Library Databases

Library databases are searchable collections of material and they come in all flavors. Catalogs such as UW Libraries Search (though this database is broader than a traditional catalog because it includes holdings of our Summit partner libraries as well as articles) are tied to a library's holdings (usually best for identifying books), article databases (mostly subject-focused though there are a few multidisciplinary ones too), art, music and streaming video databases, and primary source databases (historic newspapers, manuscripts, government publications, 18th century books, etc.).

While the public library may have 20 databases including their catalog, as a major research library, the UW has more than 500 databases. So where to start?

Begin with your topic. What sorts of primary sources would have been created related to your topic. Let's return to my research question: What happened to Japanese American students at the UW during World War II? What sorts of sources could exist? Brainstorm (this might be easier after you've done some preliminary reading of relevant secondary sources).

  • Newspaper articles: UW Daily, Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Japanese-American Courier, Camp Harmony News-Letter, Minidoka Irrigator
  • University records: UW President's Office, Dean's Office
  • Government records: War Relocation Authority, Wartime Civil Control Administration 
  • Organizational records: National Japanese American Student Relocation Council
  • Correspondence: students, faculty
  • Oral histories

So there are plenty of possibilities but how many are readily available? Remember it is easier to find published material than unpublished so let's start with newspaper articles. How do I find out what historic newspaper databases are available? There are two possibilities: check the e-Newspapers guide or check and see if there are relevant Research Guides available.

Research Guides

Research Guides, created by a cadre of subject librarians, serve as portals to the major databases and resources for a subject area. The History Research Guide is the starting point for historical research. Beyond the main guide are a suite of sub- guides covering regions (Africa, Europe, Latin America, etc.) and topics (African American,  Medieval, Food, Women, etc.).

screen shot of the history research guide with table of contents, UW libraries search box, and librarian portrait

Depending on your topic you may need to check more than one guide. For my topic, I'll check the guides for Asian American history, Pacific Northwest history and American history. There will be overlap (especially in the secondary source databases) but there will also be unique links on each guide.

Each regional/topic guide has the same sections:

  • Home page containing a UW Libraries Search box, major secondary source databases, sample primary source databases and collections, and an email link and online appointment calendar for you to contact me. (Home pages for all subjects follow a similar format)
  • Articles page linking to the best databases to use when searching for scholarly journal articles (secondary sources)
  • Books page again with a UW Libraries Search box and links to ebook collections
  • Encyclopedias page linking to relevant online encyclopedias (as well as some print)
  • Primary sources page(s) linking to relevant primary source databases as well as to primary source collections freely available on the web or available in microfilm in the Libraries

Just match the sources you need with the relevant Research Guide(s) and page. So for the Japanese American student topic:

Tip:

  • If you are working on a non-Anglo-American topic, be sure to also check the research guides for the various area studies. Area studies librarians are a great resource especially if you need non-English sources.

Optional Activity:

  • Explore a research guide and identify potential databases to use for your topic.