A database is a collection of information that is organized so that its contents can be easily accessed, managed, and updated. The databases in most libraries are usually electronic formats of periodical indexes that have traditionally been created in print. A periodical index provides a list of articles that have been published on a given topic during a particular time period.
Many indexes are searchable by computer.
Periodical indexes that can be searched by a computer are called electronic indexes or databases. In many cases, the Internet is used as a tool to connect information in remote electronic periodical indexes to computers around the world. Databases that provide access to their information through the Internet are called online databases. The articles accessed through online databases are not the same as general documents found on the Internet. Libraries subscribe by paying an annual fee to be able to provide access to databases using the Internet to transmit the information.