Find facts at your fingertips!

August 13, 2024 Featured
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It's new! It's free!

AAPLD's newly expanded online resource collection puts thousands of facts at your fingertips. Just in time for the new school year, these resources provide access to academic, and scientific research materials, consumer and career resources and much more!

Provided by the State of Illinois free of charge, these resources can be accessed from home by entering your library card number, or through our public computers with a guest pass.

New resources for teens and adults include:

Academic Research

  • Academic Search Elite - Comprehensive, multi-disciplinary resource of scholarly research.  Includes peer-reviewed full text resources for a wide range of topics, including adult education, higher education, public health, and more.
  • Biography Reference Source - More than 390,000 biographies. Includes full text run of Biography Today and
    Biography Magazine as well as thousands of narrative biographies.
  • Ethnic Diversity Source -Dedicated resource covering the culture, traditions, social treatment and lived experiences of different ethnic groups in America.
  • Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition - Provides researchers, allied health professionals, nurses, and medical educators access to scholarly journals on many medical disciplines. Provides indexing, abstracts, and full text for hundreds of nursing and allied health journals, many of which are peer reviewed.
  • History Reference Source - Covering topics in U.S. and world history from the earliest civilizations through the 21st century, this database contains full-text journals, magazines, reference books and thousands of primary source documents.
  • LGBTQ+ Source - The definitive database for LGBTQ+ studies. It provides scholarly and popular LGBTQ+ publications in full text, plus historically important primary sources, including monographs, magazines, newspapers, and videos. It also includes a specialized LGBTQ+ thesaurus containing thousands of terms.
  • Literary Reference Source - Literary database covering all genres and time periods. It includes thousands of synopses, critical essays, book reviews, literary journals, and author biographies, plus full-length classic novels, short stories, and poems.
  • Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection- Covers a broad range of subjects in the fields of psychology, behavioral sciences, and related disciplines. For psychologists, counselors, researchers, and students.
  • Religion & Philosophy Collection- Hundreds of full-text journals and magazines covering many religious and philosophical topics, including world religions, religious history, political philosophy, and philosophy of language.
  • Science Reference Source - Provides full text for hundreds of science magazines, journals, reference books, and high-quality videos. The database also contains science experiments, curriculum-aligned lesson plans, and a vast image collection.

Business/Career Resources

  • AGRICOLA - From the National Agricultural Library. Contains citations about all aspects of agriculture and related fields. Includes: journal articles, monographs, proceedings, theses, patents, translations, audiovisual materials, computer software, and technical reports.
  • Business Source Elite -  Full-text coverage of top business, management and economics journals and periodicals. These valuable publications cover topics such as accounting, banking, finance, international business, marketing, sales and more.
  • LearningExpress Library Complete - Supports those looking to improve core academic skills, pass a high school equivalency test, prepare for college, explore careers, join the military, study for occupational certification tests, become a U.S. citizen and much more. Contains practice tests, interactive tutorials, e-books, articles, and flashcards.
  • Regional Business News - Regional business publications for the United States and Canadian provinces from 1990. Includes newspapers, radio and television news transcripts, trade publications, magazines, and newswires.
  • Small Business Source - Covers all aspects of starting and operating a business. Includes information on accounting, human resources, management, marketing, tax, and more. State-specific information included.

Consumer/Health Information

  • Alt HealthWatch- Provides information on complementary, holistic, and integrated approaches to healthcare and wellness. Sources include journals (some peer-reviewed) and reports.
    Auto Repair Source - Repair information and schedules, diagrams, parts and labor estimates, service alerts, and recalls. Covers thousands of domestic and imported vehicles.
  • Health Source: Consumer Edition - Subjects include fitness, nutrition, diabetes, aging, women's health, children's health, and more. Information comes from magazines, books, Clinical Reference System reports, and pamphlets.
  • Hobbies & Crafts Source - Subjects include arts and crafts; games and electronics; models; needlework; outdoors and nature;  scrapbooking and paper craft.
  • Home Improvement Source - Includes maintenance, remodeling, electrical work, plumbing, wood projects, outdoor improvements, decorating, home and garden, etc. Includes more than 130 reference books.
  • Legal Information Source - Thousands of legal forms by topic including Bankruptcy, Divorce, Name Changes, Wills and Estate Planning and more. Most of the full text legal reference books provided through NOLO.
  • Small Engine Repair Source - Repair guides for small engines and routine maintenance (tune-ups, brake service, etc.). Also includes guides on extensive repairs such as engine and transmission disassembly. Coverage includes lawn mowers, motorcycles, tractors, and snowmobiles. Information on more than 25 years of engine models, with new and updated content added regularly.

Resources for Teens

  • EBSCO eBooks High School Subscription Collection - On-the-go access to popular e-books for students, teachers and administrators. This robust collection includes a selection of classic literary works, important historical documents, and general reference materials.
  • MAS Complete -  Includes popular high school magazines and reference books. Subjects offered including art, history, sports, and music. Over 1,000,000 photos, maps, and flags. Full text magazines include Discover, US News & World Report, Scientific American, and more.
  • Points of View Reference Source - Presents multiple sides of over 500 issues. Helps students assess and develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues, and develop analytical thinking skills.

Specialized Ebooks, Magazines and Periodicals

  • Book Collection: Nonfiction- Designed for public libraries, thousands of books cover core subject areas as well as
    information on careers, health, sports, adventure, technology, life skills and more.
  • EBSCO eBooks Public Library Subscription Collection- High-quality e-books covering a wide range of topics such as self-help, fitness, games, hobbies, and cooking. This general reference e-book collection features titles for both adults and kids.
  • EBSCO eBooks Business Subscription Collection - Equip students and faculty with access to thousands of e-books dedicated to the study of business.
  • EBSCO eBooks Diversity & Ethnic Studies Subscription Collection - This groundbreaking collection includes over 6,000 high-quality e-books on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • MAS Reference eBook Subscription - A rich selection of titles covering a broad range of general reference
    subjects, including biography, careers, language arts, literature, government, math, science, current events, and social-emotional health.
  • MasterFILE Complete- A collection of popular full-text magazines and reference books, including People, Better Homes and Gardens, TIME, and Newsweek. Covers subjects including business, health, education, fitness, sports and leisure, personal finance, general science, multicultural issues, DIY, and fashion. Also includes photos, maps, and flags.
  • MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection- Reference books covering a broad range of general reference subjects, including biography, history, architecture, literature, cooking, health and wellness, science, self-help, religion, current events, sports, travel and more.
  • Newspaper Source Plus- Includes millions of articles from newspapers, newswires, and news magazines. OƯers
    television and radio transcripts and ongoing daily updates from popular news sources. Newspapers include St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Washington Post, USA Today, and more.