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(Note from the Washington State Library: In order to participate in the Spring 2000 Washington State Databases Trial, each vendor was asked to address questions the Statewide Database Licensing Committee felt were most critical in order for library staff to evaluate products and vendors. Please contact the vendor's representative, listed below, for additional information on this product.)
1. Describe the database product(s). Include information on subject scope, percentage of full-text, dates of coverage, target audience (including age ranges), and how often the contents are updated.
Books in Print
Books In Print has been around for over 50 years and has gone from print to microfiche to CD-ROM to local loads to site licensing. It is considered the only source for authoritative, unbiased bibliographic information. Web access is available as a site license at booksinprint.com and through our vendor partners (CARL, DRA, EBSCO, The Gale Group, Ingram, Innovative Interfaces, OCLC, Ovid Technologies, and SilverPlatter). BIP through our vendor partners provides a familiar interface and consistent search capabilities for those users accustomed to a particular vendor. Booksinprint.com is being offered for this trial; however, BIP trials can be arranged by request on any of the vendor systems. Please contact Bowker for more information or to arrange for a free trial of BIP through one of our vendor partners.
The following FAQ was compiled in an effort to clearly describe booksinprint.com. Please contact Bowker if you have further questions.
How many titles in the database? Currently more than 3.5 million titles are in booksinprint.com, including in-print (2.5 million), out-of-print books (1 million), in and out-of-print audio (107,000), and in and out-of-print video (326,000).
What additional content is provided? Booksinprint.com contains full information for over 165,000 publishers, wholesalers, distributors, and agents who sell books, audios, and videos, including contact names, addresses, and phone numbers, and discounts and return policies. Also included is stock availability information for leading book distributors (Appalachian, Ingram, Raincoast, JA Majors, NACS, North 49, Riverside, Bookmen, Koen, Partners West, Bookexpress, The Distributors, Bookpeople), with more to come soon. Additional content: forthcoming titles, 400,000+ publisher-supplied annotations, 181 book awards, 490,000+ book reviews, 77,000 subject categories (7.1 million subject headings contained within 2.8 million ISBNs), 10,000 Children's classifications, 307,000 Dewey occurrences, book cover images, wholesale flags, multiple bindings (e.g., trade cloth, paper text, large type, library binding, etc.), and much more. You can also search by fictitious character (e.g., Jack Ryan, Winnie the Pooh) and imaginary setting (e.g., Oz).
What functionality beyond basic retrieval of book information is available? Downloading of MARC records! Also downloading of records in ASCII (pipe-delimited) and CSV (comma-separated values) formats. E-mailing records. Creating "shopping cart" type lists for individuals or departments, with the ability to add comments to individual items and the list in general. A Fiction Reading Room narrows all searches to fiction titles only.
What are the years of coverage? In-print books are those active titles currently "in print." Out-of-print books, or out-of-stock indefinitely, go back to 1979. Book reviews go back as far as 1985. Additionally, BIP includes forthcoming titles which reach typically up to one year into the future.
Are library patrons allowed access once a subscription starts? Yes. Booksinprint.com and access through any of our vendor partners is intended for use by all library staff, faculty, students, and patrons.
What are the print equivalents to booksinprint.com? Books In Print, Books Out-of-Print, Books In Print Supplement, Children's Books In Print, Forthcoming Books, Paperbound Books In Print, Books In Series, Subject Guide to Books In Print, Subject Guide to Children's Books In Print, The Complete Directory of Large Print Books, Medical and Health Care Books In Print, Law Books In Print, Words On Cassette, Bowker's Directory of Audiocassettes for Children, and Bowker's Complete Video Directory. El-Hi Textbooks in Print will be added by June, 2000.
How often is booksinprint.com updated? BIP editors receive updates from publishers on a daily basis, and supplement that data with Library of Congress CIP data for new and forthcoming titles. We have moved recently from monthly updates, to weekly, and are now updating booksinprint.com on a daily basis. BIP through our vendor partners is updated at least monthly, and in many cases weekly.
How many records are added or updated each year? Typically, over 180,000 titles are added to BIP each year. An average of 30,000 professional reviews are added yearly. Monthly, changes to individual records amount to over 90,000, including updating of status from active to out-of-print, enhancements of subject classifications, updating of pricing, etc. We are also constantly adding more author bios, book jacket images, distributor stock status, award/bestseller information, etc.
Does the database contain foreign language titles? Yes. When an English title is a translation of the foreign-language title, both are given. There are also bilingual books in the database, as well as foreign language videos.
How much information is contained in a citation? Each record contains a citation with as complete information as is available for each individual entry. Information is sent to Bowker from publishers and distributors, and is as accurate as the information they provide. Bowker also has its own editorial staff which is constantly updating and upgrading records. Records typically contain title, author, ISBN, publisher, publication date, subject, binding, price, number of pages, supporting contributors, LCCN, series title, grade and audience levels, and other key information.
How can I get more information about a book's publisher? Bowker has created a publishers contact database as a companion to BIP: Publishers, Distributors & Wholesalers of the United States (sometimes referred to as the Publishers Authority Database or PAD). This database contains contact and ordering information for over 165,000 publishers.
From what sources are the book reviews taken? Currently all book reviews are only from professional review sources: Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Boston Book Reviews, The Horn Book, Quill & Quire, Kirkus, University Press Book News, Sci-Tech Book News, Reference and Research Book News, Booklist, and Choice.
Comparisons:
- Print - Updated annually with mid-year supplement. Nine-volume Title/Author set, plus Publishers, Subject Guide, Books Out-of-Print, Words On Cassette, Video Directory (shelf space). Web access allows for inclusion of additional content (e.g., book reviews, cover art, etc.), and the flexibility of electronic searching. Single copy = single user access.
- CD-ROM - For audio and video to be included, two CD-ROMs are required. Books Out-of-Print is a separate CD (no cross-database searching). End-user maintenance of hardware and loading of updates. Need network version for multi-user capabilities. No remote access is available.
- "Free" web-based bookstores - Orientation is biased; they are trying to sell the books on their database. Studies show that most online book buyers choose from the first ten books in a results list�often results are displayed in order of the seller's greatest discount, or easiest fulfillment. Limited "forthcoming books" information is available (i.e., sell what is currently available, not the future). Full bibliographic information is not available. Publisher information lists only the publisher name, no contact information (again, an orientation to sell books rather than point you to the publisher). Not all professional review sources available (e.g., Publishers Weekly), and where customer reviews are listed, negative reviews are often edited or not included (negative reviews do not help sell books). Limited subject classifications. Limited search flexibility; you have to get creative with "keyword" searching. Inability to download records (MARC, ASCII, CSV).
- Other sources - Beware the numbers game: title count is different than record count. A single title may have many bindings, each considered a separate record by some. Many sources claim large numbers of records, but when it comes down to reality, there are far fewer actual titles in the database. Other sources may include calendars, puzzles, games, coloring books, etc. in their record counts. Watch for inconsistencies (e.g., multiple spellings of Dostoyevski). Is full publisher and distributor information available? Reviews? Could the information be biased to sell books? How extensive are subject classifications?
2. What are the hardware and software requirements for using all the features of the product?
Booksinprint.com can be accessed from any Internet-ready computer with Netscape or Internet Explorer 3.0 or later.
3. Is remote access included for the subscription price? If there are additional charges or requirements in order to offer remote access, please describe. What methods of remote access are supported?
Typically there is a 15% surcharge for licensing remote access to Bowker products; however, for any subscriptions resulting from this trial, the surcharge will be waived entirely.
Remote access to booksinprint.com is available when the customer performs authentication of remote users. There are currently two options for remote users to access booksinprint.com: Referral URL and Proxy Server authentication. For a discussion on how Referral URL is implemented by the Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library (OH), see Tim Kambitsch's 2/22/99 document at http://dmcpl.dayton.lib.oh.us/~kambitsch/referral.html. For a detailed description of the three types of Proxy Server authentication (manual, automatic, and reverse) that can be utilized by an institution see Providing Remote Access to Library Databases: A Report from the PORTALS Technology Advisory Group (Draft, 1999 May 8) at http://www.portals.org/tagPORTALS2.htm. Bowker is investigating other methods of remote access.
4. Please discuss any methods or assistance you offer regarding remote access patron verification and authentication.
Bowker offers customer assistance through our Technical Support group. The toll-free number for Technical Support is 1-888-269-5372, then press 5. Technical support for BIP through our vendor partners is provided by the vendor.
5. What end user delivery options, such as printing, e-mailing or faxing results, are available beyond just viewing results on the computer monitor?
Users of booksinprint.com do not need to make requests to Bowker for additional information on individual records, as all results for booksinprint.com searches are available on screen. Booksinprint.com results can be printed using your Internet browser's "Print" command, or use the booksinprint.com print command to append the synopsis, reviews, publisher information, and author bio to the record. You can also choose between the brief- and full-view format.
Records can be downloaded direct from booksinprint.com in USMARC, ASCII (pipe-delimited), and CSV (comma-separated values) formats. Records can also be e-mailed, and the end-user does not need to have e-mailing capabilities activated in the browser because an e-mail form is provided.
6. What customer training is provided, and at what cost?
Booksinprint.com is designed with the novice end-user in mind, while also providing advanced functionality that is vital to the professional librarian or researcher. Although the need for training is minimal, each library included in the trial may receive a tutorial for booksinprint.com upon request. On-site customer training is also available upon request for academic institutions, library systems, and school districts at no additional cost.
7. What customer and technical support is provided, including hours of operation.
Technical Support is provided by phone toll-free at 1-888-269-5372, then press 5; support is also available by e-mail at [email protected]. Currently, Technical Support is available Monday through Thursday from 9am to 7pm EST, and Friday 9am to 5pm EST. Bowker is working toward expanding Technical Support hours of availability.
8. Describe the statistics you provide, and discuss whether your statistical reporting complies with guidelines developed by the International Coalition of Library Consortia which may be found at www.library.yale.edu/consortia/webstats.html .
Bowker takes the ICOLC "Guidelines for Usage Statistics" very seriously, and is working toward fulfilling as many of those Guidelines as possible as the product develops. Current booksinprint.com statistical report functionality: time reporting for the calendar month, average usage by day of the week (e.g., Mondays, Tuesdays), average usage by hour of the day (e.g., 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm), broken down by individual IP address and username/password. The statistics will be compiled on a monthly basis, with a rolling six-month archive. Bowker is developing functionality to include on-screen displays of logins, title searches, author searches, ISBN searches, etc.
9. Describe your pricing structure or formula for the product. If there are additional costs for retrieving full text, describe the pricing for this service.
Note to Washington Trial libraries: Please keep in mind that this pricing is confidential and is intended only for libraries within the scope of this trial.
Pricing for subscribers resulting from this trial is based primarily on simultaneous usage (SU). The Library decides on the number of SUs needed (e.g., 1, 5, unlimited, etc.). For unlimited SUs, follow the FTE model. Calculate your price and compare it to the minimum for your library type; the Library will be charged the higher of either the minimum or the FTE/SU price.
booksinprint.com with Reviews, IP address verification
FTE pricing model-$0.45 per FTE
Per Simultaneous User model-$600 per Simultaneous User
Type of Institution FTE percentages Minimum price* Academic libraries 100% of Fall enrollment $1,500 Community college libraries 75% of Fall enrollment $1,500 Public libraries (1) 5% of the population served $900 Secondary schools (2) 100% of Fall enrollment $250 Elementary schools (2) 100% of Fall enrollment $50 Corporate & government libs 100% of employees with web access $2,000 * The minimum price applies for both the FTE and Simultaneous User models
(1) For public library system-wide purchases, $900 is the minimum for the entire system
(2) School districts pay 100% FTE of fall enrollment for all secondary schools in the District; elementry schools within the District are then eligible to be included at no additional cost. Minimum for a School District is $250 per secondary school.Questions? Please contact Chuck Myers ([email protected])
Examples (using hypothetical libraries provided as part of the State Trial questions):
Library A: A high school library with 750 students in grades 9-12
Unlimited SU Minimum price: 750 x $.45: $338
1 SU Minimum price: $600Library B: A public library that serves a population of 100,000 and has two branches
Unlimited SU 5% of population = 5,000 x $0.45: $2,250
1 SU Minimum price: $900
5 SU 5 x $600: $3,000Library C: A public library that serves a population of 20,000 and has only one building, no branches
Unlimited SU Minimum price: $900
1 SU Minimum price: $900Library D: A community college library serving 5,000 full-time equivalent students
Unlimited SU 75% of FTE = 3,750 x $0.45: $1,688
1 SU Minimum price: $1,500
5 SU 5 x $600: $3,000Library E: A four-year academic library serving 5,000 full-time equivalent students
Unlimited SU 5,000 x $0.45: $2,250
1 SU Minimum price: $1,500
5 SU 5 x $600: $3,000Library F: A hospital library serving a hospital that employees 1,000 staff plus has 200 doctors attached to the hospital
(Assumption, that 75% have Internet access.)
Unlimited SU 75% of 1,200 = 900 x $0.45 = $405, Minimum price: $2,000
1 SU Minimum price: $2,000
5 SU 5 x $600: $3,000
10. What is the minimum participation level (however you care to define it) that would be needed to allow participating libraries to receive a discount? What is the minimum discount for a group buy? Please clarify how you would treat existing library customers with regard to a group buy.
Each subscriber to booksinprint.com or BIP through one of our vendor partners is eligible for 50% off the regular price of the print version of BIP and/or the monthly BIP w/ Reviews CD-ROM-there is no minimum participation level for this discount.
Each subscriber to both booksinprint.com and ulrichsweb.com will receive a 10% discount.
Group-buy discounts for booksinprint.com for this trial are based on the number of resultant subscriptions for academic institutions, public library systems, and school districts:
10 subscriptions = 5% discount
20 subscriptions = 10% discount
30 subscriptions = 15% discountExisting booksinprint.com and CD-ROM customers who discontinue their current subscription to participate in the group-buy, will receive a credit at Bowker for the pro-rated remaining balance of their subscription. (Credit for existing BIP customers through our vendor partners will be handled on an individual basis, and is typically worked through the vendor.) The credit will then be applied toward the new booksinprint.com subscription at the discounted rate.
11. Please indicate whether libraries from Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and/or Hawaii would be eligible to participate in the group buying process.
Yes. Considering the total populations of Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, and Oregon, Bowker is willing to include them in the trial and any subsequent buying group that is established. Discounts will be based on the buying group as a whole.
12. Please provide name and contact information (toll-free telephone number, e-mail address, hours, etc.) should libraries wish to make further inquires.
Peder A. Christensen
Bowker Regional Account Manager
phone: (877) 340-2400
fax: 727-771-2617
[email protected]
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