About Library Databases

  • A website that requires a paid subscription in order to access information.
  • Contains information from published works such as articles from magazines or encyclopedias.
  • Can be used to search for titles, authors, magazines, dates, etc.
  • Often give you access to full-text articles that can be printed or e-mailed.
  • Are selected by librarians to meet the needs of their library patrons.

How is a library article database different from a website search engine?

Library Article Databases Websites
Get their information from professionals or experts in the field. Can be written by anyone regardless of expertise.
Contain published works where facts are checked. Content is not necessarily checked by anyone, expert or not.
Easy to cite in a bibliography and may create the citation for you. Don't provide the information necessary to create a complete citation.
Help you narrow down your topic or suggest related subjects. Aren't often organized to support student research needs.
Updated frequently and include the date of publication. May not contain current information or indicate when a page is updated.
Available to anyone using a computer in a library that subscribes to databases or any library cardholder using a computer outside the library. Available to anyone with an internet connection inside or outside the library.
Articles included in databases usually are not available free. Copyrighted articles are not available free on an internet.

Here are our Article Databases.