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A Publication Featuring The Information Services
Technology of Maine State Government
| Volume VII, Issue 9 | September 2004 |
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By Marilyn Lutz
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MARVEL! Maine’s Virtual Library links (www.maine.gov/MARVEL!) to a core set of databases for K-12, public and academic libraries, as well as business and special library constituencies, and all Maine residents using an Internet connection. Since its inception in 2000, MARVEL! (made possible through the Maine State Library’s program for delivering statewide licensed resources), has provided access to a collection of materials that supports research, instructional, and information needs of all Mainers. |
In 2002 support from the Public Utilities Commission made available additional funds from the Maine Telecommunication Education Access Fund (MTEAF) to purchase electronic database resources for accessing information by schools and libraries. The MTEAF support made it possible to double the number of database subscriptions available to Maine’s citizens. There are well over 30 states with statewide database programs. Funding for these programs varies from state to state, and usually is a combination of resources. Key to most programs is money appropriated by the state legislature. While funds for this year‘s subscriptions (2004-2005) was made possible with renewed support from MTEAF, this year marks the last year in which the funds will be available. Despite past generous support, access to several critical database subscriptions was lost for this next year due to cost increases. A request for funding and support from Maine’s legislature will be essential for the continuation of the Maine State Library’s current program to make information resources available to all Mainers. This is an equitable, cooperative and cost effective approach to purchase digital information to serve Maine’s educational, social, and economic needs. Without the statewide licensing program, access to these vital resources would not be possible for many Maine libraries. Increasing Access to a Broad Range of Information Resources All of the MARVEL! databases have been carefully selected to provide types of resources that will meet information needs in all types of libraries. The current list of MARVEL! databases provide access to the full text of articles in over 29,000 journals and newspapers, as well as full text works of poetry and literature, encyclopedias and reference works, and other informational services such as statistical reports, company financial and investment reports, and business directories. Also available are over 500 US and international newspapers, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Times of London, Bangor Daily News and the Portland Press Herald. Half of the research databases provide access to social, scientific and governmental resources. Mainers may also reference or check out 8000 electronic books, including the world’s classics. |
MARVEL!’s "Top Ten" Based on % of searches on MARVEL!. Does not include library catalog statistics. Academic Search Premier 178,021 Proquest Newspapers 87,906 Encyclopedia Britannica 73,523 MAS Ultra School 64,086 MasterFile Premier 61,751 Middle Search Plus 52,759 Business and Company Resource Center 42,345 Nursing and Allied Health Collection 41,796 Novelist 41,796 BIOSIS 41,133 |
Satisfying a Variety of Research Needs and Fostering Economic Development The variety of information available through MARVEL! is illustrated by user feedback. One scholar describes MARVEL! as invaluable for the research performed in his laboratory and essential for him and his graduate students to keep up-to-date on current developments and cutting-edge scholarship that are critical to all disciplines, but particularly vital to the sciences. Access to journals in the BIOSIS database and the on-line Nature journal are indispensable for them.
At a different point in the education spectrum, middle school aged students are completing assignments with access to primary resources in Middle Search Plus and the Encyclopedia Britannica’s Annals of American History, and doing this work from home computers after the libraries are closed. Citizens from all social strata pursue information about health issues, consumer issues, investment issues, and government policy in an effort to advance to a better life.
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While you might not make the connection between MARVEL! and economic development, in some situations they are inseparable. A consulting engineer was asked by a medium-sized manufacturing company to help them plot the company’s future. He used MARVEL! to access Business Resource Premier and Business and Company Resource Center to quickly research the trends and changes that the company would have to make in order for them to remain competitive, and presented his findings to the company’s top management. Access to MARVEL! resources covering the breadth of available research and scholarship are essential to support and create a robust 21st century Maine economy.
Collaborating For over a decade the Maine State Library has partnered with the University of Maine System Libraries to build a statewide network of library resources. Through the combined initiatives and resources of this partnership, Maine’s citizens may make on-line requests for books and journals from any library via the Maine Info Net catalog. And now MARVEL! makes possible shared access to electronic full text databases.
Users continue to gain better access while seeing more integration between citations, articles, images and other data types as new information resources are added. Many of the citation databases use a single interface, simplifying their use. Users can also access multiple databases in their area of interest by a single search and receive on-line help. |
Because digital information does not need to live anywhere in particular and can be accessed from anywhere via the network, sharing in the development of digital collections enables libraries to collaborate in a variety of essential tasks, including: identifying resources, reviewing products, negotiating with vendors, acquiring, and making the resources accessible. The MARVEL! collection is central and shared by all, and its creation expands the experience, training, and knowledge of many librarians, not to mention the key role MARVEL! plays for them answering many reference questions. Maine libraries have proven that cooperation and statewide licensing of information resources not only reduce the rate of increase in library costs, but also extend the buying power of the individual library budget. The college and university libraries can buy more research materials, while school and public libraries gain access to resources formerly beyond their means. Cost savings for Maine’s libraries is in the millions of dollars if prices for the statewide licensed databases are compared to the list prices individual institutions would pay for databases if purchased separately. Investing in Maine’s Students and Future MARVEL! delivers an essential service that makes a difference for education, research, business, and Maine’s future. At the same time, it enhances the public image of all libraries instead of the superior services of only one library, and increases overall library use. While the statewide network was the great equalizer for the geographic barriers of Maine, it is equity of access to sophisticated and expensive electronic information that is a major accomplishment. |
Marilyn Lutz is the Director of Information Technology Planning at the University of Maine’s Fogler Library in Orono, Maine. Marilyn is also a member of the InforME and GeoLibrary Boards, and may be reached with questions by e-mailing Lutz@maine.edu or calling 207-581-1658.
