Tired of wading through thousands of useless Google hits?

LVDL subscribes to many electronic databases that can help you do your homework faster and better.

How to access an electronic database

All LVDL Electronic Databases

Biography

Biography in Context: Lots of information on famous and not-so-famous people

General Reference (including almanacs, atlases, dictionaries and encyclopedias)

Facts on File Curriculum Resource Center: Handouts for middle school, high school and junior college curriculum

Gale Virtual Reference Library: Electronic reference books that cover the arts, biography, government, science and the social sciences

Student Resource Center: Articles on geography, history (including timelines), literature and science, as well as a multimedia gallery (photos, audio and video files, maps and flags) and tips on writing a research paper

Grolier Online Passport: Includes the reference books Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, The New Book of Popular Science (science and technology) and Lands and People (countries, cultures and current events), dictionaries and an atlas

World Almanac: Articles from the Funk & Wagnall's New Encyclopedia and four almanacs

World Almanac for Kids Online: Articles, information and videos for kids on animals, science, careers, the United States and other countries of the world

History and Social Studies

A to Z Maps: Current and historical continent, country, and state maps, with detailed information on population, climate, and much more

A to Z the USA: Information on all 50 states, 5 territories and the District of Columbia, including maps, articles, flags, photos, license plates and more

American Indian History Online: Biographies, pictures, legends, maps and charts, primary sources and timelines about the native people of North America

Ancient and Medieval History Online: Information on eight ancient and medieval civilizations as well as facts on mythology and archeology

Global Road Warrior: Information on over 175 countries, including maps, flags and photos

Historical Newspapers: Chicago Tribune, including advertisements, from 1849 to 1985, in original newspaper format

Language and Literature

Mango Languages: Interactive learning program for over 30 languages as well as English courses for non-native speakers

NoveList: Reviews of over 200,000 fiction titles, lists of award-winning books, discussion guides and recommended reads

NoveList K-8: Book reviews and more, including Lexile ratings, for kindergarten through 8th grade

Magazine and Newspaper Articles

General Reference Center Gold: Hundreds of general interest magazines and newspapers
Tip: Try a keyword search and limit your search to "articles with text" for best results.

Newspapers: Chicago Tribune contemporary (1985 to today) and historical (1849 to 1987), as well as articles from over 150 major international news sources

Math and Science

A to Z Maps: Current and historical continent, country, and state maps, with detailed information on population, climate and much more

Test Preparation

Testing & Education Reference Center: Free sample tests for standardized college entrance exams (ACT, PSAT, SAT) and college credit assessments (AP, CLEP, TOEFL, etc.)

Writing a Research Paper

Student Resource Center: Select "Toolbox" from the top menu to access information on everything from choosing a topic to creating a bibliography.