Databases - what are they? Databases are like virtual libraries. A database is a searchable collection of regularly updated reference articles, encyclopedia and dictionary entries, magazine and newspaper articles, primary sources and images. Citations are always included. And it is all available online. When you search one of our databases, you are not searching the Web; you're searching pre-selected material that is the equivalent of what you might find on a library shelf in print.
Why should we use them? Databases contain information that is not available “for free” and therefore cannot be found with a Google search. Unlike most information published on the Internet, much information found through searching databases has been evaluated by professionals for reliability and often comes from originally published print resources.
Who can use them? All students, teachers, staff, parents and administrators in the SFUSD community have access both on site and remotely from any computer with a connection to the Internet.
How do we access them? Use the database links below, or find links at your school's library catalog home page. Ask the teacher-librarian at your school for the specific user name and password for each database.