Descriptions for All 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.

Access Pennsylvania Digital Repository
Digitized PDF images of PA newspapers formerly in microfilm.

African-American History Online
Explores all aspects of the African-American experience, from the past to the present. Features biographies, historical documents, photographs, timelines and maps, quotes, and a bibliography.

American History Online
Authoritative reference to the most important individuals, events, and topics in the United States, spanning more than 500 years of political, military, social, and cultural history. The resource is organized by content type, topic, era, and activity as well as by the National Standards for U.S. History.

American Indian History Online
Fast access to more than a thousand years of culture, legends, and leaders. More than 150 Native American groups are presented through primary source documents, biographies, historical maps, and photographs.

Ancestry Library
For genealogical research, with digitized images of the U.S. Federal Census from 1790 forward, the American Genealogical Biographical Index, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, and more.

Ancient and Medieval History Online
A global view of the pre-modern world, exploring the civilizations of Africa (general), Egypt, Greece, Rome, Mesoamerica, and Mesopotamia.

p4A_AntiquesReference
Information about antiques and collectibles, used “to estimate the value of similar items for sale, for purchase or for insurance purposes, to substantiate a formal appraisal,” and more.

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.

Auto Repair Reference Center*
Supplied by Point 5 Technologies with complete automotive repair information supplied by Nichols Publishing, publisher of Chilton© information. Most major manufacturers of domestic and imported vehicles are listed. Repair information is available for most manufacturers as far back as 1954.

Biography Reference Bank (Select link under Biography heading.)
Links to biographical articles on over 470,000 individuals. Full text articles, abstracts and photographs are available from periodicals, feature articles, interviews, essays, performance reviews, speeches and obituaries. Click here for an online tutorial from the James V. Brown Library.

Biography Resource Center
Information on the lives of more than one million people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas.

Bloom Literary Reference Online
Provides author bios, great works of world literature, a timeline and, most notably, professor Harold Bloom’s selection of authors and works that represent the greatest achievements of the Western literary tradition.

Book Collection: Nonfiction (Scroll down on the EBSCO "Select Service" page.) A research database containing full text and abstracts for 1000 popular nonfiction books. Full text articles on literature, social studies, history and science are available and career, health, sports, adventure and technology information is also included.

Business Plans Handbook
An eBook presenting approximately 25 sample plans taken from businesses in the manufacturing, retail, and service industries--only company names and addresses have been changed. These are actual business plans compiled by entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses throughout North America.

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.

Career Cruising
Provides career exploration tools along with career profiles, based on information available from professional associations, trade unions, universities, community colleges, vocational institutes, existing career guidance resources, interviews with people, and more.

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.

Contemporary Authors
A guide to current writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, journalism, drama, motion pictures and television. Biographies of these authors are included.

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.

Encyclopedia of Food and Culture
Presenting 600 articles on food and its place in human culture and society, covering everything from agronomy to zucchini. Find entries on everything from food preparation, distribution and storage to holidays and festivals, nutrition and health, and cultures and cuisines.

Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics eBook This encyclopedia considers both the professional ethics of science and technology, and the social, ethical, and political issues raised by science and technology. This resource includes general reference information but also uses a historically and culturally inclusive approach to ethics, with entries on specific religions, linguistic and cultural perspectives, and philosophical positions.

ERIC (Select link under Education heading.)
The Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC) provides full text of 2,200 digests in addition to citations and abstracts from over 980 education or education-related journals.

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.

Generations On Line
A site to teach older adults how to use the Internet.

GrantSelect
Leads to funding for programs in the arts, community services, K-12 education, and children and youth services in general, among other initiatives. Updated daily.

Grants.Gov
The single access point for over 900 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies.

Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia
eBook version of the longstanding zoological classic; this edition incorporates recent developments in the animal world as noted by prominent advisors and contributors from the scientific community.

Handbook of Classical Mythology
eBook that introduces the mythological world of the Greeks and the Romans, combined with a chronology of myths and a dictionary of key characters, objects, and events.

Handbook of Hindu Mythology
eBook offering readers an accessible way of exploring complex deities, mythological characters, and ideas of Hinduism

Handbook of Native American Mythology eBook covering aspects of this sophisticated, seldom-examined network of characters and ideas.

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.

Health Source: Nursing/Acad. Edition (Select link under Health/Science heading.) Full text articles from nearly 600 medical journals are provided. Abstracts and indexing is available from nearly 850 medical journals.

HeritageQuest
The database is available for home use. Genealogy buffs should keep in mind that our other database, Ancestry Plus, does not allow home access but contains different kinds of family-history information. You can visit your local public library for the full complement of genealogical resources.

Historical New York Times
The database covers The New York Times from its first issue in 1851 through 2003. To see a complete article, just click on the title in a list of search results, and the system displays the image of the full article. You can also access the complete image (in pdf format) of any page in any issue or even browse the database and scan individual issues page by page.

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.

Jr. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Foods and Recipes of the World
eBook providing coverage of the foods and recipes of approximately 75 cultural groups from more than 60 countries. Entries provide 10-15 recipes for each group and include data on the agriculture and dietary habits of each group as well as an overview of each group's nutrition and health.

Jr. Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Holidays
eBook providing information on such holidays as Christmas, Halloween/Day of the Dead, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, and others. Compare and contrast customs, traditions, ceremonies, folklore, clothing, food, arts and crafts, music, and dance of different countries.

LearningExpressLibrary
Test preparation materials and interactive practice exams, based on official tests, that help improve scores on basic skills, academic, civil service, military, and professional licensing and certification exams. It provides immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and individualized analysis of scores. Also see LearningExpress E-books.
(Click here for available titles.)

LegalForms
State-specific (and multi-state) forms, including real estate contracts, wills, pre-marital agreements, bankruptcy, divorce, landlord/tenant and many others.

Literature Resource Center
To meet the research needs of undergraduate and high school students, the database provides access to biographies, bibliographies and critical analyses of authors from every age and literary discipline. It covers more than 90,000 novelists, poets, essayists, journalists and other writers, with in-depth coverage of 2,000 of the most-studied authors.

LitFinder (Poems, Short Stories, Essays, Speeches, Plays)
Search for full text poems, citations and excerpts using Poem Finder. Poet biographies, a Kids’ Korner, and the Year’s Best Poetry are included. Story Finder provides thousands of full text short stories with explanations, biographies, and more. Use Essay Finder to locate full text essays and discursive writing based on books published in the 20th century. The essays focus on humanities and social sciences and include biographies and literary criticisms.
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 federally funded clinical trials.

Morningstar.com
Coverage of over 20,000 Stock and Fund securities, frequently updated, independent reports on 1,000 stocks and 2,000 funds, and exclusive ratings for both stocks and mutual funds.

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.

New York Times, The
2000 to 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.

New York Times, Historical*
The database covers The New York Times from its first issue in 1851 through 2003. To see a complete article, just click on the title in a list of search results, and the system displays the image of the full article. You can also access the complete image (in pdf format) of any page in any issue or even browse the database and scan individual issues page by page.

NoveList (Scroll down on the EBSCO "Select Service" page.)
Includes fiction authors, titles and themes. Provides suggestions of books that are similar to those of a particular author or a certain title. Expand your reading horizons with Novelist. Librarians can use this database as a readers’ advisory service to assist patrons who enjoy fiction. Teachers can use this resource for enhancement of curriculum.
Click here for an online tutorial from the James V. Brown Library.

NoveList K-8 (Scroll down on the EBSCO "Select Service" page.)
Information about more than 38,000 fiction titles of interest to students in grades K-8. Full text reviews from professional journals and book talks for selected titles are available in this database. A good resource to expand student reading interest by introducing new authors or additional books in a subject area.

NoveList Plus (Scroll down on the EBSCO "Select Service" page.)
Includes nonfiction authors, titles and themes, concentrating on nonfiction that reads like fiction. Provides suggestions of books that are similar to those of a particular author or a certain title. Expand your reading horizons with Novelist. Librarians can use this database as a readers’ advisory service to assist patrons who enjoy nonfiction. Teachers can use this resource for enhancement of curriculum.

NoveList Plus K-8 (Scroll down on the EBSCO "Select Service" page.)
Information for thousands of nonfiction titles of interest to students in grades K-8. Full text reviews from professional journals and book talks for selected titles are available in this database. A good resource to expand student reading interest by introducing new authors or additional books in a subject area.

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.

Oxford Art Online
Provides access to the complete text of the 34-volume Dictionary of Art. Newly-commissioned articles and links to images from galleries and museums from around the world are included. Click here for an online tutorial from the James V. Brown Library.

Oxford Music Online
Provides access to the complete text of the 29-volume New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and the New Grove Dictionaries of Opera and Jazz. Links are available to musical sites on the Internet; some examples use Sibelius (music notation software).

Oxford Reference Online (Select link under General Reference heading.)
Provides information on many subjects including general reference, language and quotations, science and medicine, humanities and social sciences, business and professions. Bilingual dictionaries provided in English/French, English/German, English/Spanish, and English/Italian. Click here for an online tutorial from the James V. Brown Library.

p4A_AntiquesReference
Information about antiques and collectibles, used “to estimate the value of similar items for sale, for purchase or for insurance purposes, to substantiate a formal appraisal,” and more.

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.

Professional Development Collection and ERIC (Scroll down on the EBSCO "Select Service" page.)
PDC is designed for professional educators, with 550 full text journals included in the collection; the Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC) provides full text of 2,200 digests in addition to citations and abstracts from over 980 education or education-related journals.

ReferenceUSA
This is a fully searchable guide to US businesses. You can find a business by name, geographic location, SIC codes, yellow page listing, executive name, size of company, and several other ways. Good for job seekers or business prospects.

Regional Business News (Select link under Business heading.)
Provides comprehensive full text coverage for regional business publications. Regional Business News incorporates coverage of 75 business journals, newspapers and newswires from all metropolitan and rural areas within the United States.

Rock's Back Pages
A historical, multimedia archive of reviews, interviews and features, by rock journalists writing for such publications as Rolling Stone, Billboard, Mojo, and Music Week.

Science Online
Offers K-12 students and researchers a comprehensive look at general science through diagrams, definitions, biographies, and essays, and a collection of science experiments.

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.

Small Engine Repair Reference Center*
Provides assistance with motorcycles, marine (boats), outdoor power equipment, PWC (personal watercraft/jet ski), snowblowers, snowmobiles, ATVs, and other small engines, through 410 reference books in full text with original photos and illustrations. Info is included on routine maintenance as well as extensive repairs. Searchable in a variety of ways, including model number.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
A peer-reviewed, free (grant and donation-based), work in progress.

Standard & Poors Netadvantage*
Access to Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys, Stock Reports, Mutual Fund Reports, Bond Reports, Corporation Records, The Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives, and The Outlook, among other products.

streaMed Patient Education Solution (Online videos; select link under Health/Science heading.)
The streaMed Patient Education Solution provides supplemental new media patient education videos, prescribed by the healthcare provider to the patient at the point of care and beyond. streaMed may be used within a patient education resource center, a medical library, an exam room, a waiting room, and a patient’s home to educate patients on diagnoses, treatment plans and procedures in the most effective and engaging format.

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. 

UXL American Decades*
eBook covering events and social history beginning in 1900 and ending in 1999.. Chapters begin with a chronology of world events and a general overview of the decade. Within each topic, alphabetically arranged entries discuss historically important events, issues, definitions of difficult concepts or terms, and other interesting trivia and sideline stories.

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 

World History Online
Spans prehistoric times through the modern era. Fully hyperlinked content includes biographies, subject entries, primary source documents, a timeline, and maps and charts to provide a detailed and comparative view of people, places and events.