What is the main difference between a catalogue and a database?

A catalogue is a complete list of the holdings of a particular library or collection. In the UWO Library System, the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC or WebPAC) is a complete listing of all the books, journals, magazines, newspapers, microforms, and audiovisual materials available at the UWO Libraries.

A database is a list of materials, typically references to journal articles with article summaries, that have been published. Many databases are sold commericially (e.g., ERIC, Sociofile, PsycInfo, MLA Bibliography, Ei Compendex, Biological Abstracts, etc.). Some databases are subject specific (such as those listed previously) while others are multidisciplinary (e.g., Expanded Academic Index, Current Contents, UnCover). Commercial databases on the UWO Library Network list items that have been published but are not necessarily available at UWO.

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