AccessMyLibrary.com is a search engine produced by Thomson Gale. It is designed to provide community-wide access to Thomson databases and encyclopedias licensed by public, school, or college libraries. The content is available directly from the site, shows possible libraries in the user's area, and gives access if the user can enter a card number or other identifier from a participating library. A search engine or search service is a document retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system, such as on the World Wide Web, inside a corporate or proprietary network, or in a personal computer. ... Thomson Gale is a currently a part of the Thomson Learning division of the Thomson Corporation, and is based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, in the western suburbs of Detroit. ...

The content available on AccessMyLibrary is also visible in major general-purpose search engines, and is similarly available to the user through patron identification.

Many librarians will consider this a valuable service, as it provides a convenient way of access control where control by internet address is not practical. Some may be put off by the description of this as a "free" service.

External links

• AccessMyLibrary Home Page, which lists the periodicals and encyclopedias available.
• Thomson Gale Official Website, which lists all its database products.