Credo Reference Is An MLA Platinum Winner: Q&A With The Editors

Infobase’s award-winning academic resource Credo Reference just brought home another award—Platinum distinction in LibraryWorks’ 11th annual Modern Library Awards (MLAs)! Each year, the MLAs recognize the top products and services in the library industry in a truly unbiased format.

We wanted to follow up this latest great honor with a conversation with Kristin Klinger, Infobase’s platform owner, and Kathy Cacace, the acquisitions manager for Credo Reference, to get their thoughts on what makes this resource a winner.

What do you think makes Credo Reference stand apart from the competition?

Kathy Cacace: One of the things that I think sets Credo Reference apart is its mission: Credo Reference is a reference solution. To support that mission, we are laser-focused on acquiring encyclopedias, handbooks, and other reference resources from top publishers. Other products that contain hundreds of thousands of eBooks may be overwhelming to users just beginning their research. And they may not support easy searching and browsing like Credo Reference’s books, whose entries stand on their own.

How does Credo Reference meet the needs of today’s early researchers?

KC: There are so many ways to get information online today, and we know that Credo Reference lives in an information ecosystem alongside open access staples like Wikipedia and newer tools like ChatGPT. Unlike those resources, though, Credo Reference supports early researchers by providing only vetted, authoritative content from world-renowned publishers. It’s a research starting point that always delivers information users can feel confident citing in papers or other assignments.

What do you think are Credo Reference’s top features for users?

Kristin Klinger: There are a few standout features that I think really resonate with users. First, there’s the citation tool, which is consistently one of the most-used features on the platform. It’s such a simple yet powerful tool that makes organizing and citing references effortless, and that’s something researchers clearly value.

Then there’s our federated search, which you’ll find in the “More Library Resources” tab. I love how it lets users take their research further by seamlessly connecting them to other trusted library resources. Starting with Credo Reference gives researchers a strong foundation, and from there, they can explore even more relevant content and gather everything they need efficiently.

And of course, I have to mention the Mind Map! It’s such a unique and interactive way to explore related concepts. Whether you enter one or two search terms, it visually opens up thousands of connections, making discovery not just productive but also a bit fun. It’s a great tool for brainstorming or diving deeper into a topic.

One of Credo Reference’s greatest strengths is how it supports discovery at every step. For example, each entry is accompanied by related search suggestions that help users dive deeper into a topic or explore connected ideas they might not have considered. There’s also the use of keywords, which provide another pathway for expanding a search and finding new content.

These tools really emphasize Credo Reference’s role as a starting point for research—whether you’re just getting your bearings on a topic or looking to explore the nuances in greater detail. It’s all about making it easy for users to not only find the information they need but also discover more than they initially expected.

What are some of the most valuable content that researchers need/request/use?

KK: There are a few content types that really stand out. Summary Articles are a favorite. These appear right at the top of search results and give users authoritative overviews of more than 10,000 topics from our trusted publishing partners. They’re such a great starting point for building foundational knowledge on any subject.

Another highlight is our content from The Conversation, which falls under our Pro/Con offerings. These articles are incredibly popular because they tackle current issues with up-to-date research and analysis from scholars and faculty. It’s an academic perspective you can trust, and it’s really valuable for researchers looking for credible insights.

And finally, I have to mention the Research Quick Tips. These practical tutorials are perfect for newer researchers. They provide easy-to-follow guidance on the basics of good research practices, which helps users build their skills and navigate the research process with confidence.

Are there any “hidden gems” on Credo Reference you’d like to highlight?

KC: I loved all of my art history classes in college and I go to museums whenever I can, so I have to shout out Bridgeman Images. Credo Reference houses nineteen Bridgeman Images collections—containing more than 200,000 images!—that span art history and bring museums to life. I’ve never been to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, but browsing more than a thousand images in the Bridgeman Images Hermitage Collection certainly makes me feel like I’m there.

About Our Editors

Kristin Klinger is the Platform Owner at Infobase, where she shapes strategy and defines requirements for a diverse portfolio of products. Previously, she served as Director of Content Licensing for Infobase and Credo Reference, overseeing acquisitions and enhancing the Credo user experience. Earlier in her career, Kristin built IGI Global’s publishing program as Editorial Director. A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, she combines over a decade of experience in EdTech and academic publishing with a passion for empowering learners and educators.

Kathy Cacace is the acquisitions manager for Credo Reference. She previously worked at Infobase as a news writer and editor for World News Digest and in clinical medical publishing at McGraw-Hill and Springer. She holds a Ph.D. in Media Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, where she taught film, radio, and television history while working on her dissertation.

Rave Reviews from Librarians Like You

Here’s what the MLA judges had to say about Credo Reference:

“We have used Credo in our library for years and this is a great resource for our students. The customer service level is extremely high!”
“In the rare instances that we’ve had issues, they’ve been incredibly responsive. The product is popular with our students and faculty.”
“We also use Credo Reference Information Literacy modules and have found them to be useful and creative, keeping the attention of the students while being informative.”
“I’ve nicknamed Credo Reference as a ‘professor-approved Wikipedia.’ I recommend it to students during instruction sessions and at the reference desk. It often is the first database I search when answering research questions. I also encourage students to try Credo Reference first when starting a research assignment. In an ocean of confusing peer-reviewed articles, Credo Reference provides basic, credible information from sources that professors will accept for research assignments.”

One More for the Award Shelf

The MLA Platinum distinction joins other awards and accolades Credo Reference has won throughout the years. Credo Reference also was a finalist in 2020 CODIE Awards in the “Best Library Reference or Educational Database” category. It was also a 2020 Library Journal Must-Have Database for Academic and Public Libraries and was a Choice Outstanding Academic Title (OAT) twice.

Credo Reference is not the only Infobase resource that has been recognized by the MLAs. Today’s Science and Bloom’s Literature won Platinum distinction in 2023 and 2020 respectively, and both Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center and Issues & Controversies won Gold distinction in 2021.

Subscribers: log into Credo Reference to see for yourself how it earned its Platinum!

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Credo Reference Is an MLA Platinum Winner: Q&A with the Editors