WHAT’S A DATABASE ?

Wil PetersLSUS Noel LibraryApril 2012

WHAT IS A DATABASE ?

Ever wonder what your instructor means exactly when they are referring you to “one of the library’s databases ?”

Take a minute, for an explanation of what the library’s databases can mean to you in researching a topic for a class assignment.

A DATABASE IS…

Basically, it’s a collection of information.

TO NAME A FEW:

A dictionary (like the online Oxford English Dictionary that we just looked in.)

Phone directory This library’s online catalog Search engines (Google) FaceBook ?

IN THE LIBRARY, MOST DATABASES ARE, Searchable collections of journal

articles. As in the EBSCO site: Academic Search

Complete, Education Resource Complete, MLA Int. Bibliography, etc.

Noel Library currently offers about 100 different databases.

Majority of these provided by collaborative funding through the LOUIS Project (consortium of Louisiana academic libraries) funded in large part by the Louisiana Board of Regents

THE DATABASES ARE FOUND

Through the library’s homepage Important to access them this way as they

are licensed by their vendors for LSUS students & faculty. If searching from off-campus, must be authenticated as LSUS student or faculty (same as for MyLSUS, except faculty must use their PID & PIN)

ON LIBRARY’S HOMEPAGE (WWW.LSUS.EDU/LIBRARY) CLICK THE FIND ARTICLES & DATABASES LINK

WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION IS FOUND IN LIBRARY DATABASES ?

(VARIES ACCORDING TO DATABASE)

Periodical articles (magazines, journals, newspapers)

Legal information (court cases, statutes, etc.)

Ebooks Images,maps Reference works (dictionaries, books)

WHAT SUBJECTS DO THEY COVER ?

Some databases are multidisciplinary,e.g., Academic Search Complete (EBSCO)

Some are subject-specific.e.g., PsycARTICLES (EBSCO)

WHAT DO THESE DATABASES LOOK LIKE ?DEPENDING ON THE PRODUCER/VENDOR,

Each producer/vendor will create a specific look for the search interface/ home page

Currently LSUS Library subscribes to ca. 50 different EBSCO databases, these all have the same look & feel Other vendors’ products are designed

differently & uniquely

HOW DO DATABASES DIFFER FROM GOOGLE ?

Search engines (like Google) are searching millions of web pages,

Databases are finite collections , e.g., articles from 1000 journals

Databases are proprietary, i.e., owned & sold & licensed by for-profit companies

WHAT ARE SUBSCRIPTION DATABASES ? Means that the information is

accessible only to subscribers (the library & students & faculty/staff), databases are fee based products

WHY CAN’T I READ THE FULL TEXT ?

AVAILABILITY OF FULL TEXT VARIES,

Databases provide full text of journal articles through licensing agreements with journals

This means that some journals will license (sell) access to a number of back years (may include up to current issue) of their journal full text

Often the most recent issues (12 mos or 6 mos) are not available full text . (embargo)

DATABASES ARE ACCESSED VIA THE LIBRARY’S HOME PAGE

The library’s home page has a link to the databases, Find Articles & Databases This will list ca. 100 distinct databases There is also a list of broad subject areas

on left Library research guides, or LibGuides

will have links to & search tips for related databases

ANY QUESTIONS ?

If “yes,”—then… Stop in at Reference Desk, 1st Fl., Noel

Library Email us librefdesk@lsus.edu Call us 318-797-5068 Ref. Desk hours, same as library’s hours

Wil Peters william.peters@lsus.edu