Verfasser-Datenbank

It is useful to have four literary biography reference works combined together. And since Verfasser-Datenbank is issued by De Gruyter, a large German publisher with other databases like Germanistik, it can be cross-searched with the other De Gruyter databases for citations, though not full-text retrievable.

A significant drawback of the database is its tiny font, which makes some of its functionality less obvious to users. For example, an advanced search function in the top-right corner enables searching of other De Gruyter databases, but the text is so unobtrusive, many users will miss it. User notes and background information about Verfasser-Datenbank are  featured PDFs on the database’s homepage, but are only available in German.

A full citation, including a DOI (Digital Object Identifier), is listed at the very top of the results page of each entry article, simplifying bibliographic citation for the user. Citations may then be exported from the site in ALA, MLA, or Chicago formats and saved as a file. Clicking on the “Export” button will download the details in RIS format. Details include author name (if available), document title, and URL. The RIS bibliographic format can be imported in most citation managers, such as Endnote, RefWorks, and Citavi.

Articles can not be exported. Instead, once logged in, users may save an article by adding it to their “bookshelf.” Users can also add notes to saved articles that only they can see. The publisher reports that downloads in PDF format will be implemented by December 2012.

Comments from CRL members include:

• A comparison between Verfasser-Datenbank and Gale’s Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB) online found that not only does the DLB offers as good if not better treatment to an entry, including portraits from the period, but the DLB also covers all of the same historical periods that the Verfasser-Datenbank covers.

• Though cross-searchable, Verfasser-Datenbank offers few other features, e.g., hot links from bibliographic sources. Instead, “In order to follow up on the bibliographies, one must practice old-fashioned librarianship, whereby one cuts and pastes the source titles into the OPAC to determine holdings and locations.”

• Saving, exporting, and e-mailing results require setting up an account, and these features are limited to citation information, not the full text (though it is possible to save full text and return to it later via the “My Bookshelf” feature within the database.)