While Lexis may have an explanation, I see no public criticism from the
indiv. who merely was pointing out concern & alerting other librarians to
an obvious error. If the inconsistancy is truly there, the first
inclination is to check/share w/ fellow librarians for confirmation. I
don't see why the publisher must be contacted "privately" before comparing
w/ a colleague about a noticed errata. Esp. since the publishers also
subscribe to the list & can give their explanation very quickly to all of
us online. Either there's an error or there isn't - Just my HO..
Karen Mahnk
At 12:46 PM 6/4/2001 -0400, Graesser, Christine L. wrote:
>Okay, let's do something about it. Those of you who have documented errors
>that are not explained by gaps in currentness, please send them to me for
>CRIV and we'll forward them to Shepard's. Hopefully the problem can be
>identified and corrected.
>
>In reviewing the postings on this, it doesn't appear that anyone other than
>Judy Helms actually contacted Lexis/Shepard's about the errors. CRIV
>believes that we owe it to any vendor to inform them of problems privately
>and try to get an explanation before publicly criticising them on law-lib,
>particularly very specific problems such as errors in content.
>
>CRIV welcomes comments and inquiries about vendors, and more often than not,
>we can facilitate an solution, or at least an answer.
>
>Chris Graesser, Chair
>Committee on Relations with Information Vendors (CRIV)
>Brown Rudnick
>Hartford, CT
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Serpento, Mary Margaret [mailto:SERPM1@KITCH.COM]
>Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 11:32 AM
>To: 'LAW-LIB (post messages)'
>Subject: RE: Inconsistent coverage by Shepard's Citations on CD and
>Lexis. com
>
>
>
>I've noticed that the print version sometimes misses cases too. As in Pam's
>situation, currency is not the problem. These are cases (fortunately only a
>few) that should have appeared in the bound set, but don't. Interestingly,
>the prime example DID appear in the CD-ROM.
>
>Mary Margaret Serpento
>Law Librarian
>Kitch Drutchas Wagner DeNardis & Valitutti
>serpm1@kitch.com
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Pam Dempsey [mailto:pmdempse@rodey.com]
>Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 10:58 AM
>To: Graesser, Christine L.; Pam Dempsey; Judy Helms; law-lib@ucdavis.edu
>Subject: RE: Inconsistent coverage by Shepard's Citations on CD and Lexis.
>com
>
>
>I hope it was clear to most readers that I was not complaining of mere lack
>of currency between the CD and online. In the example I gave of the 1995
>case reversed by a 1996 case, I was using the current 2001 CD. The reversal
>simply was never picked up on the CD version.
>
>Pamela M. Dempsey
>Head Librarian
>Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb, P.A.
>P.O. Box 1888
>Albuquerque, NM 87103
>Voice: (505) 768-7348
>Fax: (505) 768-7395
>pmdempse@rodey.com
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Graesser, Christine L. [mailto:cgraesser@brfg.com]
>Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 8:12 AM
>To: 'Pam Dempsey'; Judy Helms; law-lib@ucdavis.edu
>Subject: RE: Inconsistent coverage by Shepard's Citations on CD and Lexis.
>com
>
>
>Regardless of the vendor, researchers need to be wise to the ways of various
>information media formats. When you consider the time span required to
>produce a print product or a CD-ROM, it shouldn't be surprising that they
>will not be as up to date as the online or web version. Of course the 1995
>CD would not include references to a 1996 case. I wouldn't call these
>errors, unless it's on the part of the researcher who assumes that a CD
>dated 1995 is current to 2001.
>
>Lexis/Shepards are not the only vendors who are bound by these limitations.
>You will find the same gaps in the CD versions of Westlaw or LOISLAW.
>Vendors should be up front about the difference in coverage, but librarians
>are equally responsible for familiarizing themselves with these limitations,
>which have been around for quite a few years now.
>
>Chris Graesser, Chair
>AALL Committee on Relations with Information Vendors
>Brown Rudnick
>Hartford, CT
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>From: Pam Dempsey [mailto:pmdempse@rodey.com]
>Sent: Friday, June 01, 2001 6:18 PM
>To: Judy Helms; law-lib@ucdavis.edu
>Subject: RE: Inconsistent coverage by Shepard's Citations on CD and Lexis.
>com
>
>
>Different "treatment" is bad enough, but I have found to my horror that in
>several instances the substance of the report is just plain wrong (Shepard's
>print/CD/Lexis may not agree as to subsequent history and/or treatment).
>This is not merely a matter of the online version being more current. For
>example, I checked a 1995 N.M. Court of Appeals case on the CD and the
>report said there were "no citing references." In fact, the decision had
>been reversed in 1996. Shepard's on Lexis.com had the correct information.
>God knows what was in the print version. This is but one of several
>examples that I have stumbled upon where there are serious errors in direct
>or indirect history.
>
>I do not have so charitable a reaction as yours to Lexis's response in
>supplying a table. I'd like to know why "Shepard's" isn't "Shepard's" no
>matter what format or medium (allowing, of course, for greater currency
>online)! We have paid a great deal for a CD product that, it seems, simply
>cannot be relied on. I too am investigating the cost of abandoning the CD
>product in favor of online access. If we were to do that, I strongly
>suspect that our online business would go elsewhere than Lexis.com. Rather
>a shame that the venerable name of Shepard's, once the gold standard in
>citators, has become so tarnished (in my mind, at least).
>
>Pamela M. Dempsey
>Head Librarian
>Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb, P.A.
>P.O. Box 1888
>Albuquerque, NM 87103
>Voice: (505) 768-7348
>Fax: (505) 768-7395
>pmdempse@rodey.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Judy Helms [mailto:Judy.Helms@co.travis.tx.us]
>Sent: Friday, June 01, 2001 3:08 PM
>To: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
>Subject: Re: Inconsistent coverage by Shepard's Citations on CD and
>Lexis.com
>
>
>
>
> I was surprised and disturbed to learn this week that a case's treatment
>by Shepard's on CD-ROM may differ significantly from its treatment by
>Lexis.com Shepard's. For example, 777 F. Supp. 445 shows a green light on
>the CD. The same case Shepardized on Lexis.com shows a red stop sign.
>
> This disturbed me so much that I chose 35 cases at random and compared
>their treatment by the two products. Of the 35 cases, 5 showed differing
>treatment. This is 14% of the cases!
>
> Lexis confirmed that, yes, there are differences, and supplied me with a
>table describing the differences in detail. Their prompt response and
>helpfulness impressed me. It showed excellent customer service by Lexis.
>
> As a result of this, my manager is crunching numbers to determine if she
>can replace the CD's with Lexis.com passwords.
>
> If you want a list of the cases I searched or a copy of the table Lexis
>sent me, you can email me directly at judy.helms@co.travis.tx.us.
>
>Judy Helms
>Ref. Librarian
>Travis County Law Library
>Austin, Texas 78701
>(512)473-9045
>
>
>
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