diff --git a/src/data/database.rs b/src/data/database.rs
index d3b4b81..b6be3b3 100644
--- a/src/data/database.rs
+++ b/src/data/database.rs
@@ -29,12 +29,12 @@ mod errora {
     }
 }
 
-struct Database {
+pub struct Database {
     tables: HashMap<String, Table>,
 }
 
 impl Database {
-    fn new() -> Self {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
         Self {
             tables: HashMap::new(),
         }
diff --git a/src/data/mod.rs b/src/data/mod.rs
index 45bf7b5..dbd0695 100644
--- a/src/data/mod.rs
+++ b/src/data/mod.rs
@@ -2,3 +2,99 @@ pub mod database;
 pub mod id;
 mod record;
 pub mod table;
+
+use crate::{data::database::Database, error::MTTError};
+use std::{collections::HashMap, fmt, ops::Deref};
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub enum UniError {
+    DuplicateDB(String),
+}
+
+impl fmt::Display for UniError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            UniError::DuplicateDB(data) => write!(f, "database '{}' already exists", data),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod errors {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn duplicate_database() {
+        let name = "name";
+        let err = UniError::DuplicateDB(name.to_string());
+        assert_eq!(
+            err.to_string(),
+            format!("database '{}' already exists", name)
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+struct Universe {
+    databases: HashMap<String, Database>,
+}
+
+impl Universe {
+    fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            databases: HashMap::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn add_database(&mut self, name: &str, db: Database) -> Result<(), MTTError> {
+        match self.databases.get(name) {
+            Some(_) => {
+                let err = UniError::DuplicateDB(name.to_string());
+                Err(err.into())
+            }
+            None => {
+                self.databases.insert(name.to_string(), db);
+                Ok(())
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Deref for Universe {
+    type Target = HashMap<String, Database>;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Self::Target {
+        &self.databases
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod universes {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn create_universe() {
+        let uni = Universe::new();
+        assert_eq!(uni.len(), 0);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn add_database() {
+        let mut uni = Universe::new();
+        let db = Database::new();
+        uni.add_database("barney", db).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(uni.len(), 1);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn no_duplicate_dbs() {
+        let mut uni = Universe::new();
+        let db1 = Database::new();
+        let db2 = Database::new();
+        let name = "duplicate";
+        uni.add_database("barney", db2).unwrap();
+        match uni.add_database("barney", db1) {
+            Ok(_) => unreachable!("should have been an error"),
+            Err(err) => {}
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 0e7660c..c16bb79 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::data::{database::DBError, id::IDError, table::TBLError};
+use crate::data::{database::DBError, id::IDError, table::TBLError, UniError};
 use std::{error::Error, fmt};
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ pub enum ErrorType {
     DBErr(DBError),
     IDErr(IDError),
     TBLErr(TBLError),
+    UniErr(UniError),
 }
 
 impl From<DBError> for ErrorType {
@@ -26,12 +27,19 @@ impl From<TBLError> for ErrorType {
     }
 }
 
+impl From<UniError> for ErrorType {
+    fn from(value: UniError) -> Self {
+        ErrorType::UniErr(value)
+    }
+}
+
 impl fmt::Display for ErrorType {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         match self {
             ErrorType::DBErr(data) => write!(f, "database: {}", data),
             ErrorType::IDErr(data) => write!(f, "id: {}", data),
             ErrorType::TBLErr(data) => write!(f, "table: {}", data),
+            ErrorType::UniErr(data) => write!(f, "global: {}", data),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -60,6 +68,13 @@ mod errortypes {
         let result = ErrorType::from(err.clone());
         assert_eq!(result.to_string(), format!("table: {}", err));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn universal_error() {
+        let err = UniError::DuplicateDB("bad".to_string());
+        let result = ErrorType::from(err.clone());
+        assert_eq!(result.to_string(), format!("global: {}", err));
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -109,6 +124,12 @@ impl From<TBLError> for MTTError {
     }
 }
 
+impl From<UniError> for MTTError {
+    fn from(value: UniError) -> Self {
+        Self { err: value.into() }
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod errors {
     use super::*;
@@ -142,4 +163,11 @@ mod errors {
         let err = MTTError::from(error.clone());
         assert_eq!(err.to_string(), ErrorType::TBLErr(error).to_string());
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn from_global_error() {
+        let error = UniError::DuplicateDB(rand_str());
+        let err = MTTError::from(error.clone());
+        assert_eq!(err.to_string(), ErrorType::UniErr(error).to_string());
+    }
 }