All resources are accessible in any of our San Mateo County Libraries.  To access library resources from home, you will need your library card number. To apply for a library card online click here.  For more information about accessing these resources from home, click here.

ICON LEGEND
	Free web resource accessible to anyone, anytime, anywhere!
	Home access for San Mateo County Library jurisdiction residence only with a library card.
	Home access to any San Mateo County resident with a library card.
	In-library use only due to licensing agreements.

Automotive & Consumer Resources • Auto Repair Reference Center (from home) | (from the library)   Step-by-step repair procedures for most major vehicles as far back as 1945.

• Consumer’s Checkbook   Ratings for Bay Area local service companies by a non-profit consumer agency.

Biographies • Biography Resource Center   Biographical information on over 220,000 people from throughout history and around the world.

• Wilson Biographies (from home) | (from the library)   Over 95,000 biographies and obituaries, including photographs.

Books, Reading, & Literature • Cliffs Notes   Summaries and commentary for hundreds of literary classics.

• Literature Resource Center   Biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses for over 120,000 authors from every age and literary discipline.

• LitFINDER   Thousands of full-text poems, short stories, essays, plays, and speeches.

• NoveList   Tell NoveList what you like to read, and it will suggest similar books you might like! Find new fiction books and authors based on your old favorites.

• NoveList K-8   NoveList K-8 helps children grades K-8, parents, & teachers identify books appropriate for children's reading abilities and interests.

• We Recommend   Staff-recommended good reads, lists of award-winning books, and book review information.

• What Do I Read Next?   Get recommendations based on some of your favorite titles or topics.

Business, Associations, & Finance • Associations Unlimited   Data on over 456,000 organizations from the Encyclopedia of Associations series and IRS information on nonprofit organizations.

• Business & Company Resource Center   Company profiles, brand information, rankings, investment reports, company histories, and more.

• Morningstar Investment Research Center (from home) | (from the library)   Research mutual funds and stocks for investment opportunities.

• Rich’s Guide to California Companies (from home) | (from the library)   Database of over 30,000 Northern California firms with contact names, websites, and email addresses.

Community Information • Community Information Program   Database of nonprofit and public services available to people who live or work in San Mateo County.

• How to Reach Your Lawmakers   Contact information for local, state, and federal elected officials.

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias • Enciclopedia Estudiantil (español) (from home) | (from the library)   Encyclopedia for children with articles on general subjects, people, places, things, and ideas. Enciclopedia para niños con artículos en sujetos generales, personas, lugares, cosas, y ideas.

• Encyclopedia Americana (from home) | (from the library)   Comprehensive General Encyclopedia providing articles on all subjects, full text periodical articles, links to related websites, and an interactive dictionary.

• Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion   Information about clothing, body adornment, and examines the origins of clothing, the development of fabrics and technologies, and the social meanings of dress from a variety of historical eras and cultures.

• Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine   Information on alternative and complementary medical practices, recommended therapies for specific disorders and diseases, and medicinal uses for plants and herbs.

• Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine   Information on more than 1,600 medical disorders, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and procedures.

• Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America   Essays on specific culture groups in the United States, emphasizing religions, holidays, customs, languages, historical background, and settlement patterns.

• General Reference Center   Multi-subject reference collection with hundreds of reference books, magazines, and newspapers.

• Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (from home) | (from the library)   Based on the full text of the Academic American Encyclopedia, contains 36,000 articles, 15,000 bibliographies, Internet links to 15,000 articles, sound files, an interactive atlas, and an e-zine.

• Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia   Encyclopedia of animal life, describing microscopic animals through primates. Contains color pictures and detailed descriptions.

• New Book of Knowledge (from home) | (from the library)   Provides reference and current events for grades 3 and up. Students can search or browse encyclopedia articles alphabetically or by subject. Also includes projects and experiments, a world history timeline, educational games, and recommended websites.

• Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre (español) (from home) | (from the library)   A Spanish-language encyclopedia containing 15,000 articles, 6,500 photographs and more than 15,000 Internet links. Una enciclopedia que contiene artículos, fotografías y conexiones del Internet.

• Oxford English Dictionary (from home) | (from the library)   The accepted authority and guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of words in the English language.

• West's Encyclopedia of American Law   American legal information on more than 5,000 legal topics.

• World Book Encyclopedia (from home) | (from the library)   Multimedia encyclopedia articles, web links, periodical articles, videos, animations, sounds, interactive maps, and more.

eBooks and Audiobooks - Note about Audiobooks, iPods, & Macs • California Missions eBooks   Twenty California missions eBooks that can be read online or downloaded.

• Digital Book Library   Downloadable audio and text eBooks (bestsellers, classics, travel guides, biographies, etc.) and downloadable classical music.

• ManyBooks.net   Freely available public domain eBooks in a variety of text formats designed for a wide variety of e-text readers.

• NetLibrary   Text eBooks, both viewable online and downloadable—bestsellers, biographies, business, computers, personal law, and more.

• Project Gutenberg   Freely available public domain eBooks in text and computer-created audio formats.

• Safari Tech Books   The best IT and technology eBooks from the best authors and publishers. Note: The Favorites and Bookmarks features do not currently work in Safari.

• TumbleBooks   Animated talking storybooks for children in English, Spanish, and other languages.

• Virtual Reference Library   Reference eBooks about medicine, law, animals, colleges, social studies, and more.

en español • Enciclopedia Estudiantil (español) (from home) | (from the library)   Encyclopedia for children with articles on general subjects, people, places, things, and ideas. Enciclopedia para niños con artículos en sujetos generales, personas, lugares, cosas, y ideas.

• Informe (español)   Popular Spanish-language magazines. Revistas populares en español.

• Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre (español) (from home) | (from the library)   A Spanish-language encyclopedia containing 15,000 articles, 6,500 photographs and more than 15,000 Internet links. Una enciclopedia que contiene artículos, fotografías y conexiones del Internet.

• TumbleBooks (español)   Animated talking storybooks for children in English, Spanish, and other languages. Libros animados para niños en español y en otros idiomas.

Genealogy • Ancestry Library Edition   Resources for genealogical and historical research, including military, court, census, birth, marriage, and death records, and more.

• HeritageQuest (from home) | (from the library)   Resources for genealogical and historical research, including the U.S. Federal Census, Freedman’s bank records, the PERSI index, and more.

Guides & Tutorials • Custom Guide   Online software and computer tutorials. Topics include Microsoft Office, Windows, Mac OS, Internet Explorer and much more.

• Computer & Internet Tutorials   Librarian-selected and created tutorials for different skill levels on search engines, internet use, and online safety.

Health & Medicine • Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine   Information on alternative and complementary medical practices, recommended therapies for specific disorders and diseases, and medicinal uses for plants and herbs.

• Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine   Information on more than 1,600 medical disorders, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and procedures.

• Health and Wellness Resource Center   Health and medical information including an encyclopedia, drug information, and alternative treatments.

History & Countries • America the Beautiful (from home) | (from the library)   State history and facts, information about Native American tribes, explorers, presidents, and historical places and events.

• California Missions eBooks   Twenty California missions eBooks that can be read online or downloaded.

• CultureGrams (from home) | (from the library)   Cultural information about 182 countries and the U.S. states, including people, land, customs, lifestyle, and recipes.

• Encyclopedia Americana (from home) | (from the library)   Comprehensive General Encyclopedia providing articles on all subjects, full text periodical articles, links to related websites, and an interactive dictionary.

• Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion   Information about clothing, body adornment, and examines the origins of clothing, the development of fabrics and technologies, and the social meanings of dress from a variety of historical eras and cultures.

• Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (from home) | (from the library)   Based on the full text of the Academic American Encyclopedia, contains 36,000 articles, 15,000 bibliographies, Internet links to 15,000 articles, sound files, an interactive atlas, and an e-zine.

• History Resource Center: U.S.   Articles, primary sources, and scholarly analysis about United States history.

• History Resource Center: World   Articles, primary sources, and scholarly analysis about world history.

• Lands and Peoples (from home) | (from the library)   Information about the people, geography, culture, economy, language, and history of every country.

• Middle Ages Reference Library   Historical and biographical essays about the different civilizations and peoples of Medieval times.

• New Book of Knowledge (from home) | (from the library)   Provides reference and current events for grades 3 and up. Students can search or browse encyclopedia articles alphabetically or by subject. Also includes projects and experiments, a world history timeline, educational games, and recommended websites.

• U*X*L American Decades   Covers 20th-century events and social history beginning in 1900 and ending in 1999.

Homework, Education, & Testing • Amazing Animals (from home) | (from the library)   Information about animals of the world for grades 2 and above that contains articles, photos, Web links, and virtual tours of animal habitats.

• America the Beautiful (from home) | (from the library)   State history and facts, information about Native American tribes, explorers, presidents, and historical places and events.

• Biography Resource Center   Biographical information on over 220,000 people from throughout history and around the world.

• California Missions eBooks   Twenty California missions eBooks that can be read online or downloaded.

• Cliffs Notes   Summaries and commentary for hundreds of literary classics.

• College Blue Book   The definitive guide to thousands of 2- and 4-year schools in the U.S. and Canada, their programs, degrees, and financial aid sources.

• CultureGrams (from home) | (from the library)   Cultural information about 182 countries and the U.S. states, including people, land, customs, lifestyle, and recipes.

• Enciclopedia Estudiantil (español) (from home) | (from the library)   Encyclopedia for children with articles on general subjects, people, places, things, and ideas. Enciclopedia para niños con artículos en sujetos generales, personas, lugares, cosas, y ideas.

• Encyclopedia Americana (from home) | (from the library)   Comprehensive General Encyclopedia providing articles on all subjects, full text periodical articles, links to related websites, and an interactive dictionary.

• Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion   Information about clothing, body adornment, and examines the origins of clothing, the development of fabrics and technologies, and the social meanings of dress from a variety of historical eras and cultures.

• Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America   Essays on specific culture groups in the United States, emphasizing religions, holidays, customs, languages, historical background, and settlement patterns.

• Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (from home) | (from the library)   Based on the full text of the Academic American Encyclopedia, contains 36,000 articles, 15,000 bibliographies, Internet links to 15,000 articles, sound files, an interactive atlas, and an e-zine.

• Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia   Encyclopedia of animal life, describing microscopic animals through primates. Contains color pictures and detailed descriptions.

• History Resource Center: U.S.   Articles, primary sources, and scholarly analysis about United States history.

• History Resource Center: World   Articles, primary sources, and scholarly analysis about world history.

• Homework Help Websites   Useful websites to help you with common homework topics.

• Internet Search Tools   Quick link to the most common search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Ask.com.

• Kids InfoBits   Homework help resources for beginning elementary school; also includes 75 popular kids magazines like Highlights and Sports Illustrated for Kids.

• Lands and Peoples (from home) | (from the library)   Information about the people, geography, culture, economy, language, and history of every country.

• LearnATest   Practice taking tests online, like the SAT, ACT, civil service, law enforcement, EMS, postal services, U.S. citizenship, and more. When creating your account, you must use your library card number as your username.

• Literature Resource Center   Biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses for over 120,000 authors from every age and literary discipline.

• LitFINDER   Thousands of full-text poems, short stories, essays, plays, and speeches.

• Live Homework Help   Connect live with an expert tutor for homework help in Eglish & Spanish, seven days a week from 1 PM – 10 PM. Ages K - Adult.

• Middle Ages Reference Library   Historical and biographical essays about the different civilizations and peoples of Medieval times.

• New Book of Knowledge (from home) | (from the library)   Provides reference and current events for grades 3 and up. Students can search or browse encyclopedia articles alphabetically or by subject. Also includes projects and experiments, a world history timeline, educational games, and recommended websites.

• New Book of Popular Science (from home) | (from the library)   Science information about animals, plants, math, astronomy, chemistry, and more.

• Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre (español) (from home) | (from the library)   A Spanish-language encyclopedia containing 15,000 articles, 6,500 photographs and more than 15,000 Internet links. Una enciclopedia que contiene artículos, fotografías y conexiones del Internet.

• Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center   Hot topics database of pro and con articles and statistics on many current social issues.

• Scholarships, Fellowships and Loans   Over 4,200 sources of education-related financial aid and awards at all levels of study.

• Science Resource Center   Extensive information about earth, life, and physical sciences.

• Student Resource Center   Guided homework help with biographies, literature, history, health, science, and multicultural studies.

• U*X*L American Decades   Covers 20th-century events and social history beginning in 1900 and ending in 1999.

• Wilson Biographies (from home) | (from the library)   Over 95,000 biographies and obituaries, including photographs.

• World Book Encyclopedia (from home) | (from the library)   Multimedia encyclopedia articles, web links, periodical articles, videos, animations, sounds, interactive maps, and more.

Library Resources & Services • Ask Us a Question by E-mail   Email your question to one of our librarians and receive your answer within two days.

• Ask Us a Question by live online chat (AskNow)   Get live help from a librarian 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• California Libraries Catalog   Search the library catalogs of hundreds of California public, school, academic, law, health and other libraries (more information).

• Computer & Internet Tutorials   Librarian-selected and created tutorials for different skill levels on search engines, internet use, and online safety.

• Internet Search Tools   Quick link to the most common search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Ask.com.

• Librarians’ Internet Index of Websites   Searchable, annotated subject directory of thousands of librarian-selected Internet resources.

• Live Homework Help   Connect live with an expert tutor for homework help in Eglish & Spanish, seven days a week from 1 PM – 10 PM. Ages K - Adult.

• Other Area Libraries   Other libraries within driving distance of San Mateo County.

• San Mateo County Library Catalog   Catalog of materials (books, DVDs, CDs, eBooks, books-on-CD, and more) in the public libraries of San Mateo County.

• WorldCat Libraries Catalog   Search the library catalogs of thousands of worldwide public, school, academic, law, health and other libraries (more information).

Magazines & Newspapers • eLibrary (from home) | (from the library)   Full-text magazine and newspaper articles (inc. the New York Times), TV, radio, and government transcripts, images, and more.

• Expanded Academic   Academic and research articles from scholarly journals in arts and humanities, social sciences, science and technology, etc.

• Full Text Newspapers   Full-text newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, and the Contra Costa Times.

• General Reference Center   Multi-subject reference collection with hundreds of reference books, magazines, and newspapers.

• Informe (español)   Popular Spanish-language magazines. Revistas populares en español.

• InfoTrac Magazines   Full-text articles for 5,800 popular magazines like Time, Newsweek, and People.

• Kids InfoBits   Homework help resources for beginning elementary school; also includes 75 popular kids magazines like Highlights and Sports Illustrated for Kids.

• National Newspaper Index   Indexing for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post.

Science & Technology • Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia   Encyclopedia of animal life, describing microscopic animals through primates. Contains color pictures and detailed descriptions.

• New Book of Popular Science (from home) | (from the library)   Science information about animals, plants, math, astronomy, chemistry, and more.

• Safari Tech Books   The best IT and technology eBooks from the best authors and publishers. Note: The Favorites and Bookmarks features do not currently work in Safari.

• Science Resource Center   Extensive information about earth, life, and physical sciences.

Statistics • American FactFinder   Your source for population, housing, economic, and geographic data.

• California Statistical Abstract   A compilation of data on social, economic, and physical aspects of the State of California.