A database is an organized collection of information, which you can search using a computer or device.

That information is organized as “records,” where each record contains information about a specific item. In a library database, each record contains information about a specific article, book, video, etc. Some databases are subject-specific, while others cover a range of subjects.

While library databases are usually known for journal articles, they actually contain many different types of items:

• articles of all types: scholarly, trade, magazine, and newspaper
• eBooks
• dissertations and theses
• videos
• company records

In journal databases, each record contains information which summarizes the journal or article. Databases generally have quite sophisticated search functions, which allow you to search them using keywords and key phrases. You can also browse a database, but that is usually done by browsing the contents of a single journal. Two of our main database platforms are EBSCOhost and ProQuest, but we have others as well.

How is a database different from a search engine?

A database structures the information, categorizing the information by type. For example, a library database’s record for an article will label the author name, article title, journal title, date, abstract, etc. A search engine does not structure information this thoroughly. Google, for example, contains all the text associated with a website, but does not fully categorize the website’s title, author name, publication date, etc. Google can make educated guesses about the information, but often makes mistakes.

For a complete list of our databases, please use our Databases A-Z page. Select from a complete list of subject-specific databases organized alphabetically. 

Use the All Subjects drop-down menu to get a list of recommended databases for different subject areas.