Electronic Resources Electronic Resources

Electronic Resources Overview

Please be advised that due to cuts in IMLS funding to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners the following databases have been discontinued – Boston Globe Article Archive, Brittanica Moderna, Gale Legal Forms, HeritageQuest Online, Gale Academic One File Select, Gale General OneFile, Gale Health and Wellness, Gale in Context for Biography, Elementary, Environmental Studies, Global Issues, Middle School, Science, US History, and World History, Gale Interactive Science, Gale Literature Resource Center, Peterson’s Career Prep, Peterson’s Test Prep, and Science Database (ProQuest).

We are working to restore some of these services with our own library budget. Thank you for your understanding. 

We have subscriptions through our consortium to various electronic research resources. Databases which, because of license issues, are only available for use within the library are noted below. If you have any questions about how to use the databases please contact us on our Ask a Librarian page and a member of the Reference Department will be happy to help guide your research.

All residents of Massachusetts are eligible to receive a free e-Card from the Boston Public Library which you can use to access their databases. To apply for an e-Card go to https://www.bpl.org/ecard/.    BPL databases can be accessed at https://www.bpl.org/online-resources/ .

Electronic Databases

• A to Z Database
  AtoZdatabases is the Premier Job Search, Reference & Mailing List Database including 65 million business & executive profiles & 240 million residents. Ideal for sales leads, mailing lists, market research, employment opportunities, finding friends and relatives, and much more!
• ABC Mouse
  ABCmouse helps prepare children for kindergarten and ensure third-grade readiness with more than 11,000 learning activities in reading & language arts, math, science, social studies, art and music.
• Business Economics and Theory Collection – Gale Group, Inc.
  A comprehensive collection of periodicals supporting economics, business, and related fields.
• Candid: Professional
  Helps nonprofits find funders to support their work.
• Candid: Guide Star
  Funders can use Guide Star to verify and research nonprofits that are aligned with their priorities.
• Creativebug – Now part of hoopla!  Creativebug has thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists.
• Comics Plus, by LibraryPass
  Comics Plus is a digital platform offering thousands of digital comics, graphic novels and manga.Creativebug has thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists.
• Driving Tests – Free Driving Education and practice tests to help you prepare for the DMV knowledge exam. Car, motorcycle, and CDL licenses plus electronic Handbooks and FAQ in multiple languages.
• eBook Collection on EBSCOhost
  EBSCOhost contains full text eBooks including a large selection of eBooks in Spanish, Portuguese and some in French.
• EBSCOhost Research Databases 
  The EBSCOhost interface provides access to a range of databases, e-journals and e-books. The databases are particularly useful for identifying journal articles and other publications on a particular topic within the subject areas covered by each database.
• Encyclopedia Britannica Public Library Edition
  PLUS read-aloud at all levels and translation for over 50 languages.
• Encyclopedia Britannica Online Public Library Edition Suite
  • Elementary School Edition
  • Middle School Edition
  • High School Edition
  • Learning Zone
  • Spanish Edition: Escolar (K-8)
• Exploring Race in Society
  Designed for high school and undergraduate students, Exploring Race in Society provides context and solutions-oriented points of view within a scholarly collection of proprietary and licensed content on topics related to race, ethnicity, diversity and inclusiveness.
• Flipster
  Providing readers with access to best-selling digital magazines from top publishers including Newsweek en Espanol, Consumer Reports, People, and more.
• Fuel Economy – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) produce the Fuel Economy Guide to help car buyers choose the most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets their needs.
• Gale Group Databases – Gale Group, Inc.
  Provides access to popular magazines, scholarly journals, encyclopedias, newspapers, newswire services, business directories, investment reports, health pamphlets, prescription drug information, and literature reviews. PowerSearch makes it possible to find subjects from A-Z in one or several of the Thomson Gale’s periodical databases in a single search. Various databases—full list available upon log-in.
• GreenFILE
  GreenFILE offers well-researched information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more. The database provides indexing and abstracts for more than 384,000 records, as well as Open Access full text for more than 4,700 records.
• hoopla
  hoopla is the leading all-in-one digital library app, with more than 1,000,000 titles—from best-selling novels and blockbuster movies to niche, hard-to find content, hoopla has something for everyone.
• LearningExpress Library
  Large online selection of academic and career-related resources. LearningExpress helps with skill building in reading, writing, math, science, job search and career advancement, college admissions test preparation, professional licensing and certification test preparation, high school equivalency test prep, and much more. There are tutorials, practice tests and ebooks available for use. Click here for a full list of tests covered. – Want to see the listing of all test and quick links to access these materials? Access the Learning Express Library links here.
• Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts
  Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) is an index of scholarship in library and information science. It includes citations, indexing, and abstracts for journal articles, books, research reports, and conference proceedings.
• Massachusetts Libraries Board of Commissioners Special Collections Directory
  The Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections Directory is a guide and locator of collections residing in Massachusetts libraries, archives, historical societies and town clerk’s offices. This directory provides access in one location to the holdings in more than 650 repositories in the Commonwealth.
• Niche Academy
  Tutorials on how to use the library’s online resources, like Libby and Ancestry.com. Click into any tutorial for a step-by-step guide, with text, graphic, and video instructions.
• Novelist K-8 Plus
  Novelist K-8 Plus provides online reading advisory services for children in grades K-8 including: reading recommendations, read-a-like suggestions, book lists, book discussion questions, and customizable content.
• Novelist Plus
  Novelist Plus provides online reading advisory services including: reading recommendations, read-a-like suggestions, book lists, book discussion questions, and customizable content.
• OCLC® World Cat
  The OCLC Online Union Catalog – Offers more than 46 million bibliographic records and holdings information vital for collection development, cataloging, authority control, and retrospective conversion services.
• Opposing Viewpoints – Gale in Context
  Opposing Viewpoints is the premier online resource covering today’s hottest social issues, from capital punishment to immigration to drug use. This cross-curricular research database supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes.
• Overdrive Digital Downloads (ebooks, audiobooks)
  Overdrive provides digital audiobooks and ebooks. More info is available on Overdrive’s FAQ page. You may also want to download the “Libby” app from Overdrive to be able to access this material on your mobile device.
• PebbleGo  is a curricular content hub specifically designed for K-2 students. Packed with informational articles, ready-made activities, and literacy supports for students of all abilities, it boosts engagement and fosters independent learning in core subject areas.
• Teacher Reference Center
  Teacher Reference Center provides indexing and abstracts for 280 of the most popular teacher and administrator journals and magazines to assist professional educators.

Genealogy

• Ancestry Library 
  Access to U.S. Census Collection; U.S. Data Collection; U.K. and Ireland Collection; Birth, Marriage, and Death Records; Immigration Collection; Military Collection; Family and Local History Records; Court, Land, and Probate Records; and more. (in-library use only) Database funded by the Pollard Memorial Library
• American Ancestors
  Births, marriages and deaths from 1841 – 1910 Provided through the New England Historical and Genealogical Society. Includes Massachusetts Vital Records (in-library use only)
  Database funded by the Pollard Memorial Library

Language Learning

• Transparent Language Online – Due to the conversion from a statewide database to one supported by PML, returning users will need to reset their password. Just click on forgot password and then add your user ID or email to get a new link. 
  Research-based and experience-driven, Transparent Language Online is a language-learning program for libraries and their patrons that provides an effective, fun, and engaging experience for language learners of all levels. Over 80 languages covered. (in-library and home use – follow link and then sign up)

Lowell Resources (for newspapers, see Newspapers heading below)

• City of Lowell Library – Online resource to find exactly what you are looking to obtain.
• Lowell High School Yearbooks – A limited number of LHS yearbooks have been digitized by UMass Lowell Special Collections.
• Splinters – Rogers Hall School for Girls – A limited number of this local literary magazine have been digitized by UMass Lowell Special Collections.
• 1879 City Atlas of Lowell – PDF | JPGs. – published by G.M. Hopkins, 1879. Digitized by The State Library of Massachusetts
• 1906 City Atlas of Lowell – PDF | JPGs.- – published by L.J. Richards & Co., 1906. Digitized by The State Library of Massachusetts
• Registers of Work Permits Issued by the Lowell School Department (1920s & 1930s)
  Work permits issued by the Lowell School Department for enrolled students. Information about employer, birthdate, country of origin, and residence. Compiled by local researchers Walter Hickey, Karen Hickey and Diane Laferrierre.

Newspapers

• Access World News – Explore and stay informed on local, national and international topics, people and events in areas such as business, health, education, jobs and careers, political and social issues and more. Features a wide variety of credible, vetted news sources from around the world to around the corner. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
• America’s News
  Explore and stay informed on local and national topics, people and events in areas such as business, health, education, jobs and careers, political and social issues and more.  Features a wide variety of credible, vetted news sources spanning the U.S.. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
• Gale OneFile News – This innovative full-text newspaper resource allows users to search articles instantly by title, headline, date, author, newspaper section or other fields, eliminating random searching through newspaper archives. Gale OneFile News provides access to more than 1,100 major U.S. regional, national and local newspapers as well as leading titles from around the world. It also includes thousands of images, radio and TV broadcasts and transcripts.
• HeritageHub (includes Lowell Sun Obituaries and Death Notices (10/14/2001 – current) Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and funeral home notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1704 – today. HeritageHub helps you easily identify relatives, uncover new information and potentially unknown family members. Includes deep coverage from all 50 U.S. states, and territories, hard-to-find content from the mid 1900’s, and original obituary images. Access is available 24/7 on any device.
• Lowell Sun Collection (Lowell Sun Collection – 2001-Current)
  Explore Lowell history through local news, events and people with the Lowell Sun Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
• The Lowell Sun (c1879-c1977) (Access Newspaper Archives) (For use with a Pollard library card.)  We were notified September 21, 2020 that Newspaper Archive no longer carries the copyright for issues dated 1978-2010 – if you need items from the time period of 1978-2010, please email the reference staff at adultref@lowelllibrary.org and we’ll try to find what you need on microfilm. We apologize for the inconvenience.
• The New York Times (1985-current). Full text.
• US Newsstream – US Newsstream enables users to search current and extensive backfiles of U.S. news content and features top newspapers, wires, broadcast transcripts, blogs, and news sites in full-text format. Key U.S. titles include: The New York Times (1980 – present), the Wall Street Journal (1984 – present), the Washington Post (1987 – present) LA Times, Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe, Newsday, Huffington Post, Politico, and more.

World Language Resources in Spanish, Portuguese and French

• eBook Collection on EBSCOhost
  EBSCOhost contains full text eBooks including a large selection of eBooks in Spanish, Portuguese and some in French.
• Encyclopedia Britannica Online Public Library Edition Suite
  • Spanish Edition: Escolar (K-8)
• Encyclopedia Britannica Spanish Reference Center