Database Searching

Restricted Databases

Some databases that are available to the Legislature and State agency personnel for free (for work-related requests) are not available for customers to search themselves; they must be searched by a New York State Library librarian.

LEXIS/NEXIS: This database of over 2.6 billion documents is geared toward the legal, business and government markets. More about LEXIS/NEXIS.
Dialog: With a combined database containing over nine terabytes of information, Dialog offers one of the most comprehensive sources of online information. More about Dialog.

Requesting a Search

Database search requests may be submitted

by phone to Reference Services, (518) 474-5355,
in person at the Reference Desk,
by e-mail at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/refserv.htm,
by using the State interlibrary loan system, or
by mail to Reference Services.

Forms for mailed requests are available, but are not required.

Fees

State government staff members receive work-related searches without charge. State employees requesting searches not directly related to work and members of the public are charged a basic search fee. There is an additional charge if more than the basic number of citations is wanted. The basic number and the cost per citation vary with the database.

Rush search service is offered. Searches will be completed within 24 hours; however, only half of the basic number of citations will be provided. Regular searches may take about a week to complete.

Current Awareness Service

For a modest additional monthly charge, a search will be repeated automatically each month, providing new information as it becomes available. This service is available only for certain databases.

Obtaining Material Cited in Database Searches

Instructions provided with database search results indicate how to obtain materials cited. For those in State government, the fastest way may be to come to the State Library to use or photocopy materials, or (if eligible) to borrow circulating items.

State employees may also submit requests electronically, by phone (limit-three items), or by mail on the New York State Library State Government Patron Request form. Items needed for State purposes and not available at the State Library will be requested through interlibrary loan if the form has been marked to show that interlibrary loan service is wanted.

Members of the public should obtain cited items within their local library systems. (If the local library doesn't have the item itself, they may be able to obtain it through interlibrary loan.) The public may also search for cited items and use them on site at the State Library.

Home

Catalog