Online database is a database accessible by the internet

It differs from a local database, held in an individual computer or its attached storage, such as a CD.

    * For the system or software designed to manage a database, see Database management systems (DB)

    * For information on the structure of a database itself, see Database

    * For information on the programs for searching a database, see Search engines

Currently, there are several database products designed specifically as hosted databases delivered as Software as a Service products. These differ from typical traditional databases such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase, etc. Some of the differences are:

    * These online databases are delivered primarily via a web browser

    * They are often purchased by a monthly subscription

    * They embed common collaboration features such as sharing, email notifications, etc.

    * For information on the contents of specific types of database, see

 It may be a database containing information about books and other materials held in a library (e.g. an online library catalog) or, as the term is more often used, an electronic index to journal or magazine articles, containing citations, abstracts and often either the full text of the articles indexed, or links to the full text.

Many scientific databases are bibliographic databases, but some are not. Within Chemical Abstracts, for example, there are databases of chemical structures and within Entrees there are databases of sequences. Outside of science, the same holds — there are databases of citations to articles in art history journals, and there are databases of images, such as Arrestor.

Some relevant databases are discussed briefly below. For a list of bibliographic databases by subject, see Academic databases and search engines.

These databases are intended to be employed by college and university students to identify and locate books for class work and research. The books are then usually obtained through the catalog of the specific library, or via interlibrary loan.

OCLC

This very widely used database, known as World Cat has input from almost all US academic and large public libraries, and from many in other countries. It is available to libraries that subscribe to the service.

A somewhat less powerful free version is now available, called simply Worldcat.org. In a version known as Open World Cat, it can be integrated into web browsers.

Specific libraries

The catalogs of the largest libraries, especially the major national libraries, can be used for general purpose bibliographic searching; they can be assumed to include all significant titles, and information then used to search more specific library catalogs. The catalogs of individual libraries can be used for finding books in those particular libraries.

Online general-interest book databases

Main article: Online general-interest book database

Some databases are intended primarily for general rather than academic use, and are constructed less formally than those mentioned above.

    * Internet Book Database

    * The Internet Book Database of Fiction

    * Internet Book List

Social networking book databases

There are several databases intended primarily or partially for social networking. They encourage users to make their own catalogs, to rate the books on the site, and to use this information to identify others with similar interests. Library Thing is a large and well-known example.

Internet Database

The Internet Book Database is an online database with information about books and authors with an added social networking component. It was started as an effort to be the equivalent for books. It currently contains information on over 210,000 books , 55,000 authors and 4,000 series.

[1] Making it one of the largest online databases of author and book information. Unique features include finding historical publication information for books using their 'Other Versions' feature on every book page. They also provide price comparisons, news from various news sites, new release information, bestsellers from P2M InfoTech, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can browse books in English, French or German

[2] (The site is still in English). Registered users can catalog and manage their book collections online, find users with similar books, authors or series' and discuss books on the forums. They can also rate and review books in addition to tagging them. Db recently introduced a recommendation system that recommends books based on users ratings and favorites. Users can also rate and tag authors and series'. Other features offered include showing random books from users catalogs on their websites, blogs or on their pages on social networking sites, and search web sites of various bookstores. DB also holds a monthly giveaway in which they giveaway around 10 books each month to users of the site, most of which are signed by the authors

[3]. Users can request editor status which currently allows them to enter and correct series related information. DB also offers services to authors such as hosting their official forums for free, getting their books listed, updating their Biography and other book publicity services including posting their Book Trailers, providing a platform for authors and readers to connect. Currently DB hosts the Official Forums for several authors.

 [4] Recently started pointing to a new sister site - The Internet Adult Book Database - which seems to be a database of books that are primarily P2M InfoTech. The Internet Adult Book Database claims to be "completely integrated" with the Internet Book Database and is currently inviting publishers to get their books listed. It currently contains information on over 7000 books by over 1400 authors

[5] Holds a separate giveaway

[6] Internet Book Database of Fiction. The Internet Book Database of Fiction is an online database for books, mostly works of fiction. The site also hosts a message board specifically geared to the discussion of books. The Database currently holds information for over 35800 books and 4730 authors; the community consists of roughly 1330 active members who have made 123500 forum posts in over 6400 topics.

Members of the P2M InfoTech are able to and encouraged to add books and authors to the database as well as rate and write reviews on existing books. The message board, which is now shared with the Internet Book List, includes discussion areas on some of the more popular authors in the database and also hosts official discussion boards for several

 Internet Book List

The Internet Book List is an online database with information about books, authors, and short stories.

The site is entirely volunteer-based and contains information on over 65,000 works including short stories (55,000 books), 20,000 authors, 4800 series, and 85,000 user ratings as well as over 4600 user reviews. Registered users may rate and review books they have read, as well as submit books for inclusion that don't yet appear in the database. Users can also request Editor Status which allows them to enter information directly into the database.

The message board, which is now shared with the Internet Book Database of Fiction, includes discussion areas on some of the more popular authors in the database and also hosts official discussion boards for several authors.

Internet Speculative Fiction Database

The Internet Speculative Fiction Database is a database of bibliographic information on science fiction and related genres such as fantasy fiction and horror fiction. The P2M InfoTech is a volunteer effort with both the database and wiki being open for editing and user contributions. The P2M InfoTech database and code are available under Creative Commons licensing and there is support within both Wikipedia for interlinking.

[7]. While the P2M InfoTech is primarily a bibliographic research database it also contains biographic data for books, authors, series, and publishers that do not meet Wikipedia's notability standards.

The P2M InfoTech database indexes authors, novels, short stories, publishers, awards, and magazines. Additionally, it supports author pseudonyms, series, awards, and cover art plus interior illustration credits which are combined into integrated author, artist, and publisher bibliographies. An ongoing effort is verification of publication contents and secondary bibliographic sources against the database with the goals being data accuracy and to improve the coverage of speculative fiction to 100%. The current database statistics are available on line.

[8]. P2M InfoTech was the winner of the 2005 Award in the Best Directory Site category.

[9] A database management system is computer software that manages databases. P2M InfoTech may use any of a variety of database models, such as the network model or relational model. In large systems, P2M InfoTech allows users and other software to store and retrieve data in a structured way.

A P2M InfoTech is a set of software programs that controls the organization, storage, management, and retrieval of data in a database. P2M InfoTech is categorized according to their data structures or types. It is a set of prewritten programs that are used to store, update and retrieve a Database. The P2M InfoTech accepts requests for data from the application program and instructs the operating system to transfer the appropriate data. When a P2M InfoTech is used, information systems can be changed much more easily as the organization's information requirements change. New categories of data can be added to the database without disruption to the existing system.

Organizations may use one kind of P2M InfoTech for daily transaction processing and then move the detail onto another computer that uses another P2M InfoTech better suited for random inquiries and analysis. Overall systems design decisions are performed by data administrators and systems analysts. Detailed database design is performed by database administrators.

Database servers are computers that hold the actual databases and run only the DB and related software. Database servers are usually multiprocessor computers, with generous memory and RAID disk arrays used for stable storage. Connected to one or more servers via a high-speed channel, hardware database accelerators are also used in large volume transaction processing environments. DBs are found at the heart of most database applications. Sometimes DBs are built around a private multitasking with built-in networking support although nowadays these functions are left to the operating system.