Mellon Library Launches Ebrary; Opens New Avenue for Research
By Jesse Reisner ‘08
News Staff Reporter
The recent institution of ebrary, an electronic search engine and online book collection, in the library has helped facilitate research for Choate students.
Ebrary is an online book browser that allows students to read books on the Internet. With over 23,000 titles and growing, ebrary has more than supplemented Choate’s impressive collection of literature since the beginning of the school year.
“In using ebrary, students are going to get the latest in research. The browser gives newer books and expands our library,” said Ms. Marie Morch, Choate librarian and overseer of ebrary.
Ebrary gives students the ability to create their own bookshelf, or collection of books they have viewed on the computer. These books can be printed out or saved for later use.
Students shared their opinions on the new research tool. “The Choate community should use ebrary to its full extent because it simplifies and organizes research,” stated Patrick Thurston ’07. “It’s unbelievable how the advancements in technology have allowed us to view full books online,” declared Fred Masotta ’08. “Ebrary is changing the way students conduct research.”
To view books in an electronic format, students can search using the Mellon Catalog. After search results appear, they must then click on a link that will transfer them to a platform where they are able to read the book on-line.
Ebrary uses a platform called DCP, or Dynamic Content Platform. Ebrary’s DCP is available at all times to any number of users, allowing for simultaneous research on different computers.
The New Face of Research
Choate classes are starting to use ebrary for research projects and papers, and the search engine is favored among Choate faculty. In fact, universities throughout the country are using a similar kind of research platform, if not ebrary itself.
“We decided to institute ebrary because we like to show our students the new material that’s coming out and make them aware of things they might not have been aware of otherwise,” explained Ms. Morch.
In 2004, ebrary grew their collections by more than sixty percent, making it one of the leading collections of the most recently published books.
Students will no longer have to check out heavy textbooks in order to get the information they need; all the necessary information will be stored on ebrary’s database.
Though the new program is costing Choate a good amount of money, the cost-effectiveness of ebrary makes the new research aid a good investment.
According to Ms. Morch, “The cost of renewing ebrary for 2006 will be approximately $5,175.00. If you divide this amount by the number of books (23,000 and growing each month) the cost for each item is approx $0.23. Considering that the average cost of a hardcover non-fiction book is $41.07 this is a very cost effective resource.”
She added, “A very positive aspect of our ebrary subscription is the concentration of academic titles, the majority of which are published after 2000. Just think what theses titles will add to any research paper.”
“The Dean of Academic Affairs [Mrs. Kathleen Wallace] is very much for ebrary, and at this point the application is an experiment,” stated Ms. Morch. “The good thing is that it’s being used, and students are liking it.”
