[OPLINLIST] Consumer Reports

[jregensb at worthingtonlibraries.org]

Worthington Libraries subscribes to ConsumerReports.org and the companion product ConsumerReportsHealth.org. We also enjoy the access to the Consumer Reports backfile through the OhioiWebLibrary initiative.

The pros to offering ConsumerReports.org include many features not available in the print edition. This includes access to web only video content, discussion forums, and user reviews all wrapped up in a web-site that's reasonably easy to navigate. We've noticed too that when patrons ask "Do you have Consumer Reports online? (which they ask a lot), they're not referring to back issues available through a magazine database, they're asking about ConsumerReports.org. I should also mention that according to our own internal clicktracker report, ConsumerReports.org has been our most heavily trafficked subscription database over the last year.

The cons are that you have to subscribe to three separate modules (ConsumerReports.org, ConsumerReportsHealth.org and ConsumerReports.org Cars: Best Deals Plus to get access to all the CR.org content). Also, know that this product is not an archive. Consumer Reports is ultimately responsible for what goes up on the site and how long it lives there. That means some content available in the back issues of the magazine (particularly older issues) might not appear on the web site. That's where the Ebsco access can come in handy, especially for those items that don't receive regular reviews.

Best,

Jeff Regensburger
Library Manager

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From: oplinlist-bounces at lists.oplin.org [mailto:oplinlist-bounces at lists.oplin.org] On Behalf Of Cheri Campbell
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2012 9:17 AM
To: oplinlist at lists.oplin.org
Subject: Re: [OPLINLIST] Consumer Reports

What Jeffrey Fisher said. The articles are included in the EBSCOhost database, while the graphics & charts many patrons seek are often not.

If anyone participating in this thread has a Columbus Metro Library card, the full Consumer Reports (non-EBSCO) website is accessible there. For someone with a few extra moments, it might be worth a comparison test (sorry, couldn't drive past this bad pun.)

Cheri Campbell
Librarian
Lorain Public Library
Lorain, OH 44052


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