by Brianna Crandall — June 10, 2015—The Building Research Information Knowledgebase (BRIK) searchable database, a joint venture of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), was widely expanded through the addition of the EBSCO Discovery Service, adding thousands of titles in three databases now searchable through BRIK. The new service debuted in May at the AIA National Convention.
BRIK is the interactive portal offering online access to professionally reviewed research projects and case studies in all facets of the built environment and the design and construction process. BRIK now offers AIA and NIBS members access to tens of thousands of abstracts, as well as full text information on thousands of pieces of research.
In addition to the now-familiar “BRIK Boutique” of hand-selected and abstracted, professionally reviewed research highlighted by AIA, NIBS and the BRIK partners, the BRIK Web site now serves as a portal to the thousands of research sources through three EBSCO-host databases:
- Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
- Art and Architecture Complete Index (including thousands of images)
- Sustainability Reference Center
Access to the EBSCO-powered portion of BRIK will be offered only to AIA members and NIBS members. From now until September 30, AIA or NIBS membership is a passport to the entire BRIK database without charge. While BRIK access will remain free, after the free trial period, AIA and NIBS members who want continued access to the EBSCO-powered database will need to sign up and pay a $40 annual fee.
For more information on how to set up a free trial-period account, visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section on the BRIK Web site.
