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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.
Dialog@CARL
Dialog@CARL is an end-user, Web interface to a set of approximately 275 Dialog databases containing information from newspapers, journals, and a variety of other sources. Dialog@CARL is a service created and offered by CARL Corporation in partnership with the Dialog Corporation. It provides an easy-to-use graphical interface that allows patrons to independently search the information resources regardless of database searching skills. The service is available on a subscription basis to academic and public libraries.
Dialog@CARL is currently offered in 3 Collections:
- Basic Collection (nearly 275 Dialog databases) - http://dialog.carl.org/basiclist.html
- News Collection (a subset of 115+ newswire/newspaper databases from the Basic Collection) - http://dialog.carl.org/newsdb.html
- Target Collection (library selects 15 newspapers and 12 other databases from the Basic Collection)
Nearly 60 percent of the files in the Dialog@CARL Basic Collection are full-text databases. Users can search databases that cover virtually every subject area. Date coverage varies by database with many databases providing access to articles back to the 1970s and 1980s. This subscription database service is outstanding for its public access usability, cost-effectiveness, and wealth of full-text newspaper content.
For more information, please see: http://dialog.carl.org/
2. What are the hardware and software requirements for using all the features of the product?
The customer need only supply a Web browser and connectivity to the Internet to access its implementation of Dialog@CARL. Dialog@CARL is compatible with Netscape 2.0 and later versions and Internet Explorer 3.0 and later versions.
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?
Remote access is included in the subscription price. There are three access methods:
- IP Filtering - A customer can specify that only those end-users connected to the Internet via a distinct set of IP addresses are allowed access to Dialog@CARL. This type of access restriction is common for institutions wishing to restrict access to users within the institution.
- Username/Password Validation - A customer may choose to specify a username/password combination that can be used to restrict access. This method allows access by remote end users; however, it does not involve actually accessing patron files.
- Referring URL - If an institution can validate the individual library card number or student i.d. number on its Web server using third-party software, then Dialog@CARL can validate access via a referring URL.
The customer can choose to use either or all of these methods of access. For example, an institution may wish to check IP addresses as the first filter, and, if access is denied, require a username/password. This method supports both on-site and remote end users.
4. Please discuss any methods or assistance you offer regarding remote access patron verification and authentication.
If an institution can validate the individual library card number or student i.d. number on its Web server using third-party software, then Dialog@CARL can validate access via a referring URL.
5. What end user delivery options, such as printing, emailing or faxing results, are available beyond just viewing results on the computer monitor?
The Personal List Manager feature enables the user to select specific citations, including the full-text when available, which can then be formatted, in either plain text (ASCII) or HTML, for the desired delivery mechanism, including printing, saving to disk, or e-mailing.
6. What customer training is provided, and at what cost?
Because of the intuitive end-user interface design, CARL does not routinely provide on-site training. However, if a subscribing library is interested in a more in-depth look, we can provide this service at $1,200 per day plus expenses for up to 2 two-hour sessions/day.
7. What customer and technical support is provided, including hours of operation.
Dialog@CARL customer and technical support is available Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. A toll-free customer support phone number is available to subscribing libraries by dialing 888-439-CARL and selecting option 6 for Dialog@CARL. Support staff can also be reached via e-mail ([email protected]) or fax (303-758-0606).
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 .
Dialog@CARL usage reports are available via e-mail on a weekly or monthly basis or both. The reports include: total searches (broken down by number of searches with hits, number of searches with zero hits, and total of both); total number of sessions; number of turnaways due to all ports in use; individual database usage (number of searches with hits in each database accessed, number of searches with zero hits, and total of both per database); and number of searches by domain/IP address.
Statistics can also be sent in comma-delimited format if the library wishes to import and manage the data in its own spreadsheet program. For consortia, the above statistics in either standard or comma-delimited format can be broken down by individual institution.
The Dialog@CARL statistical reporting partially complies with the guidelines developed by the International Coalition of Library Consortia. Dialog@CARL provides reporting for each specific database, by each institutionally defined set of IP addresses, by total consortium, and by special data element passed by subscriber. In addition, number of queries, number of sessions, and number of turnaways are all recorded.
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.
Dialog@CARL is available for a flat annual fee based on simultaneous user connections. Discounts are available for multiple connection purchases. This unique pricing scheme allows libraries to have unlimited usage of the Dialog@CARL databases. The Dialog@CARL pricing structure enables institutions to accurately budget every year for the product. The institution’s patrons can use Dialog@CARL without any connect or output fees.
Basic Collection
First connection $13,750 per connection 2nd - 5th $11,550 per connection 6th - 10th $10,450 per connection 11+ $9,350 per connection Target Collection (15 newspaper/newswire files and 12 other files from the Basic Collection)
First connection $8,250 per connection 2nd - 5th $7,150 per connection 6th - 10th $6,600 per connection 11+ $6,050 per connection
News Collection
Unlimited use $30,000 / annual 10 connections $13,750 / annual 5 connections $8,250 / annual Consortia and statewide pricing is available upon request. By agreement with the Dialog Corporation, the CARL Corporation offers Dialog@CARL exclusively to academic and public libraries.
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.
The CARL Corporation offers Dialog@CARL to individual public and academic libraries as well as to pre-defined consortia. A pre-defined consortium is one that is billed and pays as a unit and all Dialog@CARL customer support is provided through that unit and not to individual libraries. Pricing is based on the number of institutions in the consortium. There are additional, minimal setup fees for each institution in the consortium based on the number of institutions. Existing customers have the option of retaining their individual contracts or rolling into a consortial contract.
11. Please indicate whether libraries from Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and/or Hawaii would be eligible to participate in the group buying process.
Consortia already existing in those states are welcome to request a consortial subscription rate, which is based on the number of institutions in the consortium.
12. Please provide name and contact information (toll-free telephone number, e-mail address, hours, etc.) should libraries wish to make further inquires.
Michelle Jeske
CARL Corporation
3801 E. Florida Avenue, Suite 300
Denver, CO 80210
888-439-CARL
[email protected]Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PST
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