Library Databases

OneSearch is not a database itself. It is a library tool that allows you to search several library resources at once, including research databases. It's your "one search" to finding scholarly articles, eBooks, magazines, streaming videos, and more. Compare it to Google: it searches and finds resources from other tools and displays the results in one place. It does not actually have any content within itself.

OneSearch is a general discovery tool.

The "discovery" part is that it gives you a good idea of what's available for any given topic and it's easy to use.

The "general" part is that it pulls information on most subjects. That makes it great for broad searches or getting started in your research, but you may find the more specific and focused your research needs are, the less helpful OneSearch is for you.

OneSearch is located on the library home page. Run a quick search right from the OneSearch box, also included on this page below, or click Visit the OneSearch Homepage for more comprehensive OneSearch searching.

Visit the Saybrook OneSearch Homepage

OneSearch is a very powerful search tool to discover library resources. It will work for most users' needs, but it does have some  limitations. 

Pros:

• Great starting place for research
• Searches a variety of resources all at once
• Easy to navigate and use
• Finds resources that the library does not own (which can be requested via Interlibrary Loan)
• Mimics the design of most databases

Cons:

• May return a very large number of results--can be overwhelming
• Despite being named "OneSearch," does not search everything the library owns
• Several databases not searched by OneSearch at all; some databases only partially searched
• OneSearch is a general tool – covers all subjects but not very strong in any particular one
• Less helpful with more specific or obscure research