| Main Menu |
(Note from the Washington State Library: In order to participate in the Fall 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.
Awesome Library
Awesome Library Web Database Awesome Library (www.awesomelibrary.org) is an online directory and search engine for children, teens, parents, teachers, and librarians. It is a child-safe haven of over 15,000 carefully reviewed Web sites, including the top five percent in K-12 education. Where appropriate, materials are organized by topic, grade level, and other criteria most useful for teachers and students. The Awesome Library contains links to articles, pictures, histories, biographies, lesson plans, worksheets, current events, and more.
We provide the Awesome Library Web database for the library's server so children can easily stay within bounds of safety because each page of the database will be branded with the library's logo, menu, header, footer, etc. "Safe" territory will be easy to recognize. In addition, and not incidentally, the Awesome Library Web database can be teamed with filtering software on the library's server to add an extra level of safety.
Updates are added to the Awesome Library database daily and include current events. The library can access updated versions of the database or we can set up a service for updating the database automatically on a regular basis.
For more information on the database or licensing, please see: http://www.awesomelibrary.net/
2. What are the hardware and software requirements for using all the features of the product(s)?
An NT or Unix server is required for hosting the database. We provide all other software necessary to integrate the database into the library's site. We also provide a "turnkey" solution so that all of the installation is done by the Awesome Library technical staff-at no additional cost.
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?
Yes, remote access is included in the subscription price.
4. Please discuss any methods or assistance you offer regarding remote access patron verification and authentication.
This would be established by the library; the Awesome Library does not limit remote access or charge extra for remote availability.
5. What end user delivery options, such as printing, e-mailing or faxing results, are available beyond just viewing results on the computer monitor?
The database does not impose additional requirements beyond the library's normal services.
6. What customer training is provided, and at what cost? Please include "freebies" such as Web-based tutorials, end-user documentation tents, cheat-sheets, etc.
Several options are available for installation. We offer a "turnkey" installation where we do the complete installation, including configuring the database to have the "look and feel" of the library's Website. Alternatively, we can send the database and programming to a library, along with installation instructions for UNIX or NT systems. We also have a page framing program. Installation includes technical support for each of these options.
The database is currently being used by hundreds of thousands of teachers, librarians, children, teens, and parents; no tutorials are needed for the end users. The site does incorporate a help page for searches on the database, however, available at: http://www.awesomelibrary.org/help.html
7. What customer and technical support is provided, including hours of operation? In your reply, please include the phone numbers and e-mail addresses for your support services.
Technical support is available at [email protected] M-F 10am to 10pm EST. The phone number is 1-727-942-2040.
8. Please describe the statistics you provide, and discuss whether your statistical reporting complies in part or in whole with the guidelines developed by the International Coalition of Library Consortia which may be found at http://www.library.yale.edu/consortia/webstats.html
Not Applicable: The information will be on the library's Website, directly available to the library rather than supplied by the Awesome.
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: This question means - we want to know what your list prices are and how you calculate your prices: Based on FTEs? On buildings? On a combination, or on something else?)
Licenses for libraries are $395 per server per month and $20 per additional site for more than 20 libraries on a server. In addition, the one-time setup fee is $395 per server.
10. If a library subscribes to any of your products as a result of this trial, will their future subscription rates continue to reflect any savings or discount they may receive today?
Not Applicable.
11. 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? How will you treat existing library customers with regard to a group buy?
The minimum participation required is one license. The cost is spread across the number of libraries using the database on one server, which could be as little as $20 per month per library.
12. Please indicate whether libraries from Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and/or Hawaii are eligible to participate in the group buying process.
Yes. Please see question 11 (above).
13. Please provide the name and contact information (toll-free telephone number, e-mail address, hours, etc.) for libraries to make further inquires.
Please contact Sam Schissler at [email protected] from 10am to 4pm EST. Phone number is 1-(503) 233-2784.