OnCongress reinforces the status of Congressional Quarterly (CQ) as a primary source for information about US Congressional activities. The database counts members of Congress, federal agencies, interest groups, policy experts, media, and business leaders among its subscribers.
It is highly recommended that academic librarians take the free trial option. First‐hand experience in exploring the timely reporting of activities and accessing the documents online will reveal CQ’s intense efforts to cover Congressional happenings. OnCongress may have an advantage in academic libraries over federal document collections. First, access to materials in these collections often carries a significant time‐lag. The second advantage comes from Congressional Quarterly’s staff, numbering over 125 reporters covering Capital Hill, coupled with timely news and non‐partisan analysis.
Collection development personnel considering this resource need to look carefully at the curriculum and how it is taught in conjunction with a thorough review of OnCongress. The 23 databases in OnCongress provide scrutiny of various legislative activities. Local researchers may not require this level of research material. Probably the most utilized databases for academic library customers will be the bill package, committee reports, committee coverage, member profiles, daily monitor, weekly monitor, votes and custom votes, and house action reports. Other databases such as Newsmaker Transcripts, Bulletin News Network Frontrunner (excerpts from more than 150 newspapers and newscasts) and White House Bulletin may be less relevant to the research needs of students and faculty. Depository libraries may not need access to the Federal Register, Congressional Transcripts and Congressional Record. For these reasons, academic libraries will probably want to customize a subscription by selecting from among the databases rather than paying for the complete OnCongress package (approximately $27,000).
OnCongress responds rapidly, once users select from numerous search options. Queries may be entered for one database, or users may search all simultaneously. The databases and search options are initially overwhelming. Libraries will want to provide some level of training for local personnel. Congressional Quarterly offers a 90‐minute training course to assist. Incorporated in the course are explanations of each data source and tips for using them. The help feature presents sufficient information to allow new users to become familiar with screen formats and to get an introduction to databases.
Several features seem most appropriate for individual subscribers, such as access to custom alerts for tracking issues, the option for storing lists of search criteria, and the news tabs for the latest from the publisher. Tools provided for creating charts and reports have the potential to create lengthy waiting lines where e‐resources are accessed on the same computer as the online catalogue, such as in the library lobby. Yet, in the dorm or faculty office these tools would be popular.
