USING ELECTRONIC DATABASES

NewsBank                   
A.  Overview
B.  Accessing NewsBank
C.  Using NewsBank
D.  Disconnecting from NewsBank

What is NewsBank?

NewsBank is a company that produces a variety of databases of articles drawn from newspapers.  Some of these databases are available online.  The online databases are: 

NewsBank NewsFile Collection    (1992-Current)

The NewsBank NewsFile Collection is an online database that contains full-text newspaper articles from over 500 newspapers across the United States and Canada including the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, and the Toronto Star.  NewsBank NewsFile contains articles printed since Jan. 1991 and is the library’s main source for articles from national and international newspapers.  It also provides current news from the following news wire services:

1. U.S. Newswire

2. Kyodo News International (Japan)

3. Xinhua News Agency (China)

4. The Associated Press News Service

5. Reuters News Report

6. Scripps Howard News Service

7. Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

NewsBank ScienceSource Collection    (1987-Current)

The NewsBank ScienceSource Collection features summaries of articles from over 350 science and technology journals and has been available in a printed format for twenty years.  Now, this same information is available online.  Each summary is one to two pages long and describes the material covered in each article.  ScienceSource provides a current overview of developments in the life sciences, citation information to the complete articles, and index terms.  (Use of the index terms as search terms will generate related information.)  Some of the topics covered are:

1. AIDS/HIV Research & Vaccines

2. Global Warming

3. Health & Nutrition

4. Water Conservation

5. Acid Rain

6. Wildlife

7. Endangered Species

8. Drug/Alcohol Abuse

NewsBank News Headlines   (Updated Bi-Monthly)

NewsBank News Headlines is a database of current news stories.  Each day features five or six news stories, and News Headlines archives articles back two months.  After two months’ time, the articles may be retrieved via NewsBank NewsFile.  Articles included in this database are the major news items of each day.

NewsBank Maps   (Current)

NewsBank Maps a database of maps of the nations of the world.  Each nation can be accessed by name or by geographic region.  Each nation is shown on a topographical map and a political map.   

Accessing NewsBank

Each of these databases is available through any computer that has a recognizable Henderson Community College IP address.

• In addition to the links provided above, you may gain access through the “Library  Services” web page.  On this page, move the cursor to the “NewsBank Online” button.  Click the left button on the mouse.

• You will now find yourself at the NewsBank homepage.  All databases are accessible from this page along with "current event" web pages such as these:

• If you are an "off-campus" student in Union or Webster Counties, you may access the NewsBank database by obtaining the necessary USERID and PASSWORD from the library's reference desk and applying it when requested by the software.  This information is free after it has been verified that you are an enrolled student at HCC.  Your home personal computer or public library computer must be connected to the Internet to access NewsBank, and you must go to the HCC library's web page before activating the NewsBank icon.  Off-Campus users may gain assistance with this process by calling the library's reference desk at (270) 831-9767, or by sending an email to the Reference Librarian.

Using NewsBank

1.  Selecting a Database to Search:

·        The NewsBank web page lists the available databases.  Choose one by clicking on the title of the desired database.

·        The NewsFile and ScienceSource databases use the same search screens.

[NOTE: The web page’s left-hand column offers a more comprehensive set of search instructions under the title, “How to Search.”}

2. Search tips:

·        NewsBank offers both "Basic" and “Advanced” search options. Of the two, the Advanced is the more flexible option.

·        The basic search engine allows the use of Boolean AND/OR/NOT, but in order for them to work, AND/OR/NOT must be capitalized. 

·    When articles display, the right hand column titled, "Topics Related to," shows subject headings that are linked to your search term(s).  Use these to find other articles that may be useful. 

·        For more advanced searches, use the "more search options" button.  This will allow you to add more search terms.

·        The “more search options” button allows you to specify where in an article the system looks for the word(s) you typed in.  Choices available through this option include searching for your word(s) in the titles, first paragraphs, or entire text the articles in the database.  The following picture is an example of this screen.

·        Print the articles using the standard “Print” command.

When finished, click the "Home" icon located at the top of your screen.  This will disconnect you and return the screen to the library's web page.