Research Databases

Albany Public Library members have access to several online databases where you can find newspapers and research materials on many different subjects. If you are researching at home or school, enter your library card number to gain access to the database of your choice.

Searching a database is a little different than using an Internet search engine like Google, and specific strategies for combining search terms may be necessary to get the best results. The reliability of the information you can find in a database is well worth the extra effort, so please ask a librarian if you have any questions. We’re here to help!

Read today’s issue of the Times Union — along with full-text articles back through March 1986 — via NewsBank: America’s News.  (Click here for instructions)


Multi-Subject Databases

GALE Academic OneFile Contains peer-reviewed, full-text articles from the world’s leading journals and reference sources. Notable titles include:

  • New York Times Magazine | Articles from 1/6/1985-Present | Follow the instructions to view full-text magazine articles. Citations from 2/6/1977-Present are searchable.
  • BookPage | 8/1/2014-Present
  • Booklist | 12/15/1993-Present
  • Kirkus Reviews | 8/1/2003-Present | Full-text articles, but some pre-2004 articles are not available.
  • Library Journal | 1997-Present | Full-text articles, but some pre-2004 articles are not available.
  • School Library Journal | 3/1/2000-Present | Full-text articles, but some pre-2004 articles are not available.

GALE Academic OneFile Select – Resources for academic research includes scholarly journals and selected general interest titles in a wide variety of subjects.

Britannica Academic – Combines the venerable Encyclopedia Britannica plus Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, magazines and periodicals, and many other research tools to provide the variety of reliable sources that students need to consult when conducting thorough research.

GALE General OneFile – Contains over 12,000 periodicals, newspapers, reference books, and multimedia sources, over half of which are full text. The backfile extends nearly 30 years. Subjects include humanities, education, environmental issues, technology, health care, politics and more.


Business and Finance 

GALE Business: InsightsIncludes company profiles, industry reports and financial reports, as well as business magazines and newspapers. A great resource for business students.


Health and Medicine

GALE OneFile: Health and Medicine – Includes over 2,800 health journals and magazines; many are full text. It contains nursing and allied health journals, other medical journals, newsletters, and consumer health magazines.


Job and Career

Cypress Resume – An online resume, cover letter, and reference list tool that is fairly easy to use and geared toward those in need of a basic resume. Complete a resume in minutes that is tailored to your skills and strengths. Users can also edit cover letters and reference pages. 


Newspapers

Times Union via NewsBank: America’s News – Read today’s issue of the Times Union! Follow these instructions to view searchable, full-color, digital issues from 12/18/2018 to the present. You can also read full-text articles from 3/1/1986 to the present and obituaries (no photos available) from 1993 to the present.

Users inside Albany Public Library locations, as well as those using our WiFi, will enjoy immediate access. Individuals using this service from outside APL will be prompted to enter an Albany Public Library card number.

America’s News also provides access to news and current event stories, including full-text articles (no photos) to some magazines, such as The Atlantic (1994-Present), Mother Jones (1994-Present), The New Republic (1993-Present), Newsweek (1991-Present), Slate (1994-Present) and Smithsonian (1994-Present).

New York Times – Articles from 1/1/1985-Present. (No Book Review or New York Times Magazine articles are available.) Follow these instructions to view full-text newspaper articles. Citations from 1/1/1979-12/31/1984 are searchable.

New York State Historic Newspapers – Includes searchable, digitized newspapers contributed by libraries throughout the state. Some notable titles include:

  • Capital Neighbors | 1995-2019 | Contributed by Albany Public Library.
  • Albany Argus & Daily City Gazette | 1827-1828
  • Albany Argus | 1883-1921
  • Additional Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady county newspapers.

FultonHistory and FultonSearch: A searchable repository of historic newspapers published in New York State, including numerous historic Albany titles. FultonSearch offers an alternative searching experience to FultonHistory. A guide to searching these sites is coming soon. **NOTE: These resources occasionally experience technical issues that temporarily slow down service to the sites.**

GALE OneFile: News – Features citations and some articles from several New York newspapers and over 800 regional and local newspapers, including:

  • New York Times Book Review | 1/6/1985-Present | Articles are indexed. There is no access to the full text.
  • New York Post | 1/19/2000-2/7/2020 | Articles are indexed. There is no access to full text.
  • Times Union | 3/1/1986 through 4/29/2010 | Articles are indexed. There is no access to the full text.

NOVELny Databases

NOVELny – Provided by the New York State Library, this collection of databases is accessible to New York State residents. Most of these databases are described here on our page. Additional offerings include:

  • GALE OneFile: Computer Science
  • GALE OneFile: Educator’s Reference Complete
  • GALE OneFile: Informe Académico

The New York State Library answers questions regarding access to these databases, searching techniques, and troubleshooting.


Resources for Kids & Teens

Britannica School – Offers thousands of up-to-date, curated, and curriculum-relevant articles, images, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, research tools, and recommended Web sites.  Available at three levels—Elementary, Middle, or High.

Britannica Escolar Discover the leading knowledge-building resource that is universally trusted for accurate and age-appropriate content in Spanish. New features make it more valuable than ever for native Spanish speakers, bilingual students, and students learning Spanish.

Britannica Academic – Includes Encyclopedia Britannica plus Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, magazines and periodicals, and many other research tools.

GALE In Context: Elementary – Contains over 550 age-appropriate magazines for grades K-5. Also includes Merriam-Webster’s Elementary Dictionary, maps, flags, seals, charts, and graphs.

GALE In Context: Middle School – Contains magazines, newspapers, primary sources, and videos for students in grades 6-8.

GALE In Context: Opposing Viewpoints – Provides a great resource for current events, critical thinking, and writing students. Contains a range of perspectives on many important issues, with over 13,000 pro/con viewpoints. Includes a variety of resource types: reference, news, primary sources, multimedia, and more.