Citation
Layzell Ward, P. (2002), "Oxford Reference Online", Library Management, Vol. 23 No. 8/9, pp. 456-456. https://doi.org/10.1108/lm.2002.23.8_9.456.10
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited
Oxford Reference Online was introduced in March 2002 and makes available a number of OUP’s reference tools via the Internet. A free tour is available at: http://www.oxfordreference.com
The site is well designed – quick to access and search and with a touch of style that perhaps might have been expected from this notable publisher – would that all interfaces were so good. It is a joy to work with.
The first database to be made available has been named The Core Collection and includes “a broad selection of 100 dictionary and reference titles across the full subject spectrum”. This provides access to “over 1.5 million dictionary definitions, facts, people, places, dates and quotations”. Each page offers a Quick Search option, and an Advanced Search enables Boolean, Extended, Spellcheck – for misspelt words, and Date or People filters. Searches can be made over selected titles, or across the entire database. 24/7 support is available and there is a commitment to update the resource.
It has been tested over several months accessing the English language dictionaries, dictionaries of quotations and of the performing arts. No problems, quick and easy to use and sometimes providing more information than anticipated. It was frustrating not to have all Oxford reference titles available. By chance I have been using The Oxford Companion to British Railway History frequently since the start of the year, together with the Oxford Dictionary of New Words and, as yet, neither is available online. Work will be speeded up when they are added to the database. This is one of the frustrations of providing new services – users want to have everything at once – expectations are too high. It presents the same frustrations for users as when searching journal databases and finding that retrospective conversion is absent.
However the new service from OUP is excellent. It will be particularly welcomed by users in public libraries, particularly in the smaller service points which cannot afford to provide a wide range of reference books. It is essential for school libraries, for not only do they also have budgetary problems, but also the list of titles now available would be ideal for project work within the national curriculum. I will wait until the database expands to take out a personal subscription, but when it does it will free up a considerable amount of shelf space in the house!