Using Cornell's Databases

While you're visiting Cornell's libraries, you can use the libraries' public computers to get into databases that Cornell licenses. This privilege does not extend off campus.

Finding the News

Decorative image: Prague Astronomical Clock (detail), by FreeFotoUK. Source: FlickrCurrent News: Nexis Uni (Cornell campus access only)

ProQuest Historical Newspapers (Cornell campus access only) Includes:

  • Baltimore Sun
  • Boston Globe
  • Chicago Defender (1910-1975)‎ (1910 - 1975)
  • Chicago Tribune (1849-1990)‎
  • Chinese Newspapers Collection
  • The Globe & Mail
  • The Hartford Courant
  • The Irish Times & Weekly Irish Times
  • Los Angeles Times (1881-1990)‎
  • New York Amsterdam News (1922-1993)‎
  • New York Tribune & Herald Tribune
  • The New York Times (1851-2010)‎
  • Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002)‎
  • The Times of India (1838-2005)‎ (1838 - 2005)
  • The Wall Street Journal (1889-1996)‎
  • The Washington Post (1877-1997)‎

Need more news? Here's a research guide to help:

News Research: Finding the News

Prague Astronomical Clock (detail), by FreeFotoUK. Source: Flickr

Useful Tips

Some—but not all—databases provide full-text articles.

If the database does not provide full-text, but does give you a citation, take down the full article citation. Then, go back to the catalog and search for the title of the journal the article appears in. The catalog will indicate which issues of the journal Cornell holds in both print and electronic forms. The full text of the article may be available through a different database.

For more precise searching, search databases individually.

Articles: Select and search appropriate databases to discover useful articles

1) Cast a broad net—search a number of article citation sources all at once. Select the "Articles and Catalogs" tab.

screen shot of search box, with link to Cornell library articles and full text search

Article Databases & Indexes

OR 2) Be more focused by searching individual databases. Select the "Databases" tab.

screen shot of search box, with link to Cornell library database search

Periodical indexes (in databases) identify and locate the articles published in magazines, journals and newspapers. Many databases also index essays, book chapters and monographs.

General Periodical Indexes:

Academic Search Premier Provides indexing, abstracts (summaries) and some full-text covering general interest magazines and scholarly journals in the social sciences, humanities and sciences.

Proquest Research Library Indexes and abstracts over 1500 periodicals, covering general interest magazines and scholarly journals in the social sciences, humanities and sciences. The ProQuest Direct Web interface provides the full-text, in several formats, of many articles contained in the database.