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MeL Databases

MeL Databases

MeL Databases contain full-text articles from magazines, journals and newspapers as well as digital books. Click here to familiarize yourself with these databases.

What is a Database?

  • Library databases contain information from published works.
    • Examples: Magazine and newspaper articles,encyclopedias and other reference books.
  • Library databases are searchable.
    • By Keywords, Subject, Author, Magazine Title, Date, etc.
  • Library databases provide citation information..
    • Author, if available
    • Title of Article
    • Publication (Title of Magazine, Newspaper, or Reference Book)
    • Publisher
    • Date of Publication
  • Library databases often contain full-text articles.
    • You can print or email an entire article.
  • There are different kinds of library databases
    • For specific topics. Examples: Biography Resource Center , New Book of Popular Science
    • For general topics Examples: ProQuest, World Book Online
  • Library databases are paid for by taxpayer dollars.

How is a library database different from a website?

Library databases

websites
  • Library databases get their information from professionals or experts in the field.
  • Websites can be written by anyone regardless of expertise.
  • Library databases contain published works where facts are checked.
  • Website content is not necessarily checked by an expert.
  • Library databases are easy to cite in a bibliography and may create the citation for you.
  • Websites often don’t provide the information necessary to create a complete citation.
  • Library databases can help you narrow your topic or suggest related subjects.
  • Websites often aren’t organized to support student research needs.
  • Library databases are updated frequently and include the date of publication.
  • Websites may not indicate when a page is updated.

 

Questions to ask about ANY information:

  • Currency: How recent is the information, and when was it last updated?

  • Organization: Is it easy to find the information you need?

  • Accuracy: How reliable is the information, and are the facts accurate?

  • Bibliography: How easy is the work to cite in a bibliography? Does it give you the author, title, publisher, and date?

  • Unfamiliar Topics: How useful is it when you don’t know where to start?

  • Languages: How easily can the work provide languages other than English?

Any source, whether a library database or website, can have good information. It is necessary to think critically about all information that you read or view.

Why shouldn’t I just use Google?

Google and other internet search engines are incredibly useful tools for organizing and searching the staggering amounts of information available on the Internet. Yet Google and other search engines may not always be the right tool for the job at hand. Databases provide information; much of it in the desirable formats listed above (magazine and journal articles, government information, essays, ect.), that has been preselected for its quality and authority, while an internet search will give you everything the search engine finds across the entire internet using the terms used in the search. This requires the searcher to play a larger role in deciding the relevance of the information returned by their search. With a database the relevance is preset by the subject focus of the database.

Need more help? Your local Dexter District Library is ready to help you with your research needs. You can “Ask a Librarian” in person, on the phone, or by email. For more information on how to contact a librarian go to our Contact Us page.