The two types of databases that you will be using are: library catalog and database /article indexes.   Library catalogs organize all of the materials a library purchases. These include records for books, magazines, journals, newspapers, videos, sound recordings, images, etc. Ely Library Catalog does not include articles.     Databases & Article indexes are used to identify articles on a topic. Most databases provide abstracts along with citation information. Some include the full text of the articles as well. General Databases Some databases / article indexes such as Academic Search Premier or Expanded Academic ASAP are general or multidisciplinary.  Subject Specific Databases Many databases / article indexes such as Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text (Criminal Justice) or PsycINFO (Psychology) specialize in a particular subject area. Other specialized databases are available for biology, education, history, music, business, etc.