AgeLib Digital Library

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AgeLib Help & FAQ

What's Included in This Database?

AgeLib includes all the materials found in the UNC Institute on Aging Library, plus selected items (web sites, reports, etc.) available electronically on the internet. The strength of AgeLib is its coverage of the gray literature of aging, items that are difficult to locate through traditional methods. This database does not include journal articles, nor is it a comprehensive index to aging literature. If you are looking for journal articles, you need to use a bibliographic index such as AgeLine, MedLine, etc.

Search tips

Note: These tips apply when searching using the search form.

1. Use simple, one- or two-word phrases in each box when possible. Your search will have an automatic wildcard on either side. Examples:

older adults
gerontol

2. You do NOT have to fill out all the fields. 

3. The form searches for literal strings, so a search for 'aging and health' will search for those three words, in a row. If you want to search for two different words, put them in separate boxes, and select the appropriate AND/OR connector from the drop down box.

4. Do not include commas, hyphens, apostrophes, or other types of marks in your searches. See the next point for suggestions on search terms.

5. When searching for subjects, you must use appropriate terminology. The subject terms in this database come from the AARP AgeLine Thesaurus of Aging Terminology. In general, use specific terms (i.e. try not to use general words like "aging" or "gerontology"). View the entire list of subjects used so far in our database.

6. Capitalization does not matter for searching.

7. To find only those records that have a web link, search for 'http' in the URL field.