RESOURCE CENTRE MANUAL
HEALTHLINK WORLDWIDE
6.8 Databases
A database is information stored on a computer in such a way that it can be:
• searched through to find certain details
• displayed on the computer screen or printed onto paper in various styles
• sorted so that it can be ordered in different ways, such as author, title, subject
and date of publication.
A database is made up of ‘records’, where all the information about an item such
as a publication or organisation is stored. Records are equivalent to the cards in
a card catalogue system. Each record is made up of ‘fields’, where information
about different aspects of the item is stored – for example, the author or
keyword, or the name of an organisation or its telephone number. Fields can be
repeated to accommodate more than one author or keyword, or divided into
‘subfields’ to accommodate titles and subtitles, or the publisher and place of
publication.
A database is faster and more flexible than a manual system. For example,
searching a card catalogue is limited by the number cards that can be produced,
and the way the information is presented can only be changed by re-writing or
re-typing the cards.
The types of database most often used in resource centres are bibliographic
databases and mailing list or ‘contacts’ databases.
A bibliographic database is like an electronic card catalogue. Each record
contains details of materials, similar to the cards in a catalogue. Each field
contains information about one aspect of a material, such as the author or title.
A mailing list database is like an electronic address book. Each record contains
information about individuals or organisations. Each field contains information
about one aspect of the individual or organisation, such as their name,
profession, organisation type, or address. A mailing list database can be used in
various ways. For example, a resource centre membership database could
contain information about members of the resource centre, including contact
details and their areas of interest. A network database could contain information
about resource centres and organisations that can be contacted for information
on other subjects.
6.8.1 Standard database structures
It is important to have an initial outline of a database structure before selecting
the database software, as the structure and use of the database may affect which
program will be most suitable.
A database structure or format defines the fields, their names or numbers,
whether they are repeated or subdivided, and often the format of the information
in the fields.
22 SECTION 6: COMPUTERS, ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION AND DATABASES