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Core Databases – statewide subscriptions to online databases

1. What are the current core databases available to all Ohio residents?
2. How were the core databases determined?
3. How are the core databases funded?

KnowItNow – statewide virtual reference service

1. How is KnowItNow funded?
2. How is KnowItNow administered?

Statewide Resource Sharing
Ohio Libraries Share: MORE

1. How is the current statewide resource sharing system, Ohio Libraries Share: MORE, operated and administered?
2. What libraries participate in Ohio Libraries Share: MORE?
3. What is the budget for Ohio Libraries Share: MORE and how is it funded?
4. What does it cost for libraries to join Ohio Libraries Share: MORE?
5. What is being done to ease or eliminate the workload of Ohio library staff due to the interoperability issues with the current software?
6. What is the long-term funding commitment to Ohio Libraries Share: MORE & statewide resource sharing?

August 2007 Response to Ohio Library Council 's Government Relations Committee request for additional information
The State Librarian of Ohio serves as an ex-officio member of the Ohio Library Council's Government Relations Committee.  Following a 2007 meeting, OLC staff member Lynda Murray sent a list of questions and request for additional informaiton concerning issues of interest to public libraries on behalf of the committee.  This PDF document contains the State Library's response.  Please note that the information in this document may be out of date and current information is included in the Frequently Asked Questions on this page.

Core Databases – statewide subscriptions to online databases
1. What are the current core databases available to all Ohio residents?

As of February 6, 2009, they are:
Academic Search Premier
All EBSCOhost Databases
American and English full text literature collections
ART Collection
Biography Reference Bank
Business Source Premier
Consumer Health Complete
Explore Ohio
Kids Search
LearningExpress Library
MasterFILE Premier
NetWellness
NewsBank (America's Newspapers)
Newspaper Source
Ohio Death Certificate Index (1913-1944)
Ohio History Central
Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook
Ohio.gov: Government Information & Services
Ohioline
Oxford Reference Online
Regional Business News
Salud en Español
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
Science Online
Searchasaurus
Student Research Center
World Book Hispanica
World Book Kids
World Book Online
World Book Spanish

2. How were the core databases determined?
The core databases were determined by groups selected by the networks (INFOhio, OhioLINK, and OPLIN) to form a joint database advisory task force.  The task force met, defined objectives, and reviewed possible databases that were submitted in response to a Request for Proposal issued by the Libraries Connect Ohio partners.  Based on products meeting the content and price objectives, the task force used trial access to selected resources to compare candidates.  The task force selected a core set of resources and finalized pricing.  The Libraries Connect Ohio partners presented the recommended databases before the State Library Board on April 24, 2008 for a proposed Library Services and Technology Act grant.  The State Library Board approved the grant as well as committing to fund the core collection for another five years.  The State Library Board will approve annual funding each year, contingent on availability of federal LSTA funds.

3. How are the core databases funded?
They are funded by a federal Library Services and Technology Act grant through the State Library of Ohio, which provides about $1.5 million per year.  The three library networks, INFOhio, OhioLINK and OPLIN, provide an additional $3 million in state funds each year from their budgets.

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KnowItNow – statewide virtual reference service
1. How is KnowItNow funded?
KnowItNow is funded completely with Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding awarded by the State Library of Ohio.  The State Library Board has made a commitment to continue to fund this statewide service through June 30, 2009

2. How is KnowItNow administered?
KnowItNow is operated and administered by Cleveland Public Library.  The After-Dark operation is subcontracted through Cleveland Public Library to the Northeast Ohio Regional Library System (NEO-RLS).

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Statewide Resource Sharing
Ohio Libraries Share: MORE
1. How is the current statewide resource sharing system, Ohio Libraries Share: MORE, operated and administered?
Ohio Libraries Share: MORE (OLS: MORE) is operated and administered by the State Library of Ohio.  The software that is currently being used in this operation is VDX from OCLC.

2. What libraries participate in Ohio Libraries Share: MORE?
There are 109 total participants that includes 29 schools, 79 public libraries, and the State Library of Ohio as of February 6, 2009.  A complete listing is available at http://www.library.ohio.gov/IT/MORE/Participants

3. What is the budget for Ohio Libraries Share: MORE and how is it funded?
Funding for Ohio Libraries Share: MORE is $403,932 of which $396,776 is LSTA (personnel, software, maintenance, technical consulting, and travel). $7,156 is General Revenue Fund (a portion of the rent).

4. What does it cost for libraries to join Ohio Libraries Share: MORE?
The only out of pocket cost participating libraries incur is the monthly fee for delivery service. The cost of the software and ongoing maintenance is covered by an LSTA grant from the State Library of Ohio. Library patrons do not pay any fees for this service.

5. What is being done to ease or eliminate the workload of Ohio library staff due to the interoperability issues with the current software?
The NCIP standard was created to address the growing need for interoperability among disparate circulation, interlibrary loan, and related applications.  Successful implementation of this standard would eliminate the double entry and separate pick lists for staff.  The standard was not written with strict requirements and was open to interpretation to allow the vendors to come up with solutions together; however, the flip side has happened.  Vendors can be NCIP compliant even though their interpretation of NCIP does not work between different vendors.

The State Library is currently working with OCLC, SirsiDynix, CLEVNET, and INFOhio testing NCIP interoperability between OCLC VDX and SirsiDynix integrated library systems Unicorn and Symphony.  The development and testing has been going on for two years.  The State Library is also testing NCIP between OCLC, SirsiDynix, and SEO between VDX and Horizon.

Given the complexity of the issues around NCIP, the State Library is also working toward the next-generation of statewide resource sharing in Ohio, with the help of focus groups across Ohio.

6. What is the long-term funding commitment to Ohio Libraries Share: MORE & statewide resource sharing?
The State Library of Ohio is committed to statewide resource sharing and will continue to fund OLS: MORE until a replacement is found.  The commitment is not to a particular solution or software, but rather to the concept of statewide resource sharing itself.

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