What are databases?
Databases are collections of trustworthy information about a single theme. For example, the InfoTrac Custom Newspaper database focuses on full-text coverage of over 100 newspapers in the U.S. and worldwide. Heritage Quest Online can help you find information about people and places from more than 1.9 million genealogy and local history articles.
Why Not Just Use Google Instead?
- Everything on the web isn't reliable.
Can you trust every site Google brings up? Wouldn't you rather have your 4th grader browsing through the Searchasaurus, a kid-friendly database specifically for elementary school children? - Everything on the web isn't free.
It takes time and judgment to look at a website, determine if its content is good, its sources knowledgeable, and its links and references updated and working. In good databases, people are paid salaries to make sure all this is done well. - Everything on the web isn't easy to find.
Have you ever tried to find something on Google and had thousands of returns? Or none at all? It might be easy to find the American Diabetes Association but maybe not so simple when you're holding three different kinds of prescription bottles in your hand and wondering how they'll interact. (Tip, try TexShare Database Consumer Health Complete, in English or Spanish.)
Where Do These Databases Come From?
- Databases come from various publishers, just like journals, magazines, and books. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) looks at a wide range of these, picks some excellent ones, and makes a good deal for them on behalf of 698 participating Texas libraries. In October of 2006, TexShare offered each member access to 10,588 journals and 28,281 electronic books.
Can't I just search my library catalog and find databases?
- No, the information contained in databases cannot be searched through using a library catalog. An online library catalog and a database are totally distinct from one another.
- There are two major ways to access the TexShare databases and each requires you to be a member of a participating library and get a password. The first good way to find a database is through the Library of Texas. This interface will allow you to search many of these databases simultaneously. The second way is generally through your own library's website. Most Texas libraries subscribe to TexShare databases and they often offer a link to them on their own websites. You'll still need a password because the libraries do pay their share for each database.
Who's Paying For Them?
- You are! In 2006, TexShare databases cost $6.5 million. The Texas State Legislature contributed $4.5 million of this and the federal government gave $1 million, through the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences. TexShare members, paying on sliding scale according to size, added another $900,000.
- Keep in mind that the $6.5 million TSLAC spent on the TexShare Databases would have cost more than $77 million if purchased separately at full price.
What's This About Full-Text?
- Some TexShare databases offer full-text, which means you'll find whole articles there. You'll also be able to read them online, and copy, print, or email them.
- Some other TexShare databases offer citations and abstracts only. An abstract is just a short summary of a longer article. A citation is a description of where to find the article. It will tell you the title of the article, who the author is, in what journal and volume the article was published, and the date it was published.
- You'll need to take the next step to find an actual article from abstracts and citations. Go back to your library catalog or ask your librarian to help you search for the journal you need. If your library doesn't have it you can request a copy through inter-library loan.
This page was written by Astrid Oliver in Spring 2005.
This page was revised by Derek Najera in Spring 2006.
This page was revised by Lisa Charbonnet in Spring 2007.
INF 382S: Library Instruction and Information Literacy, taught by Dr. Loriene Roy
School of Information,
The University of Texas at Austin