Database A database provides a way of organizing information so that you can easily find what you are looking for. Print Databases The index of a book is a print database. It allows you to go quickly to a topic in the book. A phone book is another example of a print database. Electronic Databases We usually think of searchable electronic indexes and catalogs when we refer to databases. LATech Catalog is an example of an electronic database. It lets you quickly locate records on a particular topic in books or periodicals. In an electronic database each article or book has its own record, which provides information about it. Each record is composed of individual pieces of information called fields. Fields include such information as the author, title, publisher, subject heading, etc. for that item. Each of these fields is a searchable access point to the information.