e-reference collection for the academic and large public library market: ABC-CLIO's History Reference Online, Gale Virtual Reference Library, Greenwood Digital Collection, Oxford Reference Online, and Xrefer's Xreferplus. Much has changed in one year. Xrefer has now become Credo Reference and has added more than 200 historic videos and flash animations, 1,700 audio files, a link resolver for bibliographic entries, and a new interface (to debut in less than 6 months). Greenwood added 500 new tides in 2007, all imprints from 2005 to 2007. Gale added 16 new publishers and released an updated interface with an enhanced sidebar; a search within results option; a toolbox for quick print, e-mail, and download options; and a persistent Search within This Publication feature. Oxford added more illustrated content, sidebar features on article front pages, e-mail and print options, and cross-product linking between Oxford Reference Online and 4 other Oxford databases.