WHAT IS A DATABASE?
A database is a collection of data (information), organized for easy retrieval. For example, a list of names and telephones of your friends, arranged alphabetically, is a database. Usually, however, the word, database, refers to a computerized, searchable, list.
A library catalog is a database of materials created for a library. It will describe the materials (books, etc.) and tell you if they are available or checked out to someone else.
In libraries, what we usually refer to as databases are lists of articles from periodicals (newspapers and magazines) that can be searched in various ways: title, author, subject, date, etc. Many of these databases are "full-text" which means that you can find the whole article that you are searching for, not just the information about that article. NYADI and the NYS Library have made the databases described in the box below available to you.
If you are looking for information for a school project or personal use, check out some of these databases and get reliable articles, selected for credibility, and seldom available on the open web through search engines such as, Google or Yahoo. Your librarian can help you.
New York State NOVEL
Statewide Access to Electronic Information from the New York State Library at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/gate/esubject.htm#NOVELNY Databases
NOVELNY is funded by federal Library Services and Technology Act Funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
What is NOVELNY?
Provided by the New York State Library, NOVELNY is an online virtual library connecting New Yorkers to 21st century information via libraries and library systems statewide.
NOVELNY is an electronic resource access project that enables libraries across New York State to give their communities online access to the full text of thousands of journals, newspapers and other references.
Currently, NOVELNY provides online access to several database products. These include:
GALE CENGAGE LEARNING
- Academic OneFile – A source for peer-reviewed, full-text articles (numbering in the millions) from the world's leading journals and reference sources. With extensive coverage of the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social ciences, the arts, theology, literature and other subjects, Academic OneFile is both authoritative and comprehensive. Includes full-text coverage of the New York Times back to 1985.
- Business Insights: Essentials – This comprehensive database brings together a wide variety of global business information including company profiles,industry reports, and financial reports, as well as business magazines and newspapers. It contains full text from over 3,900 periodical titles.
- General OneFile – A source for news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics: business, computers,current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and many general interest topics. Millions of full-text articles, many with images.
- Health Reference Center Academic – Provides access to the full text of nursing and allied health journals, plus the wide variety of personal health information sources in InfoTrac's award-winning Health Reference Center.
- InfoTrac Newsstand – Offers over 1,100 full-text newspapers that include several New York State newspapers. New York State Newspapers is a subset of InfoTrac Newsstand including articles from newspapers from around New York State including:Glens Falls Post-Star, New York Times, The New York Observer, New York Post, and Newsday.
- Kids InfoBits – Contains over 100 age-appropriate magazines for grades K-5. Also includes Merriam-Webster's Elementary Dictionary, maps, flags, seals,charts and graphs.
- National Newspaper Index – Provides article citations from 1977 to present for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post.
- Opposing Viewpoints in Context – Contains a range of perspectives on many important issues, with over 13,000 pro/con viewpoints. Includes a variety of resource types: reference, news, primary sources,multimedia and more.
PROQUEST
- eLibrary Elementary – Contains over 140 magazines and books for elementary students. Also includes the American Heritage Dictionary.
- Gannett Newsstand Complete – Contains over 85 Gannett newspapers, 6 of which are New York newspapers. These include the Ithaca Journal, Poughkeepsie Journal, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Journal News (White Plains), Press and Sun -Bulletin (Binghamton) and Star-Gazette (Elmira).
SCHOLASTIC
- Amazing Animals of the World – For elementary school students. Includes facts and photos for over 1,200 animals.
- America the Beautiful – For elementary and middle school students. Includes articles on US cities, states and presidents.
- Encyclopedia Americana – Articles include links to further readings, a bibliography, selected full text articles, web page links, and links to related articles.
- Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia – Includes over 41,000 encyclopedia articles, news, timelines, quizzes and games, and research starters. It also includes an atlas and dictionary. Articles can be grouped by lexile level and are aligned to standards.
- Lands and Peoples – For middle and high school students. Includes articles on countries, cultures and current events. Also includes an atlas and almanacs.
- The New Book of Knowledge – For middle grade students. Includes literary selections, a timeline,projects, experiments, news, homework help and more.
- The New Book of Popular Science – For middle and high school students. Includes articles in the areas of science, technology and medicine.
- La Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre – Spanish language encyclopedia written from a Latin American perspective.
Job Resources
The Job Seekers page at novelnewyork.org/jobseekers.php provides links to various job resources.
What other resources are available?
The Current Events page at novelnewyork.org/events.php provides a link to selected newspaper resources.
Who is eligible to participate in NOVELNY, and what benefits do they receive?
Participation is available to all not-for-profit member libraries of library systems in New York State, and Charter Schools to the extent permitted by negotiations and contractual limitations. Every $1 the State invests results in a minimum of $35 worth of access at the local level. NOVELNY may be accessed from any eligible library in the state. Libraries may also choose to offer library users remote access to NOVELNY from their homes, schools or workplaces 24 hours a day, 7days a week. Every New Yorker can search NOVELNY from www.novelnewyork.org via geoIP authentication without entering a driver license number as long as they are in New York State.
What are the origins of NOVELNY?
The Board of Regents, at their July 13, 2000, meeting, adopted the final report of the Regents Commission on Library Services, Meeting the Needs of all New Yorkers: Library Service in the New Century, as Regents policy. Recommendation one in this report is to “Create NOVEL, the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library, to deliver high-quality, reliable digital information to all New Yorkers.”
How is NOVELNY funded?
NOVELNY is supported in large part with temporary federal funds through a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant to the New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).