Seeking Value on the Internet

• 01/05/01

For decades, schools have purchased subscriptions for academic and reference materials, both in print and on CD-ROM. As more and more of these materials become available on the Internet, however, many educators are questioning the notion of subscriptions in the Information Age. With so many free Web sites available, is there still value in purchasing a subscription to a curriculum or reference Web site?

To answer that question, it helps to first consider the differences between free and fee-based Web sites, and how they match up against both the resources you have and the resources you seek.

As always, the school or district budget plays a primary role in deciding what curriculum products and services to purchase and what not to purchase. A key benefit of the Internet is that it offers cash-strapped schools instant access to millions of free Web sites on millions of topics. The downside? There are literally millions of sites on millions of topics. When evaluating the cost of Web sites, consider both the actual costs and the hidden costs, such as time.

Content

With the abundance of information available on nearly every topic known to humankind, locating appropriate content on the Internet can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. You may find what you need right away, or you may search for days and still never find content to match your curriculum goals and objectives. Before paddling out to surf the Web, consider how much time you or your students should devote to the search and, most importantly, what you want to accomplish.

Web surfing is a great way to "window shop" to find out what is available in your area of interest, and to help you narrow down the types of information and materials you want. If you want to drill down into particular subject areas or topics beyond what is available for free, a subscription-based Web site could provide the deep content you need.

This fall, ABC-CLIO is launching five new subscription-based sites on American Government, U.S. History, World History, State Geography, and World Geography. The American Government Web site, for example, contains a comprehensive reference database with more than 15,000 entries, including books, journals, biographies, encyclopedias, documents and photos. In addition, it features separate channels for students and educators with instructional tools and resources tailored for each, and a "Currents" section with daily news and events.

The role of the publisher is to anticipate all the information a teacher, librarian or student might require on a specific topic, and then locate, screen, organize, index and update the information. The goal is to help you quickly and easily find the information you need, so you can focus on teaching and your students can focus on learning.

Knowledge

While both subscription sites and free sites offer unprecedented access to information, information is not knowledge. As you explore, consider what you and your students should gain from the information you find.

Subscription sites should provide more than just information; they should help build a bridge from information to knowledge. They should create a context for the content through resources like lesson plans to help you integrate the information with your curriculum, databases to help you correlate online lessons and activities with textbooks and national standards, and tools to help students analyze the information they have gathered.

ABC-CLIO's American Government Web site, for example, offers educators lesson plans, discussion questions, projects, handouts, lecture notes, and quizzes to supportinstruction and create additional opportunities for learning and critical thinking. In addition, the site provides students with topic explorations, skill explorations, and tools for creating surveys and online discussions to further promote inquiry and analysis.

Navigation

Navigating the Web is part of the journey from information to knowledge. Consider what type of environment (open or closed) would be best for you and your students to explore and gather information.

Some educators want the freedom to see everything the Internet has to offer, and to show students how to distinguish good information sources from bad, using real-world examples. Others want a secure, closed environment that provides quick access to reliable, authoritative information from qualified sources. In this environment, teachers can be assured that students will not go off on tangents, or encounter unreliable or inappropriate information.

Access

In addition to what you access, consider when and where you and your students will want access to online information resources. Anytime, anywhere access is a key benefit of free Web sites and most subscription sites. Some subscription providers restrict access to the classroom or library, while others offer freedom of access via a password, and allow users to save their work on the company's server for easy anytime, anywhere access.

Another issue related to access is equipment. Consider how much computer equipment is available to teachers, librarians and students during the school day.

For schools that have several Internet-ready computers or instructor presentation stations, subscriptions can provide a cost-effective solution to deliver consistent, comprehensive curriculum resources across many classrooms. Schools that have only one or two computers with Internet access, however, may or may not get their money's worth when purchasing a subscription, if only a couple of people can access the content at any given time. When evaluating subscriptions, consider the number of people who will access the site or the amount of time that will be spent on the site to find a solution that best suits your needs and capabilities.

We have found that most customers prefer to pay for online subscriptions by the point of access, rather than pay a flat fee for content. Accordingly, certain companies base their subscription pricing on school enrollment to reflect the diverse needs and budgets of large, small and medium-sized schools.

Communities

While both free and subscription Web sites offer tremendous opportunities for community building, it is important to consider what kind of community will provide the most valuable contributions for you and your students.

A subscription provider can orchestrate community building by providing the tools for you and your students to communicate and collaborate easily with your peers and with experts around the world. That online community is usually comprised of other subscribers and experts whose participation is facilitated by the publisher. The Internet, on the other hand, has no such limits and can open the doors to a wider audience, comprised of both qualified and unqualified contributors.

Accountability

While there are many differences between free and subscription sites, the main difference is accountability.

When you pay for a subscription, you pay for a relationship. A subscription is a direct partnership – a one-to-one commitment – between the customer and the publisher. To make it work on the Internet, the publisher must be accountable to your needs in a proactive way to build the relationship. Toward that end, the publisher must create and re-create value daily.

To earn your subscription dollars, the publisher should provide:

• Content that continually grows and changes
• Convenience and ease of use
• Tools to help students transform information into knowledge
• Customized products and services
• Responsive customer support
• A reliable technical infrastructure

Most importantly, the publisher should meet your individual needs. Accountability is the bottom line. As long as the publisher provides that accountability, subscriptions will continue to provide value for you and your students well into the future.

Mix & Match

Like any other resource in education, Web sites do not offer everything you will ever need on every single subject you teach. Many schools and libraries prefer to mix and match Web sites with print resources and computer-based products to provide a full range of curriculum materials, and to address multiple learning styles. Toward that end, many companies like ABC-CLIO continue to offer print and CD-ROM materials, in addition to Web resources, to meet the diverse needs of students and teachers, as well as schools and libraries that run the gamut from no technology to high-end computers and Internet access at every desk.

Both free Web sites and subscription sites offer tremendous benefits to education: breadth and depth, freedom and accountability, and opportunities for collaboration. By providing access to the best resources the Internet has to offer, through both free and fee-based sites, you can help students complete their journey from research to information and from information to knowledge.

For decades, schools have purchased subscriptions for academic and reference materials, both in print and on CD-ROM. As more and more of these materials become available on the Internet, however, many educators are questioning the notion of subscriptions in the Information Age. With so many free Web sites available, is there still value in purchasing a subscription to a curriculum or reference Web site?

To answer that question, it helps to first consider the differences between free and fee-based Web sites, and how they match up against both the resources you have and the resources you seek.

As always, the school or district budget plays a primary role in deciding what curriculum products and services to purchase and what not to purchase. A key benefit of the Internet is that it offers cash-strapped schools instant access to millions of free Web sites on millions of topics. The downside? There are literally millions of sites on millions of topics. When evaluating the cost of Web sites, consider both the actual costs and the hidden costs, such as time.

X@XOpenTag000Content

X@XCloseTag000With the abundance of information available on nearly every topic known to humankind, locating appropriate content on the Internet can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. You may find what you need right away, or you may search for days and still never find content to match your curriculum goals and objectives. Before paddling out to surf the Web, consider how much time you or your students should devote to the search and, most importantly, what you want to accomplish.

Web surfing is a great way to "window shop" to find out what is available in your area of interest, and to help you narrow down the types of information and materials you want. If you want to drill down into particular subject areas or topics beyond what is available for free, a subscription-based Web site could provide the deep content you need.

This fall, ABC-CLIO is launching five new subscription-based sites on American Government, U.S. History, World History, State Geography, and World Geography. The American Government Web site, for example, contains a comprehensive reference database with more than 15,000 entries, including books, journals, biographies, encyclopedias, documents and photos. In addition, it features separate channels for students and educators with instructional tools and resources tailored for each, and a "Currents" section with daily news and events.

The role of the publisher is to anticipate all the information a teacher, librarian or student might require on a specific topic, and then locate, screen, organize, index and update the information. The goal is to help you quickly and easily find the information you need, so you can focus on teaching and your students can focus on learning.

X@XOpenTag001Knowledge

X@XCloseTag001While both subscription sites and free sites offer unprecedented access to information, information is not knowledge. As you explore, consider what you and your students should gain from the information you find.

Subscription sites should provide more than just information; they should help build a bridge from information to knowledge. They should create a context for the content through resources like lesson plans to help you integrate the information with your curriculum, databases to help you correlate online lessons and activities with textbooks and national standards, and tools to help students analyze the information they have gathered.

ABC-CLIO's American Government Web site, for example, offers educators lesson plans, discussion questions, projects, handouts, lecture notes, and quizzes to supportinstruction and create additional opportunities for learning and critical thinking. In addition, the site provides students with topic explorations, skill explorations, and tools for creating surveys and online discussions to further promote inquiry and analysis.

X@XOpenTag002Navigation

X@XCloseTag002Navigating the Web is part of the journey from information to knowledge. Consider what type of environment (open or closed) would be best for you and your students to explore and gather information.

Some educators want the freedom to see everything the Internet has to offer, and to show students how to distinguish good information sources from bad, using real-world examples. Others want a secure, closed environment that provides quick access to reliable, authoritative information from qualified sources. In this environment, teachers can be assured that students will not go off on tangents, or encounter unreliable or inappropriate information.

X@XOpenTag003Access

X@XCloseTag003In addition to what you access, consider when and where you and your students will want access to online information resources. Anytime, anywhere access is a key benefit of free Web sites and most subscription sites. Some subscription providers restrict access to the classroom or library, while others offer freedom of access via a password, and allow users to save their work on the company's server for easy anytime, anywhere access.

Another issue related to access is equipment. Consider how much computer equipment is available to teachers, librarians and students during the school day.

For schools that have several Internet-ready computers or instructor presentation stations, subscriptions can provide a cost-effective solution to deliver consistent, comprehensive curriculum resources across many classrooms. Schools that have only one or two computers with Internet access, however, may or may not get their money's worth when purchasing a subscription, if only a couple of people can access the content at any given time. When evaluating subscriptions, consider the number of people who will access the site or the amount of time that will be spent on the site to find a solution that best suits your needs and capabilities.

We have found that most customers prefer to pay for online subscriptions by the point of access, rather than pay a flat fee for content. Accordingly, certain companies base their subscription pricing on school enrollment to reflect the diverse needs and budgets of large, small and medium-sized schools.

X@XOpenTag004Communities

X@XCloseTag004While both free and subscription Web sites offer tremendous opportunities for community building, it is important to consider what kind of community will provide the most valuable contributions for you and your students.

A subscription provider can orchestrate community building by providing the tools for you and your students to communicate and collaborate easily with your peers and with experts around the world. That online community is usually comprised of other subscribers and experts whose participation is facilitated by the publisher. The Internet, on the other hand, has no such limits and can open the doors to a wider audience, comprised of both qualified and unqualified contributors.

X@XOpenTag005Accountability

X@XCloseTag005While there are many differences between free and subscription sites, the main difference is accountability.

When you pay for a subscription, you pay for a relationship. A subscription is a direct partnership – a one-to-one commitment – between the customer and the publisher. To make it work on the Internet, the publisher must be accountable to your needs in a proactive way to build the relationship. Toward that end, the publisher must create and re-create value daily.

To earn your subscription dollars, the publisher should provide:

• Content that continually grows and changes
• Convenience and ease of use
• Tools to help students transform information into knowledge
• Customized products and services
• Responsive customer support
• A reliable technical infrastructure

Most importantly, the publisher should meet your individual needs. Accountability is the bottom line. As long as the publisher provides that accountability, subscriptions will continue to provide value for you and your students well into the future.

X@XOpenTag006Mix & Match

X@XCloseTag006Like any other resource in education, Web sites do not offer everything you will ever need on every single subject you teach. Many schools and libraries prefer to mix and match Web sites with print resources and computer-based products to provide a full range of curriculum materials, and to address multiple learning styles. Toward that end, many companies like ABC-CLIO continue to offer print and CD-ROM materials, in addition to Web resources, to meet the diverse needs of students and teachers, as well as schools and libraries that run the gamut from no technology to high-end computers and Internet access at every desk.

Both free Web sites and subscription sites offer tremendous benefits to education: breadth and depth, freedom and accountability, and opportunities for collaboration. By providing access to the best resources the Internet has to offer, through both free and fee-based sites, you can help students complete their journey from research to information and from information to knowledge.

For decades, schools have purchased subscriptions for academic and reference materials, both in print and on CD-ROM. As more and more of these materials become available on the Internet, however, many educators are questioning the notion of subscriptions in the Information Age. With so many free Web sites available, is there still value in purchasing a subscription to a curriculum or reference Web site?

To answer that question, it helps to first consider the differences between free and fee-based Web sites, and how they match up against both the resources you have and the resources you seek.

As always, the school or district budget plays a primary role in deciding what curriculum products and services to purchase and what not to purchase. A key benefit of the Internet is that it offers cash-strapped schools instant access to millions of free Web sites on millions of topics. The downside? There are literally millions of sites on millions of topics. When evaluating the cost of Web sites, consider both the actual costs and the hidden costs, such as time.

X@XOpenTag000Content

X@XCloseTag000With the abundance of information available on nearly every topic known to humankind, locating appropriate content on the Internet can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. You may find what you need right away, or you may search for days and still never find content to match your curriculum goals and objectives. Before paddling out to surf the Web, consider how much time you or your students should devote to the search and, most importantly, what you want to accomplish.

Web surfing is a great way to "window shop" to find out what is available in your area of interest, and to help you narrow down the types of information and materials you want. If you want to drill down into particular subject areas or topics beyond what is available for free, a subscription-based Web site could provide the deep content you need.

This fall, ABC-CLIO is launching five new subscription-based sites on American Government, U.S. History, World History, State Geography, and World Geography. The American Government Web site, for example, contains a comprehensive reference database with more than 15,000 entries, including books, journals, biographies, encyclopedias, documents and photos. In addition, it features separate channels for students and educators with instructional tools and resources tailored for each, and a "Currents" section with daily news and events.

The role of the publisher is to anticipate all the information a teacher, librarian or student might require on a specific topic, and then locate, screen, organize, index and update the information. The goal is to help you quickly and easily find the information you need, so you can focus on teaching and your students can focus on learning.

X@XOpenTag001Knowledge

X@XCloseTag001While both subscription sites and free sites offer unprecedented access to information, information is not knowledge. As you explore, consider what you and your students should gain from the information you find.

Subscription sites should provide more than just information; they should help build a bridge from information to knowledge. They should create a context for the content through resources like lesson plans to help you integrate the information with your curriculum, databases to help you correlate online lessons and activities with textbooks and national standards, and tools to help students analyze the information they have gathered.

ABC-CLIO's American Government Web site, for example, offers educators lesson plans, discussion questions, projects, handouts, lecture notes, and quizzes to supportinstruction and create additional opportunities for learning and critical thinking. In addition, the site provides students with topic explorations, skill explorations, and tools for creating surveys and online discussions to further promote inquiry and analysis.

X@XOpenTag002Navigation

X@XCloseTag002Navigating the Web is part of the journey from information to knowledge. Consider what type of environment (open or closed) would be best for you and your students to explore and gather information.

Some educators want the freedom to see everything the Internet has to offer, and to show students how to distinguish good information sources from bad, using real-world examples. Others want a secure, closed environment that provides quick access to reliable, authoritative information from qualified sources. In this environment, teachers can be assured that students will not go off on tangents, or encounter unreliable or inappropriate information.

X@XOpenTag003Access

X@XCloseTag003In addition to what you access, consider when and where you and your students will want access to online information resources. Anytime, anywhere access is a key benefit of free Web sites and most subscription sites. Some subscription providers restrict access to the classroom or library, while others offer freedom of access via a password, and allow users to save their work on the company's server for easy anytime, anywhere access.

Another issue related to access is equipment. Consider how much computer equipment is available to teachers, librarians and students during the school day.

For schools that have several Internet-ready computers or instructor presentation stations, subscriptions can provide a cost-effective solution to deliver consistent, comprehensive curriculum resources across many classrooms. Schools that have only one or two computers with Internet access, however, may or may not get their money's worth when purchasing a subscription, if only a couple of people can access the content at any given time. When evaluating subscriptions, consider the number of people who will access the site or the amount of time that will be spent on the site to find a solution that best suits your needs and capabilities.

We have found that most customers prefer to pay for online subscriptions by the point of access, rather than pay a flat fee for content. Accordingly, certain companies base their subscription pricing on school enrollment to reflect the diverse needs and budgets of large, small and medium-sized schools.

X@XOpenTag004Communities

X@XCloseTag004While both free and subscription Web sites offer tremendous opportunities for community building, it is important to consider what kind of community will provide the most valuable contributions for you and your students.

A subscription provider can orchestrate community building by providing the tools for you and your students to communicate and collaborate easily with your peers and with experts around the world. That online community is usually comprised of other subscribers and experts whose participation is facilitated by the publisher. The Internet, on the other hand, has no such limits and can open the doors to a wider audience, comprised of both qualified and unqualified contributors.

X@XOpenTag005Accountability

X@XCloseTag005While there are many differences between free and subscription sites, the main difference is accountability.

When you pay for a subscription, you pay for a relationship. A subscription is a direct partnership – a one-to-one commitment – between the customer and the publisher. To make it work on the Internet, the publisher must be accountable to your needs in a proactive way to build the relationship. Toward that end, the publisher must create and re-create value daily.

To earn your subscription dollars, the publisher should provide:

• Content that continually grows and changes
• Convenience and ease of use
• Tools to help students transform information into knowledge
• Customized products and services
• Responsive customer support
• A reliable technical infrastructure

Most importantly, the publisher should meet your individual needs. Accountability is the bottom line. As long as the publisher provides that accountability, subscriptions will continue to provide value for you and your students well into the future.

X@XOpenTag006Mix & Match

X@XCloseTag006Like any other resource in education, Web sites do not offer everything you will ever need on every single subject you teach. Many schools and libraries prefer to mix and match Web sites with print resources and computer-based products to provide a full range of curriculum materials, and to address multiple learning styles. Toward that end, many companies like ABC-CLIO continue to offer print and CD-ROM materials, in addition to Web resources, to meet the diverse needs of students and teachers, as well as schools and libraries that run the gamut from no technology to high-end computers and Internet access at every desk.

Both free Web sites and subscription sites offer tremendous benefits to education: breadth and depth, freedom and accountability, and opportunities for collaboration. By providing access to the best resources the Internet has to offer, through both free and fee-based sites, you can help students complete their journey from research to information and from information to knowledge.

For decades, schools have purchased subscriptions for academic and reference materials, both in print and on CD-ROM. As more and more of these materials become available on the Internet, however, many educators are questioning the notion of subscriptions in the Information Age. With so many free Web sites available, is there still value in purchasing a subscription to a curriculum or reference Web site?

To answer that question, it helps to first consider the differences between free and fee-based Web sites, and how they match up against both the resources you have and the resources you seek.

As always, the school or district budget plays a primary role in deciding what curriculum products and services to purchase and what not to purchase. A key benefit of the Internet is that it offers cash-strapped schools instant access to millions of free Web sites on millions of topics. The downside? There are literally millions of sites on millions of topics. When evaluating the cost of Web sites, consider both the actual costs and the hidden costs, such as time.

X@XOpenTag000Content

X@XCloseTag000With the abundance of information available on nearly every topic known to humankind, locating appropriate content on the Internet can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. You may find what you need right away, or you may search for days and still never find content to match your curriculum goals and objectives. Before paddling out to surf the Web, consider how much time you or your students should devote to the search and, most importantly, what you want to accomplish.

Web surfing is a great way to "window shop" to find out what is available in your area of interest, and to help you narrow down the types of information and materials you want. If you want to drill down into particular subject areas or topics beyond what is available for free, a subscription-based Web site could provide the deep content you need.

This fall, ABC-CLIO is launching five new subscription-based sites on American Government, U.S. History, World History, State Geography, and World Geography. The American Government Web site, for example, contains a comprehensive reference database with more than 15,000 entries, including books, journals, biographies, encyclopedias, documents and photos. In addition, it features separate channels for students and educators with instructional tools and resources tailored for each, and a "Currents" section with daily news and events.

The role of the publisher is to anticipate all the information a teacher, librarian or student might require on a specific topic, and then locate, screen, organize, index and update the information. The goal is to help you quickly and easily find the information you need, so you can focus on teaching and your students can focus on learning.

X@XOpenTag001Knowledge

X@XCloseTag001While both subscription sites and free sites offer unprecedented access to information, information is not knowledge. As you explore, consider what you and your students should gain from the information you find.

Subscription sites should provide more than just information; they should help build a bridge from information to knowledge. They should create a context for the content through resources like lesson plans to help you integrate the information with your curriculum, databases to help you correlate online lessons and activities with textbooks and national standards, and tools to help students analyze the information they have gathered.

ABC-CLIO's American Government Web site, for example, offers educators lesson plans, discussion questions, projects, handouts, lecture notes, and quizzes to supportinstruction and create additional opportunities for learning and critical thinking. In addition, the site provides students with topic explorations, skill explorations, and tools for creating surveys and online discussions to further promote inquiry and analysis.

X@XOpenTag002Navigation

X@XCloseTag002Navigating the Web is part of the journey from information to knowledge. Consider what type of environment (open or closed) would be best for you and your students to explore and gather information.

Some educators want the freedom to see everything the Internet has to offer, and to show students how to distinguish good information sources from bad, using real-world examples. Others want a secure, closed environment that provides quick access to reliable, authoritative information from qualified sources. In this environment, teachers can be assured that students will not go off on tangents, or encounter unreliable or inappropriate information.

X@XOpenTag003Access

X@XCloseTag003In addition to what you access, consider when and where you and your students will want access to online information resources. Anytime, anywhere access is a key benefit of free Web sites and most subscription sites. Some subscription providers restrict access to the classroom or library, while others offer freedom of access via a password, and allow users to save their work on the company's server for easy anytime, anywhere access.

Another issue related to access is equipment. Consider how much computer equipment is available to teachers, librarians and students during the school day.

For schools that have several Internet-ready computers or instructor presentation stations, subscriptions can provide a cost-effective solution to deliver consistent, comprehensive curriculum resources across many classrooms. Schools that have only one or two computers with Internet access, however, may or may not get their money's worth when purchasing a subscription, if only a couple of people can access the content at any given time. When evaluating subscriptions, consider the number of people who will access the site or the amount of time that will be spent on the site to find a solution that best suits your needs and capabilities.

We have found that most customers prefer to pay for online subscriptions by the point of access, rather than pay a flat fee for content. Accordingly, certain companies base their subscription pricing on school enrollment to reflect the diverse needs and budgets of large, small and medium-sized schools.

X@XOpenTag004Communities

X@XCloseTag004While both free and subscription Web sites offer tremendous opportunities for community building, it is important to consider what kind of community will provide the most valuable contributions for you and your students.

A subscription provider can orchestrate community building by providing the tools for you and your students to communicate and collaborate easily with your peers and with experts around the world. That online community is usually comprised of other subscribers and experts whose participation is facilitated by the publisher. The Internet, on the other hand, has no such limits and can open the doors to a wider audience, comprised of both qualified and unqualified contributors.

X@XOpenTag005Accountability

X@XCloseTag005While there are many differences between free and subscription sites, the main difference is accountability.

When you pay for a subscription, you pay for a relationship. A subscription is a direct partnership – a one-to-one commitment – between the customer and the publisher. To make it work on the Internet, the publisher must be accountable to your needs in a proactive way to build the relationship. Toward that end, the publisher must create and re-create value daily.

To earn your subscription dollars, the publisher should provide:

• Content that continually grows and changes
• Convenience and ease of use
• Tools to help students transform information into knowledge
• Customized products and services
• Responsive customer support
• A reliable technical infrastructure

Most importantly, the publisher should meet your individual needs. Accountability is the bottom line. As long as the publisher provides that accountability, subscriptions will continue to provide value for you and your students well into the future.

X@XOpenTag006Mix & Match

X@XCloseTag006Like any other resource in education, Web sites do not offer everything you will ever need on every single subject you teach. Many schools and libraries prefer to mix and match Web sites with print resources and computer-based products to provide a full range of curriculum materials, and to address multiple learning styles. Toward that end, many companies like ABC-CLIO continue to offer print and CD-ROM materials, in addition to Web resources, to meet the diverse needs of students and teachers, as well as schools and libraries that run the gamut from no technology to high-end computers and Internet access at every desk.

Both free Web sites and subscription sites offer tremendous benefits to education: breadth and depth, freedom and accountability, and opportunities for collaboration. By providing access to the best resources the Internet has to offer, through both free and fee-based sites, you can help students complete their journey from research to information and from information to knowledge.