Computer Database and National Newspaper Index: Databases to be Deselected

After much discussion and campus input, two indexing and abstracting databases were chosen to be cut in 2004 because of budget reductions: the Computer Database and the National Newspaper Index.  These databases were selected because their content is largely duplicative of other licensed digital resources available systemwide.

The University of California Resource Sharing Fund was cut substantially for 2003/2004 and subsequent years.  The University Librarians asked the Collection Development Committee (CDC) to review the databases funded by the Shared Collections and Acquisitions Program (SCAP) for possible cuts.

The CDC then asked the Joint Steering Committee on Shared Collections (JSC) to do an initial review, set deselection criteria and guidelines, and provide preliminary recommendations.  The JSC conducted a study of several possible databases for deselection.  After extensive campus input on the JSC recommendations was gathered, the University Librarians endorsed the recommendations to cancel the Computer Database (Gale) and the National Newspaper Index (Gale) as of July 1, 2004.

When the vendor has the option to name campuses individually, the wording would be something like, “Access paid by [campus library name]” and when the vendor is able to provide only one message, the wording would be something like, “Access paid by the University of California Libraries.”

A web site with more information about these cuts and language that can be used by the campuses for publicizing these changes is available at http://www.cdlib.org/inside/collect/deselection.html.