The library makes a large selection of databases available
to our patrons. Databases aggregate information. You’ll find general databases that pull
information from a wide array of sources and cover a wide array of topics. An example of this type of database would be
Proquest’s Research Library or Gale’s General OneFile. Both pull from books, magazines, journals,
newspapers, etc. Other databases can be
highly specialized, providing in-depth information on a single topic or area of
interest. Examples of this type of database
include Chiltonlibrary.com (which focuses solely on automotive repair), Health
& Wellness Resource Center (which focuses on health information), Ancestry
Library Edition (which helps those seeking to do genealogical research), and
many more.
Check out our database page (http://databases.lapl.org/) to find a
list of all the databases the library subscribes to. Looking at the page you’ll see each database listed with a brief
description as well as a number (1, 2, or 3). Databases with the number 1 can
be accessed from any computer, though you will need to have your library card
handy. Databases with the number 2 can
be accessed from any library computer.
Databases with the number 3 can only be accessed from computers at the
Central Library.
