All Databases
The A-Z Databases page lists all databases.
- A-Z DatabasesBlume Library databases. May be sorted by subject.
Database Search Tips
- Consider what type of information you need and where you might find it.
- Break your topic into key concepts and identify terms for each concept. Start with fewer words. Less yields more.
- Don't be too narrow in your search, especially initially.
- While it is possible to find sources on international or local topics, the strength of many of our academic databases is coverage of US national topics.
- Use Boolean connectors like AND, OR, and NOT to connect keywords. Many databases search the words as a phrase otherwise.
- In general, avoid using prepositions like "in," "of," and "on."
- Truncation characters such as an * (asterisk) can expand your search by retrieving various forms of a word, e.g., comput* retrieves computer, computers, computing, computation, etc.
- Look at the subject terms or descriptors that are used for articles that appear relevant. Try other searches using those terms.
- In the sciences and social sciences, when starting a journal article search on a topic, consider adding systematic review or meta-analysis, or literature review in your search.
- Consult a librarian or your faculty member for additional related terms.
- Think about which individuals or groups of people or organizations are associated with your topic. These might be additional terms to search.
Evaluate Article Relevance & Quality
- Look at subject terms applied to relevant articles. Did you find additional articles by searching these subject headings?
- Which terms or search strategies yielded the best results?
- Look at the abstract. Are there additional keyword terms you might search?
- How long is the article?
- In which journal or periodical was this article published? What is the journal's or magazine's reputation? How do you know?
- When was the article published? What time period does the research or article cover?
- Who is the author of the article? What are the author's credentials? What qualifies the author as an expert?
- What sources are cited in this article?
- How will this source advance the research project?
- See Evaluate Information for more criteria.
History Databases
Best Bets
Databases marked with an orange triangle are not included in Discover. You should search them separately.
- Discover This link opens in a new window
Blume Library's primary search tool. This robust feature helps scholars find scholarly journals and articles, books, eBooks, music, videos, government information, and more. Input the keywords of your research to generate a results list full of articles and items covering the topic. Use boolean phrases (AND, OR, NOT) and other limiters to focus a search or modify a results list. This tool searches most of the Blume Library holdings including the Library Catalog of physical items and eResources.
Learn more about this powerful resource: DISCOVER
Reach out to a Blume Librarian for research assistance: RESEARCH ASSISTANCE - JSTOR This link opens in a new windowJSTOR journals, books, images, and primary sources are integrated into a single, robust platform that uses the latest digital technologies and best practices. JSTOR provides access to over 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in 75 disciplines.
Full runs of journals from more than 2,800 top scholarly journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. More than 100,000 ebooks from 250+ renowned scholarly publishers, integrated with journals and primary sources on JSTOR. This source also includes open-access articles!
Other Sources
Streaming Video
- Alexander Street Video This link opens in a new windowAlexander Street publishes more than 80 collections totaling many millions of pages, audio tracks, videos, images, and playlists. We’re concentrating on building the best collections we can across the curriculum—in literature; music; women's history; black history; psychological counseling and therapy; social and cultural history; drama, medical, theatre, film, and the performing arts; religion; sociology; and other emerging areas.
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new window36,570 titles and 282,830 segments of streaming videos from a variety of popular and educational publishers/producers. Content includes a wide variety of subject areas including movies, plays, speeches, interviews, documentaries, lectures, and more.
Subjects covered include Anthropology, African Studies, Asia & The Pacific, Latin American Studies, Art & Architecture, Biology, Business & Economics, Communication, Counseling & Social Work, Criminal Justice & Law, Earth Science, Education, Engineering, English, Entertainment, Environmental Science, Geography, Health & Medicine, History, Mathematics, Music & Dance, Philosophy & Religion, Physical Science, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Technology & Society, World Languages
Learn more about this resource: FILMS ON DEMAND - Kanopy This link opens in a new window
A video streaming service with a broad selection of documentaries, feature films, and training videos from thousands of producers. Featured producers include BBC, the Criterion Collection, the Great Courses, HBO, PBS, and many more.
Content includes- Anthropology, Art and Architecture, Business, Education, Everyday Health, Film Studies, Global Studies & Languages, History, Law & Criminal Justice, Media & Communications, Medicine, Music, Theater & Dance, Political Science, Psychology, Sciences, and Sociology.
Learn more about this resource: https://lib.stmarytx.edu/kanopy
Various
Articles and Primary Sources (governmental sources, etc.)
- American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection This link opens in a new windowThe American Antiquarian Society is the nation's chief repository for newspapers published in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in the United States, Canada, and the West Indies. The Society has accumulated over 18,000 newspaper titles. The AAS library today houses the largest and most accessible collection of books, pamphlets, broadsides, newspapers, periodicals, children's literature, music, and graphic arts material printed through 1876 in what is now the United States, as well as manuscripts and a substantial collection of secondary texts, bibliographies, and digital resources and reference works related to all aspects of American history and culture before the twentieth century.
Learn more about this database: https://lib.stmarytx.edu/database_guide/aas - ATLA Religion Database This link opens in a new windowThe premier index of articles, reviews, and essays in all fields of religion and theology, and offers significant breadth and depth of subject areas and languages covered.
Coverage Areas:
Bible, archaeology, and antiquities; human culture and society; world religions and religious studies; church history, missions, and ecumenism; pastoral ministry; theology, philosophy, and ethics
Total Number of Records:
More than 3.4 million, including
* 2,500+ journal titles in total, 1,200+ of which are currently being indexed
* 1.2 million+ journal article records
* 287,000+ essay records
* 1.1 million+ review records
* 470,000+ book records - Catholic News Archive This link opens in a new windowWelcome to the Catholic News Archive! Our site has thousands of newspaper pages, from different cities, over multiple years and the collection is growing! You can search across the entire collection, a specific city or national paper, or even a select period of time with our powerful search, browse, and download capabilities. The Archive is crucial for scholars examining social, economic, or religious history in the United States. This fully searchable text helps anyone see data of interest, and to see it in the context of the newspapers' editorials, pictures, and advertisements.
Articles available from October 1831 - present - Catholic Portal This link opens in a new windowThe Catholic Research Resources Portal, or "Catholic Portal," provides global, freely available access to rare, unique, and/or uncommon materials in libraries, seminaries, special collections, and archives.
Indexing and some full-text access to rare materials in libraries, seminaries, special collections, and archives. You can limit it to full text after searching. The database "enables easy, the effective and global discovery of Catholic research resources". Made available by the Catholic Research Resources Alliance (CRRA). - HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowHeinOnline is Hein's premier online product, with more than 70 million pages of legal history available in an online, fully-searchable, image-based format. HeinOnline bridges the gap in legal history by providing comprehensive coverage from the inception of more than 1,600 law and law-related periodicals.
Focuses on law journals, case law, and government documents.
Some United States collections include the Congressional Record, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, and parts of the Serial Set. Other notable collections are the US state collections, Canon law materials, international treaties and agreements, English legal materials, and United Nations legal materials.
Databases by Category: Canadian Content, Case Law, Current Content Journals, International Resources, International Treaties and Agreements, U.K. Content, U.S. Federal Content, U.S. State Content
Learn more about this resource at: https://lib.stmarytx.edu/HeinOnline - HeritageQuest This link opens in a new windowUS Federal Census records from 1790-1930 and over 25,000 genealogical books on local history, genealogy, and primary source materials. It covers 50 states and Canada, England, and Ireland.
Content includes: City Directories, Census Map Guide, U.S. Indian Census Rolls, Mortality Schedules, Agricultural, and Industrial Schedules, U.S. Freedman's Bank Record, 1861-1875 - Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980 This link opens in a new windowHispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980, represents the single largest compilation of Spanish-language newspapers printed in the U.S. during the 19th and 20th centuries. The distinctive collection features 368 Hispanic American newspapers, including many long scattered and forgotten titles published in the 19th century. It is based on the “Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project,” a national research effort directed by Nicolás Kanellos, Brown Foundation Professor of Hispanic Studies at the University of Houston.
- Historical Newspapers: New York Times with Index This link opens in a new windowThis historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers, and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the time's politics, society, and events.
The Historical New York Times with Index (1851-1993) provides search capability using subject terms and topics for focused and targeted results in combination with searchable full text, full page, and article-level images from the Historical New York Times.
Coverage: 1851 - 2020
Subject coverage - Historical local, regional, national and international news - Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Includes local, regional, national, and international newspapers, as well as non-English language news; business information about US and international companies; federal, state, and international legal materials including case law, media transcripts, and more.
Nexis Uni features more than 17,000 news, business, and legal sources—including U.S. Supreme Court decisions dating back to 1790. - Texas Digital Sanborn Maps (1867-1970) This link opens in a new windowProvides digital access to large-scale maps of Texas towns and cities. Founded in 1867 by D. A. Sanborn, the Sanborn Map Company was the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years.
Journals List
Looking for a specific journal, magazine, or newspaper?
Use Journals List to search for the title of a journal, magazines, or newspaper and determine if the library offers online access or print access to that publication.
- Journals List VideoWatch this short video if you want to see an example search with remote access.