What are databases?
Databases are subscription services that offer magazine & newspaper articles, reference materials and other resources similar to what you would find in your local library. Indeed, in many cases these online databases contain electronic versions of well-known reference books, such as Lands & Peoples or the Opposing Viewpoints series.
The Pinal County Library District and the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records subscribe to many databases for the use of the residents of the Pinal County and the State of Arizona. For a full list of the databases available you may visit the Library District's Online Databases page.
How are they different from the rest of the Internet?
Databases are separate from the general Internet that you access through search engines like Google or Yahoo. Anyone can place information on a web page and have it indexed by search engines. So, when you do a search you will find biased, distorted and false information alongside accurate information. It is often difficult to sort out the true from the false on the Internet.
Databases provide authoritative sources of information. Like books they are written and edited by knowledgeable people and have been through a quality control process. Information found in databases can be used confidently for school reports and other situations when accurate and timely information is needed.
To read about the many databases the Library District has that are appropriate for students, please see below.
Available databases for students
The Pinal County Library District provides access to several online subscription databases that are appropriate for students. The following are descriptions of these databases.