Let's say you are at the Reference Desk, and you have a patron who needs help on a cosmetology license exam. And the one cosmetology book you own is checked out. And the test is tomorrow! And you're closing! Wouldn't it be nice to have a database with practice tests available in the library or, better yet, accessible from home? Enter Learning Express Library (LEL), a database that offers cosmetology, nursing, military, firefighter, and civil service exams for both students and adult learners. It is a useful resource if all your test books are out or deteriorating, shelf space is getting scarce, you need to offer remote access, or perhaps your patron would prefer using a computer to practice a test. What's more, patrons who are interrupted while taking an LEL test can save what they've started and return to it later. One of the key challenges facing Reference departments today is whether to acquire information in print or electronic form, and LEL is certainly a great example of how databases can enhance the library's collection. Yet, while databases are now integral to providing reference service, they should not simply replace all print resources. Instead, a resource like LEL provides a valuable complement to the collection through access and format.

Let them choose

Which is better: to offer many copies of materials updated annually or to subscribe to a database for multiple users with remote access? As a librarian who has worked the Reference Desk at five different public libraries, I would say both. Some patrons still do not have a home computer or are not comfortable using computers for serious research, so they would need the book. Others would enjoy the e-format and the home access a database affords. If the mission of public libraries is to provide access for our patrons for free, then we should try to offer as much access as possible regardless of format. Of course, databases offer tremendous benefits. The patron looking for an auto-repair manual that's been checked out will be pleased to know that you also have Alldata online, a terrific database with auto-repair information and solutions. Likewise, the cosmetology patron who shows up at closing could practice the test at home with LEL instead of going home empty-handed. Meanwhile, as more information is collected and housed online, space on the shelves is freed up and patrons are offered a wider variety of resources. But databases aren't enough; true access also means print availability. What happens when the computers are down? Or the patron's home computer is broken? The test is still tomorrow. The patron is ecstatic that you actually have a copy of the study guide on the shelf. You breathe a sigh of relief: "Gee, I'm glad I didn't weed all those copies." Another valuable aspect of print is portability. Patrons not owning electronic reading devices may prefer reading on paper while commuting or waiting in lines. Print is also not susceptible to being "down" and makes for a great alternative in a household where one computer is shared by several people. What's more, print sources have a long shelf life if updating is not an issue, as opposed to losing an expensive database owing to a budget cut.

Develop a plan

Some librarians feel that they just can't afford both the print and the electronic version of certain resources. Developing a strategic plan will help them build collections offering a variety of formats for a variety of users. It's really a matter of balance. Ideally, you would want databases like LEL to be supported by print study guides and Alldata by Chilton's and Haynes manuals. But if you subscribe to LEL, for example, you may not need to buy as many study guides, and you may need to weed more judiciously. The new era of multiple formats requires some creative budgeting. Do you treat LEL as part of the nonfiction budget, as part of Reference or Periodicals, or as a line item by itself? I would advocate using a lump sum budget to give you the most flexibility in distributing your budget as you choose. Having database licensing as a line item leaves it vulnerable to budget cuts while making it more difficult for you to change formats periodically. One way to manage the budget stress created by duplicating print and electronic resources is to subscribe to databases through a consortium, in which participating libraries share expense and access. This is especially helpful for smaller libraries with limited budgets. Stand-alone libraries can look regionally or to the state for help. Public libraries will always promote reading (just visit a children's storytime!), but we are also information centers serving the research interests of our patrons. Resources like LEL illustrate how database use is changing our collections for the better. We just can't assume that everyone will embrace one research method. So don't pull all your GED books in favor of LEL; your patrons would be in for a shock. Instead, make the most of your tight budget so that your collection fully reflects your patrons' needs while remaining current and accessible. Sound good?

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Barb Kundanis is Reference Librarian, Longmont P.L., Colorado. She has been an LJ reviewer since 2001