Hi All,

Thanks to everyone who shared your Newsbank experiences with me a few weeks ago.

Here’s a summary of the responses I received:

6 libraries are getting digital microfilm starting in January
1 library is not continuing with digital microfilm
Concern about whether Newsbank’s perpetual access claims can be trusted
Concern about Newsbank’s monopoly
Some libraries are getting a combined package for the large database + digital microfilm so if they cut the database their digital microfilm cost would greatly increase
Difficult to work with as a vendor
Archival newspaper products from Newsbank can be incredibly expensive and also require indefinite subscription to large database package. If library cancelled the database subscription, they’d lose access to the archive.
Physical microfilm deterioration (vinegar syndrome)
Some libraries have no current online access to their local paper because they cannot afford the cost of the large databases
Newsbank prohibits text mining of their products
Their large newspaper databases contain different titles for different customers. Perhaps there’s no “standard” packages for academic libraries?
Other companies still produce microfilm so perhaps Newsbank simply isn’t interested in continuing to sell this product?
Their microfilm costs have been 4-5 times the costs from other companies
Digital microfilm doesn’t have an index so other libraries cannot request articles via interlibrary loan
Newsbank’s agreements with newspaper publishers can vary

My library has decided not to move to their new digital microfilm product in 2019 due to some serious interface and metadata problems (article titles don’t display in search results, PDF page downloads are not screen readable, no metadata in our Primo discovery system).

Charlie Remy

Charlie Remy
Associate Professor
Electronic Resources and Serials Librarian
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Library
UTC-Dept 6456
600 Douglas St.
Chattanooga, TN 37403
charlie-remy@utc.edu
Tel. 423-425-4470