Anyone pay attention to the news about newspapers as of late? Newspaper owners are filing for bankruptcy, and slowly (but persistently), print newspapers are ending production - and either moving fully online or closing up shop altogether.
Today, via Stephen's Lighthouse and an article from the The Wrap about Google enhancing newspaper content for its users.
While we don't question the relevancy of a database such as Academic Search Complete, due to its purchase, archiving and indexing of proprietary journal content, I do wonder about the relevancy of a database like Newsbank. Sure, it aggregates content so that only a single search is required - but doesn't Google do that, to an extent? Aren't our users (read: students) more interested in enhanced content - images related to the story, related local content, classifieds, etc.?
Would it be smarter for us to move away from Newsbank and link to the digitized versions of our local newspapers? Or, to us, does Newsbank still hold value - and how? And for how long?
GOA9: Progress Report
2 days ago
3 comments:
The plight of print newspapers is certainly making the news more and more -- in all formats. It is so hard to predict the future, too. But maybe there is hope...
Today's New York Times has an article titled "Extra, Extra! Looking to Big-Screen E-Readers To Help Save the Daily Press."
The abstract says: "e-reading devices are due in the next year from a range of companies, including the News Corporation, the magazine publisher Hearst and Plastic Logic, a well-financed start-up company that expects to start making digital newspaper readers by the end of the year at a plant in Dresden, Germany."
I would keep the database--local papers only allow access to the last 7 days worth of stories. I'd rather the students have deeper access to the news.
The students here use PQ central newspapers more than the Newstand. It is more convienent to access them when they are looking for a topic. They also get access to journals.
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