“Electronic Information for Libraries, eIFL - direct"

Project overview

The project – "Electronic Information for Libraries" (eIFL) is initiated by Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation). Our association works on the project since July 2001.

Project implies subscription to the electronic versions of the worlds leading journals for the Georgian libraries, universities and informational centers and provision relevant service for readers, students, and users. At present, about 40 organizations in Georgia use this huge informational bank, which includes the databases from the world leading publishing companies and providers as: EBSCO, Cambridge University Press, Stanford Highwire Press, Institute of Physics Publishing, American Institute of Physics. Majority of articles are in English language. Most of them are produced by well-known publishers from USA and UK.

EBSCO databank contains more that 7000 journals in the fields of: business and economics, humanitarian and social sciences, politics, medicine, education, sciences and technology, agriculture, etc and 1200 newspapers in English as well as up to 2500 Russian newspapers.  HighWire Press covers mainly medicine, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, pharmacology, and psychology. Cambridge University Press offers its readers the following fields: medicine, biology, botanic, geology, mathematics, computer sciences, etc. American Physical Society and Institute of Physics are the publishers of world's best-known journals in the field of physics.

Databases could be provided via Internet access to sites or on CDs or DVDs (as an option). All databases include user-friendly and comprehensive search tools with links to full-texts of articles.

We are also negotiating with publishers and arranging trial access to databases of "electronic books", evidently including them into our services in the nearest future.

This project is the unique means of access to the newest high quality informational sources and effective services for the readers, providing the scientific products widely used by western universities for extremely reduced prices.

Any library in Georgia can join the consortium upon signing agreement on eIFL service and paying annual membership fee. The membership fees are calculated every year taking into account total subscription fees and number of consortium members.

Consortium provides training and technical or licensing consultations upon requests from its members, disseminate user manuals and updated information from providers, negotiates with e-resource providers on future development of services upon assessment of needs of our members.

More and more organizations are joining consortium and revealing interest to the project.

During the last year we enlarged our services (5 more providers and about 3000 more journals, plus 2000 Russian sources) not rising annual membership fees.