----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Colleagues,

Here at Stanford we access Art Abstracts either through our telnet Z39.50
interface or OCLC's FirstSearch web interface.  I met recently with Wilson
reps here on campus and saw Art Retrospective demo'ed using the Wilson web
interface.  As Amanda has indicated, Wilson has no plans AT THIS TIME to
make AR available via other vendors.  Unless Wilson decides to make AR
available via other vendors, researchers will have to search not only 2
databases, but 2 interfaces as well to get coverage back to 1929, unless you
are accessing both files directly from Wilson.  Also, my understanding is
that there is no plan at this time to merge AR with either Art Abstracts or
Art Index.  So no matter how one accesses the data or what other
arrangements Wilson eventually makes, 2 files may always have to be searched
to get coverage back to 1929.  AR is available now with coverage from
1972-1984, with plans for the 1929-1971 to be added by this Winter.  I would
urge some serious lobbying at the Wilson table in the exhibits area during
the Vancouver conference to encourage both the merging of the AR file with
Art Abstracts/Index and the release of the AR file to other vendors.

Perhaps if a Wilson rep is listening in they can confirm the above?  We
should applaud Wilson's efforts to make this retrospective data available,
and I certainly appreciate their desire to recoup their investment in what
was probably a fairly pricey venture.

Regards,

Peter Blank

At 06:41 PM 1/25/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Dear ARLIS colleagues:
>Although the long-awaited retrospective file of Art Index is beginning to
>be made available, we have some reservations with the way it is being
>offered.  We are particularly frustrated that it is being offered as a
>separate file and not provided through the same vendors who market the
>current file of Art Index.  For those of us using Art Abstracts through
>OVID, it will be difficult to make patrons aware of this new file.  I would
>be happy to hear from anyone else who is wrestling with this; perhaps a
>collective approach to the Wilson folks would be the way to proceed.
>--Amanda Bowen
>
>**************************************************************
>Amanda Bowen                            <a href="/scripts/wa.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind9901%26L%3DARLIS-L%26E%3D7BIT%26P%3D933160%26B%3D--%26T%3Dtext%252FplainTEXT%252FPLAIN%3B%2520charset%3DUS-ASCII%26pending%3D" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>
>Fine Arts Library                       617-496-1503
>Harvard University                      Fax 617-496-4889
>32 Quincy Street
>Cambridge, MA  02138
>
>
--------------------------------------------------------------
Peter P. Blank                         102 Cummings Art Bldg.
Librarian                              Stanford, CA 94305-2018
Art & Architecture Library             (650) 725-1038
Stanford University                    fax 650-725-0140
                                       <a href="/scripts/wa.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind9901%26L%3DARLIS-L%26E%3D7BIT%26P%3D933160%26B%3D--%26T%3Dtext%252FplainTEXT%252FPLAIN%3B%2520charset%3DUS-ASCII%26pending%3D" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a>
--------------------------------------------------------------