Online Catalog: the online catalog of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries is available on SIRIS--the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. It can be searched by author, title, subject, keyword, and call number with Boolean options. SIRIS can also be searched from any terminal in any SIL location and via the Web or from any terminal in any SIL location.

Databases: Library users can conduct their own specific searches on various online databases through the Libraries' home page. Among online databases available to staff at SI facilities are Zoological Record, Wildlife Worldwide, Fish & Fisheries Worldwide, Biological Abstracts, GEOREF, and AGRICOLA. SIL offers for SI staff online searches of specialized bibliographic databases from DIALOG and other vendors. Requests may be submitted to the library staff. The library staff directs users to additional information sources in related collections in the SIL system. Referral services to outside sources are also provided.

Electronic Journals: Authorized library users can search a host of journals from Academic Press, Cambridge University Press, Wiley Interscience, JSTOR and others.

Other catalogs: Library staff also have access to bibliographic information available through OCLC and RLIN, which contain holdings of most of the research libraries in the world and via tools such as LibDex: The Library Index.

Reference Services: The SIL staff offers assistance and instruction in the use of the library's resources, including reference collections, catalogs, and other library materials.