Comparing Print and Online Resources
You are the head of reference at a small library. Your library needs a new reference source that is
available both in print and online, but you can afford only one or the other (assume they both
cost the same). Your supervisor has asked you to compare the print and online sources and make
a recommendation about which source would be best for your library. Assume that the online
version will only be available within the library, so do not factor access into your
recommendation.
You need to prepare a typed one-page maximum memo for your supervisor that contains the
following:
1. A brief description of the source
2. The pros and cons of each source
3. Your recommendation along with a brief justification for why you chose that format
Team 3: Oxford English Dictionary
Group 3- Hallie Fields, Mia Jordan, Tiffany Henry, Kristin Bachman, Akira Sakai
Resource name: Oxford English Dictionary
Available Forms: Print, CD-ROM, Online
Vendor name: Oxford University Press
Possible Subject Areas: General Reference, Linguistics, English Literature, History
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the historical dictionary of the English language. The
latest edition is twenty-volume Second Edition (1989). The three-volume Additions Series
(volume 1-2 in 1993, and volume 3 in 1997) is also available as a supplemental resource. The
OED covers more than 600,000 words over the last 1,000 years through 3 million quotations
from a wide range of international English language sources. Each entry contains the etymology,
definition, part of speech, date of origination, pronunciation, cross-references, and quotation.
These contents make this resource outstanding in tracing the development and history of the
words.
The Oxford English Dictionary Online (OED Online) has provided the subscription service since
2000. It contains both the complete text of the twenty-volume Second Edition and three-volume
additions series. The database allows searching of the entire text of the dictionary by various
search options. The content is updated quarterly by the OED revision programme.
Recommendation: We chose the online version over the print version.
Justification of our choice: The Online Oxford English Dictionary provides users with a more
valuable and well-rounded experience because of the online version’s value added features such
as clickable links to a thesaurus and other dictionaries, regularly updated content and larger print
that allows for easier viewing. The online edition provides a more user friendly experience
because it is accessible to multiple people and provides more information that can be easily
viewed than in the print version. The online edition, though it may be the same price, is more
valuable because of the added features, the quick updates, and the user friendliness functions of
accessibility.
Table 1. Pros & Cons of Online Oxford English Dictionary
Pros:
Cons:
Regularly updated content
Patrons might not expect the resource to be online and
might have trouble finding it
Users can appeal content that they feel is incorrect
Patrons might have trouble using a computer or
navigating the website and need the assistance of
library staff
Multiple people can use this resource at the same time
Patrons inexperienced with using a computer might not
even try to access the online form
No lifting heavy books or having to physically search
for materials on the shelves
Patrons would not have the experience of using the
print form
There is a help button available to contact support staff
Patrons wouldn’t have the same browsing and
accidental learning (of new words) experience that the
print dictionaries provide, but would be able to browse
and stumble upon new words in different ways in the
online version.
As it is viewed on a computer screen, the print can be
enlarged for easier viewing
Patrons might not learn how to use a print dictionary
(information literacy)
Added value content such as the Word of the Day
feature
There are simple search options, as well as advanced
search options
Lists of alphabetical words can be searched and
narrowed down by searching for the first few letters
Search results can be sorted
The source feature will provide all of the words and the
examples used from a certain source (Ex. Shakespeare's
Hamlet)
Search results can be saved, printed, emailed, or cited
easily
In the article for a word there is a link to a thesaurus, a
pronunciation key that breaks the word down for easy
understandability, and a list of other dictionaries that
have the word
For those users who do not know how to use a print
dictionary, this format might be easier for them to use
Library staff will be there to offer assistance as needed
Table 2. Pros & Cons of Print Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary
Pros:
Cons:
Available if there is ever an issue with the computers, a
power outage, or other unforeseen event
Large multi-volume set that uses a significant amount
of shelf space
Alternative source for users who prefer print materials
Small print in each volume
Library owns the item permanently; no issues with
losing access to information or subscriptions
Layout of each entry is less intuitive compared to the
interface of the online version
Easier to locate alongside other print resources
Unable to support multiple, simultaneous users
Unable to support any equipment that can aid users
with visual impairments (such as a screen reader)