Comments on: Gale databases iPhone application: another brick in the wall of the EBSCO vs. Gale debate

By: Ebsco gale | Gttaxbookkeepi

Ebsco gale | Gttaxbookkeepi — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:14:22 +0000

[...] Gale databases iPhone application: another brick in the wall of the …Dec 21, 2009 … I find it interesting that, once again, Gale beats EBSCO to the punch on a new technology. While EBSCO has EBSCOhost mobile, a mobile … [...]

By: Angela Stevens

Angela Stevens — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0000

I have used the Gale IPhone App and I have to admit, I think its useless. I don’t particularly like Gale products either. My library uses both Gale and EBSCO but EBSCO has 4x the usage. Better full text and journals. Plus the EBSCO interface is MUCH easier to use. But each person is entitled to his/her opinion.

By: Lesley

Lesley — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:16:18 +0000

Content is useless if no one can find it. EBSCO has done very little to make its content findable and easy to use for the general public. While Gale hasn’t done everything I’d like, I sense that they are making an effort, that they recognize that the model of providing databases through public libraries is not going to be sustainable if the general public isn’t aware of them

By: vickie

vickie — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:27:23 +0000

Have to say, Gale has the flash, but Ebsco can be counted on for fuller, more diverse content. Surely that counts for something?

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 08:03:33 +0000

While I have an iPhone and would of course geek this out, not everyone does – I think that a broader phone resource would be more useful to a community or academic patron base. I have used the EBSCO mobile tool with great success. Of course, I just like EBSCO better

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:55:38 +0000

I downloaded the Gale app, opened it, and got the message, “AccessMyLibrary” was not able to locate any public libraries that subscribe to Gale services, that are located within the acceptable range.”

Pretty funny, considering I’m sitting at my desk at the library.

EBSCO does have mobile optimization for their databases, visit http://search.ebscohost.mobi/ (it may not work right until your local administrator has set up a profile).

By: caleb

caleb — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:46:46 +0000

In what situations are phone apps more appropriate than well-designed mobile websites? My strong feeling is that if it applies to public libraries, it isn’t an app you want. So few of our citizens even live in a place with iPhone service!

But then, if an iPhone user is a library power user, go for it.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:20:20 +0000

I saw the announcement of this and checked it out. It’s really nice that Gale created this, and it’s a good start, but it seems like the app is basically just a portal to their sites. There isn’t an iPhone- or mobile-optimized view, so it’s a lot of pinching and zooming when attempting to use the resources, which is the same exact thing I could get by going to our library’s website.

We’re planning to launch a new site with a mobile version and iPhone app next month, so customers could use that to get through to all of our resources, not just Gale. Would our customers know what/who Gale is anyway to download their app? Instead of pointing them them to the Gale app, I think we’d rather direct them to our mobile site and let them get to the resources that way.

By: Loose Cannon Librarian | Some things I’m reading

Loose Cannon Librarian | Some things I’m reading — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:42:17 +0000

[...] Gale has an iPhone app! [...]

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:36:43 +0000

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