Searching

"a database is a large, organized list of facts and information [including] encyclopedias, telephone directories, airline flight guides, and bibliographic references . . . . Databases are distinguished . . . by one essential feature: Upon request a specific group of disparate facts can be extracted from the collection."

Grolier's Encyclopedia Online

This quality of organization that allows "specific ... facts [to be] extracted" is what distinguishes a database from a computer network like the Internet, which has no standardized organization principle.

More and more databases can be accessed through the Web; but their contents are not included in search engines like Google or Yahoo! Most are available through separate Web sites that charge a fee for use, normally paid by your library.

<<previous pg. | next pg.>>