Building on to the Michigan eLibrary:
New MeL Database Package Enhanced With Added Resources

Michigan residents will soon have access to even more resources through the Michigan eLibrary (MeL), as the MeL database renewal process draws to a close after much input from the Michigan library community. The Library of Michigan has forwarded to the Michigan Administrative Board for final approval a set of contracts that includes databases from ProQuest/BigChalk, SIRS, GALE, and OCLC.  These resources will become part of MeL, available to all Michigan residents in their local libraries and outside their libraries via MeL using their driver’s license, state identification number or local library card.

What will be included in MeL beginning October 1, 2003 (through September 30, 2006)?

The MeL ebook collection (which is a permanent part of MeL) and LearnATest (available through September 30, 2005), ProQuest (formerly bigchalk) eLibrary Elementary and SIRS Discoverer Deluxe will continue to be part of the MeL database package.

The new package of GALE databases contains all of the databases which were included in the present contract year: General Reference Center Gold, InfoTrac Custom Newspapers, InfoTrac Kids (in its new format called Kids Infobits), Health Reference Center Academic, Health and Wellness Resource Center and Ancestry Library Edition. In addition, all Michigan libraries and residents will now have access to:

• InfoTrac OneFile with Ingenta
• Expanded Academic ASAP with Ingenta
• General BusinessFile ASAP
• LegalTrac
• Alternative Health Module (added to Health and Wellness Resource Center)
• Computer Database
• InfoTrac K12 Professional Collection
• InfoTrac Student
• InfoTrac Junior

This new package from GALE constitutes an increase both in journal titles and full text. The journal titles will increase from 2,790 titles in General Reference Center Gold to 8,240 titles in InfoTrac OneFile, a nearly 200 percent increase. The number of full-text journals included will increase nearly 140 percent, from 1,930 in General Reference Center Gold to 4,629 in InfoTrac OneFile.

Another addition to the upcoming package of MeL databases is remote access to Ancestry Library Edition, so residents will be able to use this resource from home or at work as well as in the library of their choice.

The OCLC package is comprised of the Base Package (WorldCat, OCLC UnionList of Periodicals, ERIC, GPO Monthly Catalog, MEDLINE, OCLC ArticleFirst, OCLC FirstSearch Electronic Collections Online, OCLC PapersFirst, OCLC ProceedingsFirst, World Almanac), CINAHL (a nursing database), and WilsonSelect Plus. In the new OCLC package, images will be included in the WilsonSelect Plus database.

While funding did not allow for the Library of Michigan to include the H.W. Wilson Abstracting and Indexing databases, a percentage of their content is included in the full-text of WilsonSelect Plus with Images. The percentages of indexed articles from the Abstracting and Indexing databases included in the all-full-text WilsonSelect Plus are as follows:

• 16 percent of Applied Science and Technology Abstracts
• 23 percent of Arts Abstracts
• 16 percent of Biological and Agricultural Index
• 23 percent of General Science Abstracts
• 40 percent of Education Abstracts
• 33 percent of Humanities Abstracts
• 30 percent of Library Literature
• 30 percent of Readers’ Guide Index
• 33 percent of Social Science Abstracts
• 46 percent of Wilson Business Abstracts
• 36 percent of Book Review Digest
• 16 percent of Index to Legal Periodicals and Books
• Percentage of Biography Index not available
• None of Essay and General Literature is available in full text.

The Business and Industry database will no longer be part of the OCLC FirstSearch package but will be included in the GALE package of databases within the General BusinessFile ASAP.

If you have any questions about any of these databases or about MeL, you may call the Library of Michigan toll-free at 877-479-0021.