banner

Electronic databases are available on CD and/or online. Most of the producers have websites that contain information and often free-trials of their resources. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be difficult to get young people, teachers, and even librarians excited about using databases.

eye means readRead Databases: Can we get teachers to love 'em? by Joyce Valenza (January 12, 2008).

Explore the following electronic database resources listed on this page:

INSPIRE and IUPUI Databases

Note to IUPUI Graduate Students: Many of the following databases are available through the IUPUI library or the INSPIRE network. You can access databases through both Oncourse and the IUPUI Library page.

Go to the Databases by Title or Databases A to Z page. Access requires IUPUI password. Databases that would be used in by or with children and young adults are listed below ( * useful for elementary/middle school students) :

APAccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive *

American Poetry DatabaseAmerican Poetry Database *

cqCQ Researcher

EBSCOhost Web

ebrarye-brary: download ebrary reader to read the ebooks

thomson galeGale Group Databases (InfoTrac) :

netlibrarynetLibrary: ebooks and references

proquestProQuest

Go to the Free Trial Zone at School Library Journal for links to dozens of free database trials.

Return to Top

Electronic Databases

ABC-CLIO
http://www.abc-clio.com/schools/
Subscription Web sites include: [30-day free trial]

Accessible Archives
http://www.accessible.com/
Primary source materials from 18th and 19th century periodicals. (subscription form online, sign up for free trial)

AccessScience from McGraw-Hill
http://www.accessscience.com/
Online version of the bestselling McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology with 7,000 articles, 115,000 definitions, and biographies of more than 1,200 key scientists. [Access a free sample, sign up for a 4-week free trial]

AccuNet Multimedia Archive
http://ap.accuweather.com/
An extensive online collection of The Associated Press news photos; over 750,000 news-photographs that go back 150 years to as recent as less-than-a minute ago. [Take a guided tour, access ideas for utilization, register for free trial]

Achievement Technologies, Inc.
http://www.skillstutor.com/
Available via the Internet and on CD-ROM, ATI products are designed to raise student achievement as measured by state and national tests - - offer line of instruction and workforce education programs to support K-12 students and adults.

Alldata Online Automotive Repair and Diagnostic Information from AutoZone
http://www.alldatadiy.com/
Access to comprehensive diagnostic, repair and maintenance information for automobiles -- for models 1982 to 2001, 2002 available in July. By request of the manufacturer, information for Honda, Acura and BMW is not available. [Sample section provided online]

American National Biography Online from Oxford University Press
http://www.oup.com/online/anb/ and http://www.anb.org/
Information about over 18,000 people from all eras who have influenced and shaped American history and culture. [Personal subscription rate, quotes for institutional subcription, and free trials are available to institutions and organisations.]

Associated Press Multimedia Archive from AccuNet
http://ap.accuweather.com/apphoto/index.htm
Extensive online collection of The Associated Press news photos; over 750,000 news-photographs that go back 150 years to as recent as less-than-a minute ago. (Register for free trial, take a guided tour)

Bridges
http://www.bridges.com/
CX Online, Portfolio Plus, Career Research Tool, and more (Sign up for free trial)

Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA)
http://www.csa.com/
CSA's Internet Database Service provides access to more than 50 databases covering major areas of research, including materials science, environmental sciences and pollution management, biological sciences, aquatic sciences and fisheries, biotechnology, engineering, computer science, sociology, art history, and linguistics.Visit 'Hot Topics series' http://www.csa.com/csa/hottopics/hottopics-main.shtml (Request a trial)

CollegeSource Online
http://www.collegesource.org/
Virtual library with 24,257 college catalogs in full cover-to-cover, original page format representing 2-year, 4-year, graduate, professional and international schools. [Register for free-trial, can purchase online, cd-rom, or microfiche version]

Countrywatch
http://www.countrywatch.com/ o
Online international economic, socio-demographic database for cross-national statistical comparisons and GIS mapping. Subscription form online, some parts free . . .

CultureGrams Online Edition from Axiom Press
http://onlineedition.culturegrams.com/
Offers 3 versions: (1) World Edition, (2) Kids Edition, and (3) States Edition. (Apply online for price quote, contact information under "Support")

CQ Press Electronic Library from Congressional Quarterly Inc.
http://www.cqpress.com/library/eproducts.htm
Web products on American government, politics, public policy and affairs, and current and controversial issues of the day. The CQ Electronic Library offers reference products: (1) The CQ Researcher (including an archive back to 1991), (2) CQ Weekly (including an archive back to 1983), (3) CQ's Electronic Encyclopedia of American Government, (4) CQ Public Affairs Collection, (5) CQ Supreme Court Collection, or (6) CQ Insider, [Free trials are only available to libraries and professional organizations, free online demos povided]

CultureGrams
http://www.culturegrams.com/
Concise, reliable, and up-to-date country reports on 177 cultures of the world. (Free section at website plus online demo)

EBSCO Information Services
http://www.ebsco.com/
EBSCO Information Services comprises EBSCO Subscription Services, a serials subscription agency, and EBSCO Publishing, a full text and bibliographic database division. Also offer online book purchasing through EBSCO Book Services http://www.ebsco.com/home/books/default.asp. EBSCO Publishing http://www.epnet.com/school/ Offers a wide variety of web-based reference and literacy resources for students and teachers in K-12 schools - elementary, middle, and high school levels. EBSCO has designed its search interfaces to seamlessly interact with other electronic resources held in a library’s collection -- effectively creating a one-stop research environment. Products include:

[Offers some free resources: indexing and abstracts for over 30 of the most popular library trade journals plus 280 of the most popular teacher and administrator trade journals, download one book discussion guide, few selected booktalks, and selected book reivews. Provide subscription based online databases, online request form for free trial access for a librarian or faculty staff member]

Electronic Journals Service (EJS)
http://www.ebsco.com/home/ejournals/
Provides access to more than 8,000 electronic journals containing more than 4 million full text articles.

Encyclopædia Britannica
http://www.britannica.com/
All the content of the 32-volume Encyclopædia Britannica, (2) Britannica Concise Encyclopedia - quick answers to everyday questions, (3) Britannica Student Encyclopedia - ideal for students in grades 5-9, (4)World Atlas - covering the geography, economies, and cultures of more than 215 countries plus multimedia - thousands of images, tables, and audio and video clips, a pop-up dictionary, and more. [ Frequently Asked Questions contains information about an institutional subscription]

Encyclopedia of of Astronomy and Astrophysics
http://eaa.iop.org/index.cfm?action=home
A comphrehensive reference on astronomy and astrophysics. [30 Day Free Institutional Trial]

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
http://www.els.net/els/public/home/
Largest and most comprehensive reference work ever published in the biological sciences. [Sign up for institutional trial]

Facts on File News Services
http://www.facts.com/
Facts On File, the weekly world news digest, has been published without interruption since 1940. It is the standard news reference source for news media and for thousands of libraries worldwide. Online databases offered are: (1) FACTS.com Reference Suite, (2) Facts On File World News Digest, (3) Issues & Controversies On File, (4) Today's Science On File, (5) World Almanac and World Almanac Encyclopedia, and (6) Facts For Learning (Grades 2-5 and 5-8) [Online form for free trial of Online Database Services]

FirstSearch from OCLC (Online Computer Library Center, Inc.)
http://www.oclc.org/firstsearch/
Instant online access to more than 72 databases, including these valuable OCLC databases: OCLC WorldCat, OCLC FirstSearch Electronic Collections Online, OCLC ArticleFirst, OCLC PAIS International, OCLC PapersFirst, OCLC ProceedingsFirst, and OCLC Union Lists of Periodicals. Best of all, local library holdings are displayed up front, so users can easily identify items in their own library's collection.

Gale Group from The Thomson Corporation
http://www.galeschools.com/
Browse the catalog to view an array of reference products. Identify the published format: print, e-book, microfiche, microfilm, cd-rom, dvd, or online. You can see Fact Sheets on the examples below and many more.
Examples include:

Grangers World of Poetry Online from Columbia University Presshttp://www.columbiagrangers.org/grangers/
Included in the online version are a series of key Columbia poetry titles: [Request free trials online]

Grolier Online
http://auth.grolier.com/cgi-bin/authV2
Subscribe to (1) Encyclopedia Americana Online (Grades 6-Adult), (2) Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (Grades 5-Adult), (3) New Book of Knowledge (Children's encyclopedia, Grades 3-8), (4) Nueva enciclopedia Cumbre en línea (Spanish version of Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia), (5) New Book of Popular Science (Student science encyclopedia), (6) Lands and Peoples (Student encyclopedia of countries, cultures, and current events), (7) America The Beautiful (Authoritative information on the U.S. states and territories) [Online form to open a free trial account; also a free section on The American Presidency http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/preshome.html]

Grove Art Online from Oxford University Press
http://www.oup.com/online/groveart/
Access to the entire text of the acclaimed 34-volume Dictionary of Art plus newly-commissioned articles. [Personal subscription rate, quotes for institutional subcription, and free trials are available to institutions and organisations.]

Grove Music Online from Oxford University Press
http://www.oup.com/online/grovemusic/
Including 50,000 articles, sophisticated search and browse capabilities, Sibelius-enabled musical examples, and extensive links to musical sites on the Internet, Grove Music Online is the unsurpassed authority on all aspects of music. [Personal subscription rate, quotes for institutional subcription, and free trials are available to institutions and organisations.]

High Beam (Previsouly e-library)
http://www.highbeam.com/library/index.asp?
Users can do business research, use it for homework, get background materials for term papers, find out about both current and historical events, and more, all in one vast database designed for both depth of content and simplicity of interface. [7-day free trial]

Hoover's Online
http://www.hoovers.com/
A major business database… information on corporations and companies, stocks, Careers, and much more.

HW Wilson
http://www.hwwilson.com/ and http://www.hwwilson.com/ftabsind.htm
Offers more than 40 full-text, abstract, and index databases over the Internet, on CD-ROM and magnetic tape. Products include: [Free trials are offered: 30 days online, 60 days cd-rom]

Ingenta Select
http://www.ingentaselect.com/
Access to more than 5,000 electronic academic, scholarly, and business publications from over 190 publisher clients.

John Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism
http://www.press.jhu.edu/books/hopkins_guide_to_literary_theory/
This Guide consists of 226 alphabetically arranged entries on individual critics and theorists, critical and theoretical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods.

JSTOR
http://www.jstor.org/
A journal archive, JSTOR does not offer trial access to the archive. A demonstration version offers librarians and faculty members the opportunity to preview the functionality and content of the JSTOR Archive.

Kiplinger Finance and Forecasts
http://www.kiplinger-kff.com/
Same concise, authoritative business forecasts and expert advice that make The Kiplinger Letter the most widely read business outlook letter in the U.S. But also gives you hypertext links to expanded forecasts, source material, and further background detail; additional advice and guidance on how these forecasts can help you profit or protect your interests; and interactive e-mail access to the Kiplinger Editors for personal answers to your business questions. [take a tour or sign up for 30-day trial]

LearnATest from Learning Express
http://www.learnatest.com/academic/home.cfm
Leading source of test preparation materials and interactive practice exams, based on official tests, that will help you improve your scores on academic, civil service, military, and professional licensing and certification exams. We provide immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and individualized analysis of your score. [30 day free trial at http://www.learnatest.com/institutions/Login/NoCookieError.cfm?CFID . .]

Library Reference Service
http://www.lrsverticomp.com/
Vertical file on the computer, service sources are professional journals, government committee hearings, professional magazines and pamphlets, alternative presses, private and non-profit corporations, to name just a few. [login for an online demo]

LitFinder from Roth Publishing, Inc.
http://www.litfinder.com/
Includes LitFinder, StoryFinder, and Best Poetry. (Register for free trial)

LexisNexis Academic and Library Web Solutions
http://www.lexisnexis.com/academic/universe/default.asp
Several web-based products aimed primarily at academic libraries, one is focused more on the needs of a high school library: LexisNexis Scholastic Edition http://www.lexisnexis.com/academic/universe/Scholastic/default.asp (Take a tour or sign up for a free trial}

LitFinder from Roth Publishing, Inc.
http://www.litfinder.com/
Products aimed at K-12 schools are (1) World's Best Poetry and (2) Story Finder. Also market (3) Essay Finder. [Register online for 2-week free trial of any of their products]

Medical Matrix
http://www.medmatrix.org/
This is a subscription medical search engine and directory. The search engine searches the sites on the Medical Matrix directory - the largest peer-reviewed directory to medical sites on the Internet. All sites within Medical Matrix have been pre-selected and rated by a team of physicians and medical librarians. (Subscribe online and sign up for a 24-hr. free pass)

Merriam-Webster Online
http://www.m-w.com/
Dictionary & Thesaurus (Free online trial)

MSN Learning & Research Plus from Microsoft Corporation
http://encarta.msn.com/
Site's site’s online reference tools include: Encarta, Atlas, Dictionary, Thesaurus, Calculators, Maps, Encyclopedia, and a World Calendar. [Open access]

National Journal Group
http://nationaljournal.com/
Leading publisher of magazines, newsletters, books and directories for people who have a professional interest in politics, policy and government.

netLibrary
http://www.netlibrary.com/
This electronic database, offered through the Boston Public Library, provides access to over 38,000 electronic books, which users are allowed to “check out” for 24 hours at a time over the internet.

NewsBank, Inc.
http://www.newsbank.com/
Information from newspapers, newswires, business journals, historical and scholarly documents, periodicals and more is delivered to schools and libraries via the Internet and on CD-ROM. [Online form for requesting more information about a product]

OCLC FirstSearch
http://www.oclc.org/firstsearch/ and http://www.oclc.org/services/databases/
Gives library users instant online access to more than 72 databases, including these valuable OCLC databases: OCLC WorldCat, OCLC FirstSearch Electronic Collections Online, OCLC ArticleFirst, OCLC PAIS International, OCLC PapersFirst, OCLC ProceedingsFirst, and OCLC Union Lists of Periodicals. Best of all, library holdings are displayed up front, so users can easily identify items in their own library's collection.

Oxford English Dictionary Online from Oxford University Press
http://www.oup.com/online/oed/
Widely acknowledged to be the most authoritative and comprehensive dictionary of English in the world. It is also the definitive record of English language development, tracing the evolution of more than 600,000 words over the last 1500 years through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of sources. [Personal subscription rate, quotes for institutional subcription, and free trials are available to institutions and organisations.]

Oxford Reference Online: The Core Collection from Oxford University Press
http://www.oup.com/online/oro/
Winner of Internet Magazine's Site of the Year Award. This online library offers integrated and consistent information across the full subject spectrum - from general reference, language and quotations to science and medicine, from humanities and social sciences to business and professional. It also includes English/French, English/German, English/Spanish, English/Italian bilingual dictionaries. [Personal and concurrent user subscriptions offerred, quotes for unlimited user or institutional subscriptions provided - - special terms for secondary schools, instititutions can request free trial]

Pierian Press
http://www.pierianpress.com/
Database products include: [Procedure provided for requesting a free trial of any database]

Political Research Inc.
http://www.politicalresearch.com/
Providing factual, non-partisan information on the current governments of the world. Offers (1) Taylor's Encyclopedia of Government Officials: Federal & State, (2) Clements Encyclopedia of World Governments, and (3) Chronology of the United States. (Online tour available)

ProQuest Information and Learning
http://www.il.proquest.com/proquest/
Online information service provides access to thousands of current periodicals and newspapers, many updated daily and containing full-text articles from 1986. [Follow the 'education' link to learn more about ProQuest Education Complete or other products, can request a free trial]

Reference USA from InfoUSA
http://www.referenceusa.com/
From finding old friends and planning vacations to conducting market research and choosing a health care provider, this extensive database offers the information in a fast, convenient format.

Science Direct from Elsevier
http://www.info.sciencedirect.com/ and http://www.sciencedirect.com/
One of the world's largest providers of scientific, technical and medical (STM) literature. [Contact information provided]

SIRS Publishing, Inc. (Social Issues Resources Series)
http://www.sirs.com/
Our mission at SIRS, since 1973 when the company was founded, has been steadfast: to provide information that is reliable and credible in order to encourage dialogue about the major issues of our society, to enable critical thinking and problem solving. Site provides a few free resources online. Most are restricted to subscribers. [Schools, libraries, and other educational institutions may request a no-obligation preview of a SIRS database - online form] SIRS Knowledge Source® (SKS) http://www.sirs.com/products/ksfeatures.htm is a comprehensive database portal, updated daily, which is comprised of several distinct reference databases including SIRS Researcher®, SIRS Government Reporter®, SIRS Renaissance® and SKS WebSelect™ with available links to SIRS Interactive Citizenship™, SIRS Discoverer® and Discoverer WebFind™.

SYBWorld
http://www.sybworld.com/
Up-to-date, authoritative, and reliable information on global affairs, with comprehensive coverage of government and politics, geography, history, economics, social policy and culture for all 192 countries. [free trail available to libraries]

United Streaming from United Learning
http://www.unitedstreaming.com/login_www.cfm
The service offers teachers access to more than 2,000 complete videos that can be streamed or downloaded on demand to a desktop from a server. (Online demo)

World & I Online
http://www.worldandi.com/educate/ and http://www.worldandi.com/newhome/
Each issue is divided into seven convenient sections: Current Issues, The Arts, Natural Science, Life, Culture, Book World, Currents in Modern Thought.

World Book Online
http://www.worldbookonline.com/
Every article from the 22-volume print set plus thousands more. With state-of-the art multimedia, editor-reviewed Web sites, and more! [Sample provided, free trial subscription offerred, schools directed to contact sales representative]

Return to Top

Electronic Databases for Children

Big Chalk Library Resources
http://www.bigchalk.com/

Electric Library and Library K-12 are popular in elementary schools

 
EBSCO Information Services: Elementary Schools
http://www.epnet.com/school/esmenu.asp
NoveList K-8, Online Reader and Primary Online Package are three popular options for children. The Package includes Searchasaurus, a graphical search map for children.

Gale Group: Kids InfoBits and Infotrac Kids Edition from The Thomson Corporation
http://www.galeschools.com/
Lots of great resources for kids

SIRS Discover Deluxe (Social Issues Resources Series)
http://www.sirs.com/
Popular resources for photos, maps, documents, and activities

Return to Top

 

Electronic Environments

Some companies provide a whole range of electronic resources and services. Many also provide instructional materials and student management systems.

Classroom Connect
http://www.classroom.com/
Another resource that was once open and free to access over the Web, Classroom Connect is now a business unit within Harcourt, Inc. They offer a customized subscription service package that includes professional learning programs (Connected University, Workshops, and Conferences), standards-based learning materials, plus training and support. [Sign up for two-week free trial]

Lightspan, Inc. from Plato Learning
http://www.lightspan.com/
Family of products (Suite) structured upon a recognized model for student achievement: assessment, alignment, instuction, evaluation, and professional development. [30-day free trial]

ProQuest from ProQuest Information and Learning Company
http://www.proquestk12.com/
Includes elibrary, SIRS, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, ProQuest Learning: Literature, and other resources. [Request a free trial

Riverdeep Interactive Learning
http://www.riverdeep.net/
Once a popular open website useful to learners and teachers, Riverdeep has acquired other related companies (Broderbund, Edmark, and The Learning Company) and restricted most of their resourses to a fee-based subscription. They still provide a few open articles, but pay-for products include (1) edConnect, (2) Living Library, and (3) Skill Navigator for Mathematics and (4) Language Arts. [30-day online trial]

Return to Top

| eduscapes | IUPUI Online Courses | Teacher Tap | 42explore | escrapbooking | About Us | Contact Us | ©2006-2009 Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson