Overview
Located in Coimbatore, India, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is a multi-disciplinary teaching and research institution enrolling approximately 7,000 students. To support the research needs of students and faculty, the Central Library maintains a collection of more than 90,000 print books, 400 periodicals, 15,000 e-journals, 12,000 e-books and 23 subscription databases.
Solution
The Amrita School of Communication offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in communication as well as a one-year post-graduate diploma in journalism. In 2015, to support the needs of students enrolled in these programs, the Central Library began subscribing to Communication & Mass Media Complete, an EBSCO database offering full text and indexing and abstracts for journals covering communication, mass media, linguistics, language, logic and other closely related fields.
University Librarian M. Jeyothiprakash said the institution selected Communication & Mass Media Complete for its high-quality content and affordability. He identified Journal of Marketing Research (JMR), Language in India, Western Journal of Communication, European Journal of Marketing, International Journal of Advertising and News Media & the Law as among the most valuable journals to students in the Amrita School of Communication.
“The content is unique and relevant,” Jeyothiprakash said. “[The database] helps our end users complete their assignments and projects.”
Users access the database via EBSCOhost®. Students use the NAICS/Industry filter to find organisation-related content, which helps them prepare for on-campus interviews and off-campus industrial site visits. In addition, students appreciate the Text-to-Speech functionality available for HTML articles, which enables them to convert recordings to MP3 format. Students often listen to the audio on their smartphones and embed it in their PowerPoint presentations.
“Communication & Mass Media Complete is helping students in the Amrita School of Communication to explore, research and find creative ways to share and impart knowledge,” Jeyothiprakash said.
Jeyothiprakash said the library has also been pleased by EBSCO’s post-sale training and customer support. The library has since incorporated lessons on using EBSCO resources into its regular orientation and academic instruction sessions.
“Researchers and faculty continue to contact the library to request follow-up sessions,” Jeyothiprakash said.
Communication & Mass Media Complete is helping students in the Amrita School of Communication to explore, research and find creative ways to share and impart knowledge.
— M. Jeyothiprakash, University Librarian
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham