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The Library subscribes to a number of electronic databases covering a wide range of subjects. Many of these databases are indexes to the contents of journals, newspapers and other publications. Some databases also show all the pages of an article on the screen. They are called full text databases on the menu. Most databases are available on a number of different workstations around the Library, however some are only available on a single workstation. Click on the underlined title of a database to find out on which workstation the database is available.

• Using information databases at the State Library of Victoria
• Finding a relevant database
• Finding articles in a database

Go to Top | Catalogue help | Workstation help | Internet help | Exit Help



Using information databases at the State Library of Victoria

• How to start
• Printing
• Downloading
• Emailing
• Getting articles
• Logging out

How to start

• Choose the option Information databases from the main menu.
• Databases are arranged in broad subject categories, or can be searched by title.
• Databases available from your workstation are indicated by a message on the screen.
• Many databases have printed user guides. Look in the red Workstation Information folders next to workstations.
• Library staff are happy to help you with your search. Ask at an information desk
• Online guides for some frequently used databases are linked from the symbol next to the title of the database.

Printing

• All workstations are connected to a network printer.
• To print your search results you will need a card with a magnetic strip, such as a Medicare card, a Bankcard or ATM card.
• If you don't have your own card with a magnetic strip you can purchase a copy card from one of the autoloader machines in the copying area next to the Trescowthick Information Centre or in the La Trobe Information Centre.
• You can also add print credits to your card from the autoloaders
• Instructions on how to print are next to each workstation, and each network printer.

Downloading

• You can buy discs from the Copy Centre.
• All workstations have a: drives.
• Insert your disc in the harddrive in the cage under the desk.
• To download your search results click on File, then Save as.
• Choose the a:\ in the Save box.
• In the box labelled file name type in a:\, the name of your search and .txt e.g. a:\ search.txt
• Click on the Save button.

Emailing

It is possible to email the full text of journal articles from some databases.
Individual databases may offer that option.



Getting articles

• To get the articles from references you have found by searching a database/index, you will need to search for the title of the journal/newspaper/book, in the Library catalogue. Generally the title of the journal or book will be in the line labelled SO (source) or something similar.
• Exit from the database you are using (see Logging out below) and choose the option Library catalogues from the home menu, then choose State Library of Victoria catalogue.
• Fill out a call slip, with the call number, the title of the journal, and the issue which contains the article you want e.g. PER 320.5 P75V Australian Journal of Political Science, Vol 25 : No.2, 1990.
• Hand the completed slip in at the relevant book or information desk.
• If the State Library doesn't have the title or issues you need, we can help you to try and find a library that does.

Logging out

• To close the Netscape browser after using a Web database, click on File on the menu bar, click on Close.
• OR you can double click on the X at the top right hand side of the screen.
• To close a CD-ROM database, click on File on the menu bar, then click on Exit from the drop down box. Then close the Netscape browser as described above.

Go to Top | Catalogue help | Workstation help | Internet help | Exit Help



Finding a relevant database

You can search in three ways:

1. Broad subject areas from the drop down Select a subject area box.
   
   
2. More specific subjects/ topics using the search box on the Search page.
   • All fields searches all of the record for your search word(s).
   • Title fields restricts the search to the title field
   • Categories are the type of resource e.g. index, full text, Website etc.
   • The wildcard symbol is * (an asterisk)
   • You may have to think of more than one word to describe your subject. General words e.g. agriculture; history; are more successful than specific words e.g. potato farming; French revolution.

3. Browsing the alphabetical title list of resources at the base of the Search page.

• words with the same root but variant endings

• alternative spellings

e.g. wom*n finds:

women

woman

• Keywords
  
  
• Build your search
  
  
• Using Boolean Operators
  
  

• a journal title
• authors
• dates
• related facts

• country
• region of the world
• theme/subject
• industry etc.

• journal articles
• newspaper articles
• magazine articles
• statistics
• government documents, etc.

• List the key concepts that describe your topic
  (For example words in your essay question or research topic.)
• List synonyms or related terms
  (Check dictionaries and encyclopaedias etc., in the Reference Collection.)

1. Start with a broad search.
2. Broaden or narrow your search, by combining keywords with boolean operators.
   
   
   • can be used to search the Library catalogue, databases, online indexes and www search engines.
   • is a broad search - it finds information by matching your words with words anywhere in a record.
   • allows a combination of terms - author, title, subject - to be used.
   • gives you a feel for the scope of a particular database - how relevant the coverage is to your topic.
   
   If your keywords don't give a good result
   • combine them with other words
   • select different words from your keyword list
   • add new terms to your list by viewing a useful individual record in a database, and using relevant terms listed in its subject or descriptor field.

• To find records which contain both of your search words you can combine them using and
  
  

  Example : farming and agriculture

  
  The more words you combine with and, the smaller the search result.
  
  
• To find records that contain either of your search words, combine them using or
  
  

  Example : rivers or streams

  
  The more words you combine with or, the larger the search result
  
  
• To find records which contain your first search word but not the second word, combine them using not
  
  

  Example : trees not fruit