What's a database

Editor's Notes

• #4: These are all types of databases, they work generally like a filing cabinet. In order to effectively store and be able to retrieve lots of different pieces of information (song files from iTunes, contact info, webpages, articles, etc). the files are organized into a system.
• #5: Sometimes you have a limited amount of information that you use to create your own database.
• #6: But sometimes the information is collected and organized for you and then you can use the system to find the information you’re looking for.
• #7: Sometimes the organizational system is made digital. The yellow pages is a company that compiles and organizes information (people’s addresses and phone numbers) and then provides access to that organized information in a way that is searchable.
• #8: At GGC we have access to things from many different sources. We buy books, dvds and videos, newspapers, magazines & journals to support research. Some of these items are in print, some we buy digitally through databases.
• #11: You know that if you wanted to buy something, you could go lots of places to get them, including the mall. But once you get to the mall, its not one huge store, right?
• #12: Everything’s not piled up in the food court! Its separated and organized into individual stores. And different stores have different types of things inside them.
• #13: Say you wanted to buy a new pair of shoes. The type of shoe you want will determine where you go to find it. If you are looking for dress shoes, you might try a department store, or if you’re looking for work shoes you might try a store that has a little bit of everything, but if you’re looking for hiking boots, you’ll need to look at an outdoor or recreational sporting good store.
• #14: Shopping for information works the same way. You might be able to use a general resource like Google or Wikipedia, but sometimes you’ll need to find something very specific, especially when you’re working on a research assignment for a college-level class.
• #15: Library resources have the benefit of being specific, dramatically narrowing the overwhelming number of irrelevant results in a typical google search. Our databases also give you the ability to limit what you’re searching for, to specific types of information for example (articles, books, videos) or to search only within academic, peer reviewed publications, and the ability to examine detailed article abstracts in order to ensure relevance before committing to an article committing, they also provide a way to organize and save the information you find.
• #16: GALILEO is the library’s main collection of databases.
• #17: It’s a lot like the mall because its not one huge database, but a collection of different databases (about 300!) that all have different types of information inside them.
• #18: Some databases, like Academic Search, are very general and cover lots of topics. Other databases get very specific and only cover certain topics or sources of information.
• #20: Google will also have lots of information, but I’ll probably get overwhelmed, and I’ll definitely have a hard time deciding what is reputable and sorting out the pro and con arguments from all the blogs and websites.
• #21: Wikipedia might have an entry on the subject, but there’s no way to tell who wrote it or if I can trust the information, so I’m going to try to find the information I need in GALILEO.
• #22: If I look in a general database like Academic Search Complete, I will find lots of different kinds of information and most of it will be from reputable sources
• #23: But if I look in Opposing Viewpoints, I’ll find the specific pro and con resources I need, since that’s what that database is designed to deliver.