4. Evaluating CD-ROMs and DVDs

The technology for presenting reference information changes rapidly.  Many print reference sources are now available in electronic format.  You will find that some reference tools moved directly from print to the Web, (the Idaho Department of Commerce & Labor’s County Profiles of Idaho,  http://community.idaho.gov/Profiles/tabid/440/Default.aspx#countyProfiles), while some electronic sources were developed specifically for the Web (Idaho Small Business Solutions, www.idahobizhelp.org). Meanwhile, others migrated first to CD-ROM and then to the Web (Statistical Abstract of the United States, www.census.gov/compendia/statab/  -- currently available in all three formats). 

Reviews of CD-ROMs and DVDs may be found in all the standard reviewing journals.  Remember that these resources should be evaluated using the general criteria discussed in Evaluating Reference Sources in a previous section:

• Authority – reputation and qualifications of author, editors or publisher
• Currency – date of copyright and currency of content
• Audience – school age/grade level, and, for adults, degree of technical level
• Accuracy – consistency and reliability of entries
• Accessibility – organization and ease of use

Advantages to CD-ROMs and DVDs are that they are often less expensive than their print counterparts, and also that, unlike Web resources, they contain no advertising.  However,  these advantages can be offset by other factors, such as degree of user-friendliness, hardware/software requirements, and the need for licensing and updating.

In evaluating them it is important to consider the following:

1. User-friendliness.  Is the product easy to install and use?  For example, is it obvious from the opening screen how to begin a search?  Do the search strategies make sense?  Are the help screens clear?

    

2. Requirements.  What are the hardware and software requirements for installing and using the CD-ROMs or DVDs?  Which, if any, of your software and equipment will support it?  Will your computer’s memory handle the demands of the software?

    

3. Licensing.  Are there licensing restrictions or limitations on the number of simultaneous users?  Could you network it and is there an extra cost for doing so?

    

4. Updates.  How frequently is it updated?  If the updates are expensive, can you be selective about the ones you purchase?

   It’s easy to overlook CD-ROMs when books and the Web are so handy; however, there are times when a CD-ROM may contain exactly the information you need or be the best source on a subject at a price you can afford.  In particular, many of these are interactive products (often games) and are good learning tools for children.

In the next section we will discuss the issues involved in evaluating Web sites.

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