How to use the State Library databases
Accessing the databases
If you are a member of your local council library (eg. Sutherland Shire Library) you can register your card to use the State Library's databases.
Register your card here.
Access the databases here.
What do we mean when we talk about databases?
A database is a collection of articles that the State Library has paid a subscription fee for. As a member of the library you are entitled to use them.
The link above will take you to a list of all the databases the State Library subscribes to. Some of the databases cover all subjects, some only have articles on a specific subject. You can choose which subject you need and you will see a list of the databases that cover that subject area.
If you are a member of your local council library (eg. Sutherland Shire Library) you can register your card to use the State Library's databases.
Register your card here.
Access the databases here.
What do we mean when we talk about databases?
A database is a collection of articles that the State Library has paid a subscription fee for. As a member of the library you are entitled to use them.
The link above will take you to a list of all the databases the State Library subscribes to. Some of the databases cover all subjects, some only have articles on a specific subject. You can choose which subject you need and you will see a list of the databases that cover that subject area.
Using the databases
This is a screenshot of the page you will be taken to if you click the link above to access the databases.
This is a screenshot of the page you will be taken to if you click the link above to access the databases.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to the Browse by subject section, where you can choose your subject. This will take you to a list of the databases that cover that subject.
Use this list to choose the subject you are researching. There is a section for HSC resources, which is the best option to choose if you are researching for any of those subjects.
When you choose your subject you will get a list of the databases that cover those subjects. You can use the numbers at the bottom of the page to navigate through the list. Each database has a brief description of the content and topics it covers, and a symbol which tells you what the access conditions are. Most databases will be either freely available or available if you have registered your library card, but if you are getting too many that can only be used in the library you can use the Access box on the right to limit the list to those you can access.
Click Log in with a Library card to use the database.
Click Log in with a Library card to use the database.
When you open a database that is accessible with a library card, you will be taken to a log in screen.
Type the card number from your local library card (or State Library card if you're a member) into the box and click go. You will need to have registered your local library card first, and there is a link for that at the bottom of the page. |
This is an example of the search results from one of the databases. They will look slightly different in different databases but will generally all have similar information and layout.
On the left is a box with options you can use to modify your search results.
To the left of each article is an icon to show what type of article it is (eg. academic journal, book review etc). Underneath each article is a list of the subjects the article covers; you can use these to decide if it is relevant to your research.
Full text articles will give the option to read as HTML or download as a PDF, or sometimes they will give both options. Saving it as a PDF so you can come back to it later is always better.
To the left of each article is an icon to show what type of article it is (eg. academic journal, book review etc). Underneath each article is a list of the subjects the article covers; you can use these to decide if it is relevant to your research.
Full text articles will give the option to read as HTML or download as a PDF, or sometimes they will give both options. Saving it as a PDF so you can come back to it later is always better.
This is an example of what you will see when you click on the title of an article.
On the left hand side is another place you can download the article.
This page also includes the abstract, which is a summary of the article. You can use the abstract to decide whether or not the article is useful for your research.
This page also includes the abstract, which is a summary of the article. You can use the abstract to decide whether or not the article is useful for your research.
If you're not familiar with academic articles yet, we've got a guide on how to read them.
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