Online subscription databases and websites to assist you with your research. Some will require you to enter your Chicago Ridge Public Library card number.
For more help,
Ask a Librarian.
Online Resources
Resources A to Z
Resources A to Z
5 Minute English
Use this general language site to learn the basics of English quickly with short and easy explanations and exercises.ABCmouse.com
From Age of Learning, Inc., the award-winning ABCmouse.com curriculum is designed to help young children (ages 2-6+) build a strong foundation for future academic success. ABCmouse.com is 100% educational, with 3,500+ learning activities across all major subject areas—reading, math, science, social studies, art, and music. Best of all, kids love it!Available inside the library only.
Ancestry Library Edition
A genealogy database that provides information on over 2 billion names, more than 3,000 databases, primary source documents and a variety of research tools. Includes immigration, vital, military, court, church and ethnic records; city directories; Social Security Death Index; and much more.Available inside the library only.
Apply for Citizenship
Provides links to naturalization application forms, a general description of the application process, and eligibility requirements.
Becoming a U.S. Citizen: An Overview of the Naturalization Process
This 11-minute presentation provides a basic overview of naturalization including the requirements and steps involved.
Check Illinois
Do a quick, free background check online in less than 60 seconds. Search by name, property address, property PIN, or business name. See foreclosures, mortgage records, real estate transactions, building code violations, DUIs, misdemeanors, felonies, tax liens, and more. See if your neighbor’s house is in foreclosure or if your child is dating a criminal. Check Illinois is Illinois’ largest public records database.Citizenship Exam Test Practice
Prepare for your United States citizenship exam.Citizenship Resource Center
Information, materials, and links including naturalization eligibility requirements, citizenship application, and studying for the test.
Citizenship Study Guide
This site provides opportunities for students to practice the 100 questions, reading and writing activities, and the N-400 questions.
Civics Flash Cards for the Naturalization Test
These USCIS flashcards are popular with teachers and students alike. The full-color cards show the question, answer, and a picture for each of the 100 civics questions. Educators and students can print the cards from the USCIS website and then cut and fold them to make their own set.
College Admissions Test Preparation
Getting into college is an important step to building a strong future. First, you must do well on your college admission tests and write a personal essay that highlights your special talents. Use this center to get the resources you need to achieve your college preparation goals.
College Placement & Graduate School Admissions Exams
Test preparation for ACCUPLACER, ASSET, and CLEP college placement exams, and for GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MAT, MCAT, and PCAT graduate school admissions exams.College Scorecard
You can use the College Scorecard to find out more about a college’s affordability and value so you can make more informed decisions about which college to attend. You can search for colleges of interest by location, type, occupation, degree, and more.Consumer Reports
Provides ratings and reviews, recommendations and buying advice for thousands of products and services.Country Guides to Culture, Customs and Etiquette
Country Guides bring you information on over 80+ countries. Topics include language, useful phrases, the society, culture, business and social etiquette.Culture Crossing Guide
Wondering if you should bow or shake hands with your Chinese colleague? Worried that you might have offended your Moroccan hosts by declining that second cup of tea? Want to know the best time to arrive at a Brazilian party? Look no further than CultureCrossing.net; an evolving database of cross-cultural information about every country in the world.Dave’s ESL Cafe
ESL website for both tutors and students. Includes many links, activities, teacher tips, and lesson plans.
Digital Learn
Videos to help you understand computers and digital literacy. Topics include: Getting Started on the Computer, Basic Search, Navigating a Website, Intro to Email, Intro to Word, Online Job Searching, Intro to Facebook, and more.EBSCO Discovery Services
Search popular full-text magazines, reference books and other highly-regarded sources from the world's leading publishers, covering general reference, business, health, education, general science, multicultural issues and much more. Includes primary source documents, images, videos, and more.ESL America
Comprehensive site includes information about safety, health, nutrition, banking, shopping, computers and government.English For My Job
English practice exercises for hospitality industry workers, with separate sections for those working in the hotel, restaurant, and travel/tourism industries; includes a special politeness training section.English Listening Lesson Library Online
Learn English naturally by listening to over 300 speakers from 100 countries with over 2,500 free video and audio lessons!EnglishClub
Lessons, games, quizzes, forums, chat, lesson plans, jobs, and more for ESL learners and teachers.
EnglishPage.com
Free English grammar lessons, exercises, and games. It also offers links to a variety of ESL reading and listening resources.Entrance, Occupation, & Military Exams
Prepare for the Allied Health Programs and Nursing School Entrance Exams, occupational exams including CDL, EMT, NCLEX and much more, and the ASVAB and Officer Candidate Tests for the miliary.Explora Public Libraries
Access high-quality articles and facts for research papers, class projects and homework.Federal Student Aid
Information from the Department of Education about preparing college, types of financial aid, and the FAFSA to apply for financial aid. This is where you go to fill out the official FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).GCF Learn Free
Extensive basic and advanced computer and technology topics are covered. Topic categories include: Computers, Email Basics, Internet Basics, Mac OS, Online Safety, Windows, Phone and Tablet Devices, Digital Skills, Photos and Graphics, Social Media, Using the Cloud, and Microsoft Office from XP to 2013.Glossaries by Language
Bilingual dictionaries and topical glossaries categorized by language.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites. Google Scholar helps you find relevant work across the world of scholarly research.Health Sherpa
Find and compare affordable health insurance coverage.HealthCare.gov
Find health insurance coverage and get answers to questions.High School Equivalency Center
Earning a high school equivalency credential can open the door to better income, a more fulfilling job, and a college education. If you are preparing for the GED® test, HiSET® or TASC exams, our practice tests, interactive tutorials, and eBooks will help you reach your goal.
Illinois Car and Motorcycle Permit Practice
Information about obtaining a driving permit in Illinois for cars and motorcycles, including the Illinois Rules of the Road and the Illinois Motorcycle Operator Manual. Includes 9 free practice tests to prepare for the DMV test for a permit to drive a car and 6 free practice tests to prepare for the motorcycle permit test.Illinois Public Records (Inside the Library)
Record Information Services provides access to key public record data for personal and business use. Databases include: Bankruptcy Records, Business Licenses, Divorce Records, DUI Records, Felony Records, Foreclosures and Auctions, Misdemeanor Records, Mortgage Records, Real Estate Transactions, State and Federal Tax Liens, and Tax Sale Properties. Includes Counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will, and Winnebago.Illinois Public Records (Outside the Library)
Record Information Services provides access to key public record data for personal and business use. Databases include: Bankruptcy Records, Business Licenses, Divorce Records, DUI Records, Felony Records, Foreclosures and Auctions, Misdemeanor Records, Mortgage Records, Real Estate Transactions, State and Federal Tax Liens, and Tax Sale Properties. Includes Counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will, and Winnebago.Immigration Assistance
A list of area non-profit agencies providing free or low-cost assistance with immigration matters.Job Resources
The Job Resources page of our website will help you find career information, job websites, information for the unemployed, and resume, application and interviewing advice.Keybr.com
Learn and practice keyboard skills.LearningExpress Adult Core Skills
Improve your basic skills in reading, writing, grammar, and math.
LearningExpress Career Center
Are you preparing for a professional exam? Are you curious about a particular
occupation or looking to improve your workplace skills? Choose the Career Center and begin your path to a bright future.
LearningExpress College Center
This center provides valuable resources that help college students strengthen their academic skills, prepare for placement tests, and get ready for graduate school entrance exams.LearningExpress Library
LearningExpress Library features nearly 1,000 online tutorials, practice tests, and eBooks to help patrons of all ages. It offers job search and workplace skills improvement, skill building in reading, writing, math, and basic science, career certification and licensure exam prep, college and grad school entrance test prep, GED® test prep, and more.
LearningExpress Popular Software Skills Center
If you’re looking to keep up, stay competitive, or get ahead, you’ll need to know how to use today’s most popular computer programs, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more. These easy-to-use courses will teach you everything you need to know and help make your goals a reality—all designed to fit your current skill level and schedule.
LearningExpress School Center
The resources here can help students in elementary, middle, and high school prepare for important tests, get extra help with assignments, and boost their skills in important subjects.
Lynda
Lynda.com hosts a constantly growing library of over 3,400 courses that
includes over 130,000 videos. Courses cover a variety of business topics. Certificates
of completion are offered for many courses.
Mango
There are 17 English courses taught completely in the user’s native language. Select Learn English and choose your native language to begin. Mango can be accessed at the library, remotely, or even on-the-go with apps for iPhone®, Android™, Kindle® and Nook®.
Medline Plus
Trusted health information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Search for health topics, drugs, supplements, and read informative health articles.Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Provides a free online dictionary, thesaurus, audio pronunciations, Word of the Day, word games, and other English language resources. Key feature is that you can hear the pronunciation of the words.
Moraine Valley ESL
Information about Moraine Valley's English as a Second Language (ESL) program and Intensive English Language Program (IELP).NoveList K-8 Plus
Provides access to information on over 30,500 nonfiction titles designed to support the curriculum and kids’ pleasure reading. Created especially for kids and the adults who work with them.NoveList Plus
Contains information on over 260,000 fiction and nonfiction titles, plus feature content including lists of award-winning books, Book Discussion Guides, BookTalks, Recommended Reads and more.Occupational Outlook Handbook
Search and browse the Bureau of Labor Statistics' guide to career information for hundreds of occupations. You can also browse occupations by the highest paying, fastest growing, and the most new jobs created.Recursos en Español
Este centro ofrece a los adultos que están muy ocupados los recursos para mejorar sus habilidades básicas, ganar sus credenciales de GED® o ser ciudadano estadounidense.
SWAN Online Card Catalog
Search our library’s consortium for books, magazines, DVDs, CDs and much more!Science Reference Center
Contains full-text content for hundreds of science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals and other sources.Senior Freeze Exemption for Tax Year 2018
Cook County Assessor’s Office locations:Chicago office: 118 N. Clark St., Room 320, Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 443-7550
Skokie office: 5600 Old Orchard Road, Room 149, Skokie, IL 60007 (847) 470-7237 •
Bridgeview office: 10200 S. 76th Ave., Room 237, Bridgeview, IL 60455 (708) 974-6451
Markham office: 16501 S. Kedzie Ave., Room 237, Markham, IL 60455 (708) 232-4100
Tax help - IRS Regional Office
Chicago230 S. Dearborn St.
Chicago, IL 60604
Office Information: 312-292-4912
Make appointment: 844-545-5640
Follow the link to learn about the services provided at this location.
The Citizenship Test
This is a comprehensive study guide to the naturalization process for advanced ESL students or citizenship teachers. It explains the naturalization test requirements and contains 13 units on U.S. history and civics. It is available as a download.
The Internet Picture Dictionary
Free, multilingual picture dictionary and activities designed for beginning English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian language learners of all ages.
The New York Times Learning Network
Current event stories, quizzes, crossword puzzles, and other vocabulary and knowledge building resources for students, parents, and instructors. Features E.L.L. Practice and Word of the Day.
The Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral Program
The Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral program is a tax-relief program that works like a loan. It allows qualified seniors to defer a maximum of $5,000 per tax year (this includes 1st and 2nd installments) on their primary home. The loan from the State of Illinois is paid when the property is sold, or upon the death of the participant.REMINDER: Last day to file is March 1 of the year the taxes otherwise would be paid. There are no time extensions.
The World Factbook
The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. Our Reference tab includes: maps of the major world regions, as well as Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, a World Oceans map, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map.Train Your Accent
Listen to short recorded speeches on various topics to help reduce the accents in new English language speakers.U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
This is the official USCIS website. It contains a vast amount of information including services and benefits, immigration forms, laws and regulations, educational resources, and more. There is a companion website in Spanish.
U.S. and Illinois Constitution Test
In order to earn an Illinois High School Equivalency Certificate, you must take and pass the Constitution test as required by Illinois Compiled Statutes – School Code (105 ILCS 5/27-3) in addition to passing one of the state-approved high school equivalency tests. Find links to study guides in English and Spanish by following this link.USCIS Naturalization Interview and Test
This USCIS video provides an overview of a citizenship interview. It contains examples of the various parts of the citizenship interview including the applicant going through security, presenting the appointment letter, being called by the officer, being placed under oath, and more to help students know what to expect on the day of their interview.
Tax Forms & Resources
Tax Forms & Resources
Tax help - IRS Regional Office
Chicago230 S. Dearborn St.
Chicago, IL 60604
Office Information: 312-292-4912
Make appointment: 844-545-5640
Follow the link to learn about the services provided at this location.
Senior Freeze Exemption for Tax Year 2018
Cook County Assessor’s Office locations:Chicago office: 118 N. Clark St., Room 320, Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 443-7550
Skokie office: 5600 Old Orchard Road, Room 149, Skokie, IL 60007 (847) 470-7237 •
Bridgeview office: 10200 S. 76th Ave., Room 237, Bridgeview, IL 60455 (708) 974-6451
Markham office: 16501 S. Kedzie Ave., Room 237, Markham, IL 60455 (708) 232-4100
The Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral Program
The Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral program is a tax-relief program that works like a loan. It allows qualified seniors to defer a maximum of $5,000 per tax year (this includes 1st and 2nd installments) on their primary home. The loan from the State of Illinois is paid when the property is sold, or upon the death of the participant.REMINDER: Last day to file is March 1 of the year the taxes otherwise would be paid. There are no time extensions.
Business
Business
Lynda
Lynda.com hosts a constantly growing library of over 3,400 courses that
includes over 130,000 videos. Courses cover a variety of business topics. Certificates
of completion are offered for many courses.
Illinois Public Records (Outside the Library)
Record Information Services provides access to key public record data for personal and business use. Databases include: Bankruptcy Records, Business Licenses, Divorce Records, DUI Records, Felony Records, Foreclosures and Auctions, Misdemeanor Records, Mortgage Records, Real Estate Transactions, State and Federal Tax Liens, and Tax Sale Properties. Includes Counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will, and Winnebago.Illinois Public Records (Inside the Library)
Record Information Services provides access to key public record data for personal and business use. Databases include: Bankruptcy Records, Business Licenses, Divorce Records, DUI Records, Felony Records, Foreclosures and Auctions, Misdemeanor Records, Mortgage Records, Real Estate Transactions, State and Federal Tax Liens, and Tax Sale Properties. Includes Counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will, and Winnebago.Books & Literature
Books & Literature
NoveList Plus
Contains information on over 260,000 fiction and nonfiction titles, plus feature content including lists of award-winning books, Book Discussion Guides, BookTalks, Recommended Reads and more.NoveList K-8 Plus
Provides access to information on over 30,500 nonfiction titles designed to support the curriculum and kids’ pleasure reading. Created especially for kids and the adults who work with them.Careers
Careers
LearningExpress Career Center
Are you preparing for a professional exam? Are you curious about a particular
occupation or looking to improve your workplace skills? Choose the Career Center and begin your path to a bright future.
Lynda
Lynda.com hosts a constantly growing library of over 3,400 courses that includes over 130,000 videos. Short courses that can help you in your career—from creating a resume to marketing to dealing with workplace issues—are offered. Certificates of completion are offered for many courses.Job Resources
The Job Resources page of our website will help you find career information, job websites, information for the unemployed, and resume, application and interviewing advice.Occupational Outlook Handbook
Search and browse the Bureau of Labor Statistics' guide to career information for hundreds of occupations. You can also browse occupations by the highest paying, fastest growing, and the most new jobs created.Citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship Exam Test Practice
Prepare for your United States citizenship exam.Apply for Citizenship
Provides links to naturalization application forms, a general description of the application process, and eligibility requirements.
Becoming a U.S. Citizen: An Overview of the Naturalization Process
This 11-minute presentation provides a basic overview of naturalization including the requirements and steps involved.
Citizenship Resource Center
Information, materials, and links including naturalization eligibility requirements, citizenship application, and studying for the test.
Citizenship Study Guide
This site provides opportunities for students to practice the 100 questions, reading and writing activities, and the N-400 questions.
The Citizenship Test
This is a comprehensive study guide to the naturalization process for advanced ESL students or citizenship teachers. It explains the naturalization test requirements and contains 13 units on U.S. history and civics. It is available as a download.
Civics Flash Cards for the Naturalization Test
These USCIS flashcards are popular with teachers and students alike. The full-color cards show the question, answer, and a picture for each of the 100 civics questions. Educators and students can print the cards from the USCIS website and then cut and fold them to make their own set.
USCIS Naturalization Interview and Test
This USCIS video provides an overview of a citizenship interview. It contains examples of the various parts of the citizenship interview including the applicant going through security, presenting the appointment letter, being called by the officer, being placed under oath, and more to help students know what to expect on the day of their interview.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
This is the official USCIS website. It contains a vast amount of information including services and benefits, immigration forms, laws and regulations, educational resources, and more. There is a companion website in Spanish.
Immigration Assistance
A list of area non-profit agencies providing free or low-cost assistance with immigration matters.Computers & Technology
Computers & Technology
LearningExpress Popular Software Skills Center
If you’re looking to keep up, stay competitive, or get ahead, you’ll need to know how to use today’s most popular computer programs, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more. These easy-to-use courses will teach you everything you need to know and help make your goals a reality—all designed to fit your current skill level and schedule.
Lynda
Lynda.com hosts a constantly growing library of over 3,400 courses that
includes over 130,000 videos. Computer and technology topics include: Adobe
Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, computer programming, IT management
(Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X), web design, and more! Certificates of
completion are offered for many courses.
Digital Learn
Videos to help you understand computers and digital literacy. Topics include: Getting Started on the Computer, Basic Search, Navigating a Website, Intro to Email, Intro to Word, Online Job Searching, Intro to Facebook, and more.GCF Learn Free
Extensive basic and advanced computer and technology topics are covered. Topic categories include: Computers, Email Basics, Internet Basics, Mac OS, Online Safety, Windows, Phone and Tablet Devices, Digital Skills, Photos and Graphics, Social Media, Using the Cloud, and Microsoft Office from XP to 2013.Keybr.com
Learn and practice keyboard skills.Education
Education
LearningExpress Library
LearningExpress Library features nearly 1,000 online tutorials, practice tests, and eBooks to help patrons of all ages. It offers job search and workplace skills improvement, skill building in reading, writing, math, and basic science, career certification and licensure exam prep, college and grad school entrance test prep, GED® test prep, and more.
LearningExpress College Center
This center provides valuable resources that help college students strengthen their academic skills, prepare for placement tests, and get ready for graduate school entrance exams.LearningExpress Adult Core Skills
Improve your basic skills in reading, writing, grammar, and math.
Lynda
Lynda.com hosts a constantly growing library of over 3,400 courses that includes over 130,000 videos. Courses cover a variety of topics. Certificates of completion are offered for many courses.
ABCmouse.com
From Age of Learning, Inc., the award-winning ABCmouse.com curriculum is designed to help young children (ages 2-6+) build a strong foundation for future academic success. ABCmouse.com is 100% educational, with 3,500+ learning activities across all major subject areas—reading, math, science, social studies, art, and music. Best of all, kids love it!Available inside the library only.
College Scorecard
You can use the College Scorecard to find out more about a college’s affordability and value so you can make more informed decisions about which college to attend. You can search for colleges of interest by location, type, occupation, degree, and more.Federal Student Aid
Information from the Department of Education about preparing college, types of financial aid, and the FAFSA to apply for financial aid. This is where you go to fill out the official FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).Illinois Car and Motorcycle Permit Practice
Information about obtaining a driving permit in Illinois for cars and motorcycles, including the Illinois Rules of the Road and the Illinois Motorcycle Operator Manual. Includes 9 free practice tests to prepare for the DMV test for a permit to drive a car and 6 free practice tests to prepare for the motorcycle permit test.ESL - English as a Second Language
ESL - English as a Second Language
Recursos en Español
Este centro ofrece a los adultos que están muy ocupados los recursos para mejorar sus habilidades básicas, ganar sus credenciales de GED® o ser ciudadano estadounidense.
5 Minute English
Use this general language site to learn the basics of English quickly with short and easy explanations and exercises.Dave’s ESL Cafe
ESL website for both tutors and students. Includes many links, activities, teacher tips, and lesson plans.
EnglishClub
Lessons, games, quizzes, forums, chat, lesson plans, jobs, and more for ESL learners and teachers.
English For My Job
English practice exercises for hospitality industry workers, with separate sections for those working in the hotel, restaurant, and travel/tourism industries; includes a special politeness training section.English Listening Lesson Library Online
Learn English naturally by listening to over 300 speakers from 100 countries with over 2,500 free video and audio lessons!EnglishPage.com
Free English grammar lessons, exercises, and games. It also offers links to a variety of ESL reading and listening resources.ESL America
Comprehensive site includes information about safety, health, nutrition, banking, shopping, computers and government.Glossaries by Language
Bilingual dictionaries and topical glossaries categorized by language.
The Internet Picture Dictionary
Free, multilingual picture dictionary and activities designed for beginning English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian language learners of all ages.
Mango
There are 17 English courses taught completely in the user’s native language. Select Learn English and choose your native language to begin. Mango can be accessed at the library, remotely, or even on-the-go with apps for iPhone®, Android™, Kindle® and Nook®.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Provides a free online dictionary, thesaurus, audio pronunciations, Word of the Day, word games, and other English language resources. Key feature is that you can hear the pronunciation of the words.
Moraine Valley ESL
Information about Moraine Valley's English as a Second Language (ESL) program and Intensive English Language Program (IELP).The New York Times Learning Network
Current event stories, quizzes, crossword puzzles, and other vocabulary and knowledge building resources for students, parents, and instructors. Features E.L.L. Practice and Word of the Day.
Train Your Accent
Listen to short recorded speeches on various topics to help reduce the accents in new English language speakers.Genealogy
Genealogy
Ancestry Library Edition
A genealogy database that provides information on over 2 billion names, more than 3,000 databases, primary source documents and a variety of research tools. Includes immigration, vital, military, court, church and ethnic records; city directories; Social Security Death Index; and much more.Available inside the library only.
General Research
General Research
EBSCO Discovery Services
Search popular full-text magazines, reference books and other highly-regarded sources from the world's leading publishers, covering general reference, business, health, education, general science, multicultural issues and much more. Includes primary source documents, images, videos, and more.Google Scholar
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites. Google Scholar helps you find relevant work across the world of scholarly research.SWAN Online Card Catalog
Search our library’s consortium for books, magazines, DVDs, CDs and much more!Health
Health
Medline Plus
Trusted health information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Search for health topics, drugs, supplements, and read informative health articles.Health Sherpa
Find and compare affordable health insurance coverage.HealthCare.gov
Find health insurance coverage and get answers to questions.Homework (K-12)
Homework (K-12)
LearningExpress School Center
The resources here can help students in elementary, middle, and high school prepare for important tests, get extra help with assignments, and boost their skills in important subjects.
Country Guides to Culture, Customs and Etiquette
Country Guides bring you information on over 80+ countries. Topics include language, useful phrases, the society, culture, business and social etiquette.Culture Crossing Guide
Wondering if you should bow or shake hands with your Chinese colleague? Worried that you might have offended your Moroccan hosts by declining that second cup of tea? Want to know the best time to arrive at a Brazilian party? Look no further than CultureCrossing.net; an evolving database of cross-cultural information about every country in the world.Explora Public Libraries
Access high-quality articles and facts for research papers, class projects and homework.Science Reference Center
Contains full-text content for hundreds of science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals and other sources.The World Factbook
The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. Our Reference tab includes: maps of the major world regions, as well as Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, a World Oceans map, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map.Learn a Language
Learn a Language
Mango
Mango is free to all library patrons and can be accessed anywhere with an Internet connection. Each lesson combines real life situations and audio from native speakers with simple, clear instructions. The courses are presented with an appreciation for cultural nuance and real-world application by focusing on the four key elements of language learning: vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and culture.
Mango offers access to 60 foreign language courses and 17 English courses taught completely in the user’s native language. In addition to traditional language courses, Mango also offers the opportunity to learn through foreign film with Mango Premiere™ and access to a variety of specialty mini courses, like Pirate, Medical Spanish and romance courses. Mango can be accessed at the library, remotely, or even on-the-go with apps for iPhone®, Android™, Kindle® and Nook®.
News
News
Product Reviews & Ratings
Product Reviews & Ratings
Consumer Reports
Provides ratings and reviews, recommendations and buying advice for thousands of products and services.Public/Legal Records Search
Public/Legal Records Search
Check Illinois
Do a quick, free background check online in less than 60 seconds. Search by name, property address, property PIN, or business name. See foreclosures, mortgage records, real estate transactions, building code violations, DUIs, misdemeanors, felonies, tax liens, and more. See if your neighbor’s house is in foreclosure or if your child is dating a criminal. Check Illinois is Illinois’ largest public records database.Illinois Public Records (Inside the Library)
Record Information Services provides access to key public record data for personal and business use. Databases include: Bankruptcy Records, Business Licenses, Divorce Records, DUI Records, Felony Records, Foreclosures and Auctions, Misdemeanor Records, Mortgage Records, Real Estate Transactions, State and Federal Tax Liens, and Tax Sale Properties. Includes Counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will, and Winnebago.Illinois Public Records (Outside the Library)
Record Information Services provides access to key public record data for personal and business use. Databases include: Bankruptcy Records, Business Licenses, Divorce Records, DUI Records, Felony Records, Foreclosures and Auctions, Misdemeanor Records, Mortgage Records, Real Estate Transactions, State and Federal Tax Liens, and Tax Sale Properties. Includes Counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will, and Winnebago.Science
Science
Science Reference Center
Contains full-text content for hundreds of science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals and other sources.Test Prep (GED, SAT & more)
Test Prep (GED, SAT & more)
High School Equivalency Center
Earning a high school equivalency credential can open the door to better income, a more fulfilling job, and a college education. If you are preparing for the GED® test, HiSET® or TASC exams, our practice tests, interactive tutorials, and eBooks will help you reach your goal.
College Admissions Test Preparation
Getting into college is an important step to building a strong future. First, you must do well on your college admission tests and write a personal essay that highlights your special talents. Use this center to get the resources you need to achieve your college preparation goals.