Research & Learn
Our resources can help you write a paper, learn a language, fix a car, plan a vacation, and a whole lot more. Almost all resources are available anytime, anywhere.
A to Z Maps
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data
- Weather, fishing, political and historical maps
- NASA maps
Use it for: Gathering GIS data, preparing for travel, printing educational material and handouts
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A to Z USA
- State profiles detailing demographics, crime, cuisine, economy, education, places of interest
- Historical information and photos
Use it for: Preparing for travel, printing photographs, school reports
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A To Z World Food
- National cuisine, regional cuisine, daily meals, dining etiquette, special occasion foods, and food trivia for 174 countries of the world
- 6,000+ recipes
Use it for: researching food culture and recipes for country reports, finding new recipes, learning about food history
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Ancestry.com [Only available in the library]
- Access to Ancestry.com’s genealogical sources
- U.S. and international censuses
- Birth, death, and marriage indexes
- Military data and city directories
Use it for: Genealogy research
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AtoZdatabases
- Find people by name or phone number
- Detailed information on U.S. businesses and consumers
- 7 million job and internship postings
- Resume & cover letter templates, interviewing tips, videos, and more
Use it for: Finding a job, compiling a list of businesses in a geographical area market research, competitive analysis
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Biography Reference Source
- More than 390,000 unique and reliable full-text biographies
- Search biographies by keyword, occupation, activity, nationality, gender, birthplace, and more
Use it for: School or research projects
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Chicago Consumers' Checkbook
- Easily find ratings, reviews and undercover price research on Chicagoland services and retailers, including doctors, auto repair shops, plumbers, veterinarians, tax preparers and more.
- Advice on more than 150 topics such as finance, home maintenance, healthcare, and travel.
- Chicago Consumer Checkbook is nonprofit, independent, and provides unbiased information.
Use it for: Researching the best local services for your home, finances, and healthcare.
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Consumer Health Complete
- Designed to help users gain an overall understanding of key topics across the health and wellness spectrum — from mainstream medicine to complementary, holistic and integrated medicine.
- 483 full-text journals and magazines
- 348 health-reference books and encyclopedias
- 2,628 full-text, evidence-based health reports
- Consumer health pamphlets and leaflets from the CDC, FDA, NIH and others
Use it for: Basic health research, school work, accessing government health publications
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Consumer Reports
- Reviews, ratings and recommendations on appliances, automobiles, babies and kids products, food, and money/personal finance
- Money-saving advice and tips
- Reliable information on new and used cars
- Consumer news
Use it for: Researching products before buying, finding the best healthcare, cell phone and credit card plans
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Explora
- Topic overviews that provide a starting point for research
- Search full text reference books, journal articles, and primary source documents
- Subjects include Arts & Literature, Biography, Business & Careers, Current Events, Geography & Culture, Health, History, Science, and Math
Use it for: Homework and research projects, developing school curriculum, satisfy curiosity
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Global Road Warrior
- Country profiles for business or casual travelers
- Guide to local customs, tipping etiquette, places of interests, terms and phrases to know, and cuisine
Use it for: Preparing for a business trip or personal vacation; finding authentic recipes from other countries
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Heritage Quest
- Genealogical and historical sources for more than 60 countries
- U.S. Census data from 1790-1940
- Revolutionary War Era Pension & Bounty-Land Warrant Application files
- Freedman’s Bank records (1861-1875)
Use it for: Genealogy research
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Historical Chicago Tribune
- Full text of the Chicago Tribune from 1849 to 1997
- Includes photographs, ads, and obituaries
Use it for: Locating a specific article or obituary, historical and genealogical research
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History Reference Source
- Covers topics in U.S. and world history from earliest civilizations through the 21st century
- Full-text journals, magazines, reference books, and primary source documents
Use it for: School reports, research, and genealogy
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Home Improvement Source
- Includes information on home maintenance, remodeling, electrical work, plumbing, wood projects, outdoor improvements, decorating, and garden
- Comprehensive full-text content from leading home improvement magazines and reference books
Use it for: DIY home improvement and repair projects
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Legal Information Reference Center
- User-friendly interface designed to assist consumers and small businesses in general legal matters
- Full-text legal reference books from Nolo, the nation's oldest and most respected provider of legal information
- Thousands of federal, state-specific, and multi-state legal forms.
Use it for: Getting How-To instructions for legal issues and copies of legal forms
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Literary Reference Source
- Comprehensive database of full-text information on thousands of authors and their works
- Contains plot summaries, synopses, overviews, author biographies and interviews, literary criticism and book reviews
Use it for: Book reports, find literary criticisms
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MasterFILE Complete
- Contains full text for more than 1,000 reference books and over 164,400 primary source documents, as well as an Image Collection of over 502,000 photos, maps & flags
- Covers an extensive range of subject areas including business, health, education, fitness, sports and leisure, personal finance, general science, multicultural issues, DIY and fashion.
Use it for: Any research project
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Points of View Reference Source
- Presents multiple sides of over 500 issues
- Features a Guide to Critical Analysis for evaluating controversies and enhancing critical reading and thinking skills
Use it for: Any research project, understanding controversial issues
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Public Records
- Public record data for real estate transactions, foreclosures, bankruptcies and new businesses in Illinois
Use it for: Market research, competitive analysis
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Science Reference Source
- Provides full text for hundreds of science magazines, journals, reference books, and high-quality videos
- Supports teaching and learning in high school science classrooms with more than 2,500 science lesson plans
- More than 1,050 science experiments
Use it for: Science research projects, High school science lesson plans
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U.S. Newsstream
- Full text of premium newspapers from 1980 to present day; includes Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, and Washington Post
- Daily papers are added at 8am each morning.
Use it for: Locating a specific article or obituary, general research, reading current local, national, and world news
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