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(Note from the Washington State Library: In order to participate in the Fall 1999 Washington State Databases Trial, each vendor was asked to address questions the Statewide Database Licensing Committee felt were most critical in order for library staff to evaluate products and vendors. Please contact the vendor's representative, listed below, for additional information on this product.)
1. Describe the database product(s). Include information on subject scope, percentage of full-text, dates of coverage, target audience (including age ranges), and how often the contents are updated.
Ardenonline is an online version of the Arden Shakespeare, the world's premier Shakespeare edition which celebrates its centenary this year. It contains the complete texts of every work of the world's most important playwright in the leading modern edition, and a huge amount more. We have taken the core values of the print Arden Shakespeares - authority, scholarship, comprehensive annotation and commentary, and accessibility - and added an extensive range of material and functionality, including material that has never been published in any format previously. The extra material has a particular focus on bringing the works of Shakespeare alive through performance. All resources are searchable to an unprecedented level of detail (for example, it is possible to search for all lines containing words beginning with "mad" in prose passages spoken by male speakers in any combination of Shakespeare plays). Ardenonline has been reviewed very favourably by the press, including the BBC, who described it as "hard to match for authority and comprehensiveness". Full details of the materials contained in Ardenonline can be found at http://www.ardenshakespeare.com/ardenonline/
2. What are the hardware and software requirements for using all the features of the product?
Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, versions 4.0 or above; Internet connection. Ideally, you should have an 800x600 screen, but the resource is designed to work with a screen of 640x480 pixel dimensions. Note: there are currently (2 September 1999) problems when you search with Internet Explorer 4.0 or above for the Macintosh only. We are working to solve these as soon as possible. There are no problems with any other browsers, including Netscape for the Macintosh.
3. Is remote access included for the subscription price? If there are additional charges or requirements in order to offer remote access, please describe. What methods of remote access are supported?
Yes, remote access is included in the subscription price. Remote users need to be authenticated as within the IP address range of the subscribing institution. Alternatively, we can arrange for a single password for all remote access users from an institution if necessary.
4. Please discuss any methods or assistance you offer regarding remote access patron verification and authentication.
See #3 above. We'd be delighted to give people advice on putting the correct equipment in place (e.g. a proxy server) to make IP validation happen.
5. What end user delivery options, such as printing, emailing or faxing results, are available beyond just viewing results on the computer monitor?
For those materials where the copyright is held by the Arden Shakespeare, copying, printing and transmission, including the use of materials in coursepacks and reserves, is permitted. For the materials where we have licensed use from third parties, only on-screen viewing is possible. The third party material is clearly indicated by copyright notices. For full details see our licence, the complete text of which is available on our website at: http://www.ardenshakespeare.com/ardenonline/ .
6. What customer training is provided, and at what cost?
The resource contains a complete online help. We will also provide a "cheat sheet" and introduction for users, which can be printed out off the web and/or provided in hardcopy format. The interface is entirely web-based and relies on standard interface metaphors, so little training should be required other than this.
7. What customer and technical support is provided, including hours of operation.
We do not expect to answer basic queries on how the product should be used, as these should be covered by our help file or subscribing institutions's staff. For serious technical problems, customer support is provided via email between 0900 and 1700 GMT. However, our servers are monitored on a 24x365x7 basis.
8. Describe the statistics you provide, and discuss whether your statistical reporting complies with guidelines developed by the International Coalition of Library Consortia which may be found at www.library.yale.edu/consortia/webstats.html .
We can provide statistics in accordance with the ICOLC guidelines if required.
9. Describe your pricing structure or formula for the product. If there are additional costs for retrieving full text, describe the pricing for this service.
The pricing is based on type of institution and, for four-year colleges, FTE. There are no additional costs for retrieving full text. The more institutions that subscribe, the greater the discount. For a four-year college with a FTE of more than 10,000 that is part of a consortium, the prices range from 1280 US dollars per year (2-4 subscribing members of consortium) to 960 US dollars per year (more than 100 subscribing members of consortium). To give you the other end of the spectrum, for a public library, the same prices are 160 US dollars and 120 US dollars per annum respectively. A complete pricing grid is available at http://www.ardenshakespeare.com/ardenonline/
10. What is the minimum participation level (however you care to define it) that would be needed to allow participating libraries to receive a discount? What is the minimum discount for a group buy? Please clarify how you would treat existing library customers with regard to a group buy.
The minimum level to attract a discount is two libraries (see above). There are no existing customers, as the service has only just been launched.
11. Please provide name and contact information (toll-free telephone number, e-mail address, hours, etc.) should libraries wish to make further inquires.
Nicholas Kind
Electronic Development Manager
The Arden Shakespeare
Nelson House, Mayfield Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 5PL, UKDirect tel: +44 1932 262205 (0900 - 1700 GMT)
Fax: +44 1932 246109Web: http://www.ardenshakespeare.com
Email: [email protected]
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