1. BUDDIE Recognizes Quiet Quality.
- Author
-
O'Leary, Mick
- Subjects
- *
ONLINE information services , *INFORMATION services , *ONLINE databases , *LIBRARY science , *PUBLIC libraries - Abstract
This article reviews the online information services offered by the Cleveland Public Library (CPL). According to its mission statement, CPL aspires to be the best urban library system in the country. Much of the accomplishments of CPL result from local and state partnerships. Locally, CPL is the lead dog in CLEVNET, a resource-sharing network of 31 public library systems in northeastern Ohio. CPL also participates in several state library programs. CPL manages to keep a human touch as it delivers the following standard library services online: reference, readers' advisory, homework assistance, a Spanish-language version, services and interactive programs for seniors and young adults, and, fee-based reference for advanced research needs. CPL also has an exceptionally rich set of proprietary research content, including more than 150 databases. many libraries of all kinds are doing many of the same things. What finally tips the scale, however, is CPL's e-book program, which is admirable for its innovation, its breadth, its user-friendliness, and, by my reckoning, its success. CPL started its e-book service with netLibrary but found it unsatisfactory. Then CPL partnered with Over-Drive, a Cleveland-based e-content distribution company, to create its own. The service began in spring 2003. The first impressive thing about CPL's e-book collection is how well it represents the entire range of public library readers' interests. There are more than 4,000 books, most of which are current titles from leading publishers.
- Published
- 2005