Help - Database Information
Libraries can specify for each of their user accounts the default databases to be selected when the user logs on. Currently the default databases for all user accounts is the Australian Library Collections. If a library wants different databases for a particular account, they will need to contact the Libraries Australia Help Desk.
Please find below an explanation of each of the databases available on LibrariesAustralia:
Australian Library Collections (Australian National Bibliographic Database)
The Australian National Bibliographic Database is a single database covering the collections of hundreds of Australian libraries. It is Australia’s largest single bibliographic resource with millions of entries for books, journals and items in other formats such as films, sound recordings, video recordings, maps, pictures, CDs, braille and talking books, large print books, music scores, computer files and electronic journals.
With over 31 million locations recording the collections of over 850 Australian libraries, the ANBD can locate material held all over Australia. This means greater access to information for all Australian library users through the provision of local and interlibrary lending in Australia. Though there are some exceptions, most libraries in Australia participate in interlibrary lending at the regional, state and national level.
The ANBD is developed and maintained by the National Library, and is updated continuously with contributions of cataloguing and holdings from Australian libraries. Libraries Australia services include enabling users to search, request documents, and contribute cataloguing and holdings to the ANBD.
APAIS (Australian Public Affairs Information Service)
APAIS (Australian Public Affairs Information Service) is a subject index to scholarly articles in the social sciences and humanities published in Australia, Users can access selected journal and newspaper articles, conference papers and book chapters on Australian economic, social, political and cultural affairs. Small libraries can search APAIS through LibrariesAustralia at a cost of $2.80 per search. Libraries Australia will bill each library and track usage of APAIS with regular reports. Users can also download the full text of online articles on a pay-per-view basis. Clicking on the full text hyperlink or 'Get this item' button takes the user to an Informit payment page where they can enter their credit card details and purchase the article. For the purpose of this offer, a small library is located in Australia and a member of LibrariesAustralia. The term “small library” does not include academic libraries, state libraries, the National Library or any of the libraries who are part of NSW.Net. The APAIS title search through Libraries Australia searches on both article and journal titles.
APAFT
APAFT (Australian Public Affairs Full Text) is an enhanced version of the APAIS database providing access to full-text articles from the top 200 Australian journals, and article references on Australian political, economic, legal, social and cultural affairs.
If your library does not subscribe to APAFT and you do not see links to the full text of an article in the bibliographic citation, you can request a copy through Copies Direct via the "At Other Suppliers" option. Currently there is subscription only access to APAFT.
ARROW Discovery Service
The Australian Research Repositories Online to the World (ARROW) Discovery Service is now available for searching through Libraries Australia. Use the “Select databases” screen to select the ARROW target for searching. ARROW is a database of Australian Academic research which has been deposited into individual repositories at universities, the National Library of Australia and other research agencies such as Australian Policy Online. ARROW is a free target. Search ARROW to find all of the works by a researcher (even if they have moved universities), or a topic of research (from its beginnings to the current day), or the combined output of a consortium of universities.
British Library Catalogue
Provides access to over twelve million items in the British Library’s collection including manuscripts, books, serials, newspapers, sound recordings, maps and printed music.
Canada Institute for Scientific and Technological Information (CISTI)
The Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information is one of the world's major sources for information in all areas of science, technology, engineering and medicine. Its collection is one of the largest of its kind in North America with more than 45,000 different serial titles and more than 600,000 books, proceedings and technical reports. CISTI specializes in the collection of conference proceedings and makes a special effort to locate and purchase this material from around the world.
CISTI's fast and flexible Document Delivery Service processes about 4,000 orders from around the world every day. Most documents are delivered within one business day. The CISTI Source database offers a customizable platform for integrated article searching and ordering across 20,000 journals.
COPAC - The Consortium of [British] University Research Libraries (CURL) OPAC
COPAC is now available for searching through Libraries Australia. Use the “Select databases” screen to select the COPAC target for searching. COPAC is a free target. COPAC is a union catalogue, providing access to the merged online catalogues of members of the Consortium of Research Libraries (CURL) in the British Isles. There are over 31 million records on COPAC with holdings from over 27 institutions including the British Library, the National Library of Scotland, and the National Library of Wales / Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru.
e-Library is a frequently updated collection of online publications, providing full text, cover-to-cover access to journals, monographs, conference proceedings, reports and other research materials. Libraries Australia users can download the full text of online articles on a pay-per-view basis. Clicking on the full text hyperlink or “get this item” button takes the user to an Informit payment page where credit card details can be entered and the article purchased. There is no charge for searching e-Library.
Library of Congress Catalogue
Provides access to the Library of Congress’ collection in the United States of America, including books, serials, government publications, manuscripts, photographs and maps.
OCLC WorldCat
The WorldCat database is produced by OCLC Online Computer Library Center in Dublin, Ohio. WorldCat is the OCLC Online Union Catalogue, and contains more than 47 million records contributed by libraries around the world. WorldCat covers material dating from 1000 A.D., and is updated on a daily basis. Items described include books, serials, articles/chapters, musical scores, websites, computer programs, manuscripts, sound recordings, films, slides, maps and videotapes. Please note that OCLC WorldCat is a subscription database. If your library does not have subscribe to this database you will not be able to search OCLC WorldCat.
Research Libraries Group Union Catalogue
This service accesses the following RLG databases:
- BKS (Books) – records for printed items catalogued individually including microform reproductions
- SER (Serials) – records for items with a recurring pattern of publication (newspapers, journals)
- MAP (Maps) – records for printed and manuscript maps and globes
- MDF (Computer Files) – records for machine-readable data files, including literary texts, statistical files and computer programs
- VIM (Visual Materials) – records for visual materials including photographs, motion pictures, graphics, drawings, blueprints and posters
- REC (Sound Recordings) – records for musical and non-musical sound or historical recordings, including speeches, oral histories and interviews
- SCO (Scores) – records of manuscripts and printed music
- AMC (Archival and Mixed Collections) – descriptions of literary and historical documents, including public records and other primary source materials in various formats
Sales Catalog Inventory Project Input Online (SCIPIO)
The SCIPIO : Art and Rare Book Sales Catalogs is the only online union catalogue of auction sales catalogues in existence. It contains approximately 650,000 bibliographic records of catalogues from all major North American and European auction houses, as well as important private sales. Catalogues date from the late sixteenth century to scheduled auctions not yet held, and cover the sale of items such as manuscripts, sculpture, world art from all time periods, drawings, prints, photographs, musical instruments, furniture, objects d'art, decorative and applied arts. Information available includes information on dates and places of sale, catalogue title, the auction house, sellers and institutional holdings. Extensive notes on the contents of sales catalogues are included in some records.
Te Puna (New Zealand National Bibliographic Database)
The Te Puna Database contains records of New Zealand publications and resources in New Zealand libraries. The database contains over 10 million records. The National Library of Australia and National Library of New Zealand have reciprocal arrangements for access by Libraries Australia and Te Puna users to the National Bibliographic Database and the Te Puna database. Holdings are not attached to these records.
Authorities Database
After searching an authority database in Libraries Australia, you can follow a link on the full view screen that searches the corresponding bibliographic database for that heading.
Libraries Australia Authorities (Names and Subjects)
Libraries Australia Authorities allow you to search on all authorised headings added to the National Bibliographic Database by the National Library of Australia and other contributing libraries around Australia. There are currently more than 1.7 million authority records available, searchable by name, subject, title and ANBD number.
Research Libraries Group Name Authorities
Contains authority records for names, uniform titles and series created by the Library of Congress.
Research Libraries Group Subject Authorities
Contains the Library of Congress Subject Headings. For further information on the RLG database, check the RLG homepage.