Descriptions for Current/Hot Topic Databases

Access PA Library Catalog
Catalog holdings of almost 3,000 Pennsylvania school, public, academic and special libraries are included in this database. Search by author, title, subject or keyword to locate over 44 million items.

AP Images
More than 500,000 current and historical photographs and graphics can be searched by date, place and subject. More than 800 photographs are added to the archive daily.

Business Source Premier (Select link under Business heading.)
Provides full text articles from general business magazines, trade publications, business journals and business publications with an international scope. Some titles start as far back as 1985 and more than 200 journals have PDF full text materials back to 1965 or first issue published. Over 10,000 company profiles are included. Topics include accounting, management, marketing, economics, finance, international business and more. Click here for an online tutorial from the James V. Brown Library.

Consumer Health Complete
Covers all areas of health and wellness from mainstream medicine to complementary, holistic, and integrated medicine. Zooms in on topics such as aging, cancer, diabetes, drugs & alcohol, fitness, nutrition & dietetics, men’s & women's health, and children's health. Includes a collection of high-quality consumer health encyclopedias & reference books, thousands of evidenced-based full text health reports, pamphlets, brochures, and more.

Countries and Their Cultures
An eBook focusing on cultures and countries around the world, specifically what is and is not shared culturally by the people who live in a particular country. A descriptive summary of a given country will include demographic, historical, cultural, economic, religious, and political information.

DartClix (Select link under Newspapers/Magazines/Websites.)
Collection of over 18,000 professionally selected and cataloged, high-quality websites designed to enhance curriculum support in schools and patron research in public and academic libraries. The DartClix records containing multiple fields are loaded into the Access PA Database where they may be searched, and then link users to the websites.

EBSCOhost
Comprehensive online resources ranging from general reference collections to subject-specific databases, particularly in the fields of health, business, and education.

Facts for Learning (Select link under General Reference heading)
The Elementary School Module teaches younger students how to ask questions, use core reference resources, understand indexes, choose research topics, search online, and read charts and graphs. The Middle School Module provides content written for students in grades 5-8 and is designed for students able to use a more sophisticated format. Click here for an online tutorial from the James V. Brown Library.

Health Source - Consumer Edition (Select link under Health/Science heading.) Search for information on medicine, food and nutrition, childcare, sports medicine and general health. Over 200 general health publications and more than 190 journals can be searched, including Consumer Reports on Health and Men’s Health. Click here for an online tutorial from the James V. Brown Library.

History Reference Center (Select link under General Reference heading.)
750 history reference books and encyclopedias, and cover-to-cover full text from nearly 60 history magazines; 58,000 historical documents; 43,000 biographies of historical figures; more than 12,000 historical photos and maps; and 87 hours of historical film and video.
Click here for an online tutorial from the James V. Brown Library.

Medline Plus
Extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 650 diseases and conditions, lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, and links to clinical trials. 

NetLibrary
Electronic books (eBooks) are available through this link. NetLibrary eBooks are full text searchable and available for use on personal computers in online formats. Click here for an online tutorial from the James V. Brown Library.

New Dictionary of the History of Ideas
eBook bringing a global perspective to bear on timeless questions about the individual and society. A distinguished team of international scholars explore new thinking in areas previously covered (communism, linguistics, physics) and present cross-cultural perspectives on more recent topics such as postmodernism, deconstruction and post-colonialism.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
A source for information on social issues, containing viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles. 

Philadelphia Inquirer
1981-Current. Complete full-text content of local and regional news, including community events, schools, politics, government policies, cultural activities, local companies, state industries, and people in the community.

Searchasaurus
Suggested for children, this resource includes an encyclopedia, an encyclopedia of animals, magazine searches for primary and middle school grade levels, a dictionary, photos, maps and flags. A good homework resource. 

SIRS Discoverer
Includes full text articles and images from over 1,600 domestic and international newspapers, magazines and government documents. Articles are assigned a reading level –Easy, Moderate or Challenging- based on age-appropriateness, educational content, interest and reading level. This database is an excellent student resource. Click here for an online tutorial from the James V. Brown Library.

Today’s Science
Draws on major scientific journals, magazines and newspapers in the United States and abroad to present the latest scientific discoveries and the fundamental concepts that underlie them. Includes “Hot Topic” coverage, an in-text glossary, and links to scientific Web sites.

West’s Encyclopedia of American Law
eBook providing current information on more than 5,000 legal topics, including high-profile ones such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, capital punishment, domestic violence, gay and lesbian rights, and physician-assisted suicide.

World Book Encyclopedia
Provides all articles from the 22-volume print set plus 3,700 more; 15,000 Web links; links to over 30,000 articles in 107 periodicals; over 9,000 pictures and maps; more than 800 videos, animations, and sounds; 129 3-D bubble views; and much more.