DATABASE HELP GUIDES: Database vs Resources

However, these terms (database/resource/source ) tend to be used interchangeably.

Library Services pays subscription fees to provide FVTC affiliates free access to these databases.

Database vendors require us to make sure that only FVTC affiliates have access, so off-campus use is through a proxy login

 means FVTC access off-campus requires login through proxy login.

Search engines  > search databases > for records > leading to content.
A database is a collection of records. 
Records list information describing the content and location of an item.

Google is a search engine 
that searches their Google-byte sized database 
of spider collected records
to help you find POPULAR webpages.   
Google Rank is not related to reliability of content.

In more detail:

A database search engine  (Ebsco Discovery Service or Google)
> uses access points such as keywords, author date of publication, etc,
> > to search a database collection of records

• Ebsco searches for articles, books, etc and allows you to sort for more relevant and authoritative information. Gives access to many items that are behind a paywall (accessed by purchase; for fee)
• Google searches for more, but it is much harder to determine relevance and whether the information is reliable. Gives access to items that are freely available; provides you opportunity to pay for content, or to find a library where you might be able to borrow the item for free.

> > > to  find content
 

> > > >that matches your search terms.