The birds are singing…
“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
— Rainer Maria Rilke.
Spring is when birds take center stage. With this in mind, here's the latest on bird: Base Inventory of Research Databases from Paratext.
EBOOK collections now also in bird
The inclusion of eBook collections within bird has been a much-debated issue for our editorial group since the project began in 2021.
While most academic libraries include eBook collections in their list of database resources, some are simply platforms or other aggregating mechanisms, rather than truly distinctive research datasets.
After much deliberation, however, the group has concluded that approximately 350 eBook collections satisfy the bird editorial criteria, and are now being added to the 7,500+ dBs included.
Administrative Module is now available for profile management.
A new Administrative Module for bird was deployed by our technology partners at Compendium Library Services.
This module permits whomever library administrators designate a means to easily add, delete or query us about any title. Changes are reflected immediately in the Reference Module for your library, and best of all, no technical or other library personnel are needed.
The system is available 24/7 and keeps pace with any changes to your library's research database profile.
Insights View is now online
There is now a graphical means of exploring bird search results, along with Gallery View and List View.
Insights View allows users to mix and match queries by applicable academic department, as well as by the format of data.
For example, Show me the research databases which are part of Management as well as Entrepreneurship curricula, but limit it to Technical Reports and Statistical Datasets.
This new feature permits users to refine research needs, while saving uncounted hours of casting about the ‘infoverse.’
Spring finds many libraries now using bird for all manner of current awareness, resource selection, public reference services as well as collection strategic planning.
If you are not familiar yet with bird, please visit here. And Happy Spring.
