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 Help Desk.

Please find below an explanation of each of the databases available on Libraries Australia:

Australian Library Collections (Australian National Bibliographic Database)

The Australian National Bibliographic Database (ANBD) is a large bibliographic 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.

The ANBD contains bibliographic records from a number of sources including national cataloguing agency records from Australia and overseas and original cataloguing contributed by Australian libraries. These bibliographic records are supplemented by location information supplied by Australian libraries.

With over 45 million holdings recording the collections of over 850 Australian libraries, the ANBD enables users to 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.

The ANBD has been developed and maintained through the efforts of the Australian library community and the National Library since 1981. It is updated continuously with contributions of cataloguing and holdings from Australian libraries.

British Library Catalogue

The British Library Catalogue provides access to over 13 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 (CISTI) is one of the world's major sources for information in all areas of science, technology, engineering and medicine. It's collection is one of the largest of its kind in North America with more than 50,000 serial titles and more than 800,000 books, proceedings and over 2 million technical reports and indexed journals. CISTI specialises in the collection of conference proceedings and makes a special effort to locate and purchase this material from around the world.

Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

The collections of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library inCanada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI) is one of the world's major sources for information in all areas of science, technology, engineering and medicine. It's collection is one of the largest of its kind in North America with more than 50,000 serial titles and more than 800,000 books, proceedings and over 2 million technical reports and indexed journals. CISTI specialises in the collection of conference proceedings and makes a special effort to locate and purchase this material from around the world.

Research Libraries UK: the UK and Irish Academic and National Library catalogue

RLUK provides free access to the merged online catalogues of major UK and Irish academic research libraries, plus the British Library, the National Library of Scotland, the National Library of Wales/Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, and the National Art Library (V&A). It also includes details of special collections from a range of other libraries.

Informit Collections

Informit Collections provides access to full content from a range of journals, monographs and books, conference proceedings, research papers and reference materials and is produced by RMIT Publishing. Records from the e-library provide a link to the full text which opens in a new window from within the record and is also available from the 'Get this item' button in Libraries Australia. There is no charge to search Informit Collections; however, access to the full text is on a pay-per-view basis.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The collections of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library include rare books on the history of science. It also includes many special resources relating to Hong Kong and China, including antique maps of China and reproductions of Chinese calligraphy and paintings from the Palace Museum of Taipei.

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, maps.

National Film and Sound Archive OpenSearch

The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA), is the home of Australian audiovisual history. The NFSA collection is a large and diverse holding of 1.3 million audiovisual works and information about the audio, film, television, new media artists and industries. In addition to discs, films, videos, audio tapes, phonograph cylinders and wire recordings, the Collection includes supporting documents and artefacts, such as photographic stills, transparencies, posters, lobby cards, publicity, scripts, costumes, props, memorabilia and sound, video and film equipment. The National Film and Sound Archive is an OpenSearch target and therefore only supports keyword searching (i.e Advanced and Command searches cannot be performed).

OCLC WorldCat

WorldCat produced by the Online Computer Library Centre (OCLC) is the world's largest network of library content and services. WorldCat contains more than 1.4 billion items contributed by over 10,000 libraries worldwide, including material dating from 1000 A.D. It is updated on a daily basis. Through an agreement between the National Library of Australia and OCLC,access to WorldCat is available to all Australian libraries who subscribe to Libraries Australia. For further information about this agreement see our FAQs.

On 1 October 2007, the Research Libraries Information Network (RLG) and SCIPIO Art and Rare Book Sales Catalogs merged with OCLC. RLG and SCIPIO records can be searched by selecting the OCLC WorldCat database. RLG name and subject authorities are searchable by selecting OCLC WorldCat Authorities.

Powerhouse Museum OpenSearch

The Powerhouse Museum, Australia's largest and most popular museum has a unique and diverse collection of 385,000 objects which spans history, science, technology, design, industry, decorative arts, music, transport and space exploration. The Powerhouse Museum is an OpenSearch target and therefore only supports keyword searching (i.e Advanced and Command searches cannot be performed).

Te Puna (New Zealand National Bibliographic Database)

The Te Puna database contains records of New Zealand publications and resources held 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 Australian National Bibliographic Database and the Te Puna database.

University of Hong Kong

As well as a general collection, the University of Hong Kong Library houses a unique collection of Hong Kong materials. The Hong Kong Collection is a unique collection of books, serials, government publications, newspaper clippings and non-print materials covering almost every aspect of Hong Kong history and life. It comprises the most comprehensive collection of materials relating to Hong Kong in the Territory. The University Libraries is designated as a depository for books and periodicals published or printed in Hong Kong. In recent years, the University Libraries has also gained depository status for a number of core international collections, and many of these are housed in the Special Collections. These include the European Documentation Centre and the World Trade Organization.

National Museum of Australia OpenSearch

The National Museum of Australia is an OpenSearch target and therefore only supports keyword searching (i.e Advanced and Command searches cannot be performed).

Australian Journal Articles

APAIS is a subject index to scholarly articles in the social sciences and humanities published in Australia since 1978, and to selected journal and newspaper articles, conference papers and book chapters on Australian economic, social, political and cultural affairs. The APAIS title search through Libraries Australia searches on both article and journal titles.

Small libraries which are located in Australia and are members of Libraries Australia are eligible to search APAIS at no extra cost. The term 'small library' does not include academic libraries, state libraries, the National Library, overseas agencies or any of the libraries who are part of NSW.net.

APAFT is an enhanced version of the APAIS database providing access to full-text articles from over 500 Australian journals and article references on Australian political, economic, legal, social and cultural affairs. If 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.

Libraries Australia Authorities (Names and Subjects)

Libraries Australia Authorities enables you to search on all authorised headings (names and subjects) added to the ANBD by the National Library and other contributing libraries around Australia. There are currently more than 1.7 million authority records available, searchable by name, subject, title and Amicus number.

OCLC WorldCat Authorities

RLG Name Authorities and RLG Subject Authorities have been merged into OCLC's WorldCat Authorities as of 1 October 2007.