Adult Resources
Databases for Online Research and Developing Skills
Some Resources Require a Library Card to Access
FEATURED RESOURCES
EBSCO Hobbies & Crafts Source is a DIY database of leading full-text hobby and craft magazines, hobby profiles, recipes and hundreds of videos to inspire creativity and nurture extra-curricular interests.
EBSCO Home Improvement is a digital DIY database designed to assist homeowners with repair, maintenance, and remodeling projects.
DIGITAL SKILLS
Digital Literacy empowers learners with digital citizenship skills to navigate today's virtual landscape. Interactive activities guide students through project-based learning activities using digital tools to create podcasts, multimedia presentations, social media campaigns, and more. Database articles explore cyberbullying, digital research skills, citizen journalism, and more.
Freely Available Online
DigitalLearn.org, The Public Library Association's (PLA) digital literacy training site, provides self-directed courses that build digital literacy skills and confidence using technology. The online courses are freely available to everyone and cover topics such as: getting started with email, navigating websites and commonly used apps, operating search engines, mastering cybersecurity, and more.
Missouri Digital Equity offers resources about technology, how to be safe and secure with it and understanding how to evaluate information found online. Included are free resources widely available on the internet and subscription-only databases available through your local library. This site was developed in partnership the Missouri Research and Education Network (MOREnet) and the Missouri State Library.
EDUCATIONAL & TEACHER RESOURCES
EBSCOhost is a subscription to thousands of journals containing thousands of full-text articles. You can search for articles or pamphlets in a medical database, or elementary school students can find articles written at their reading level using the Primary Search.
ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) contains more than 1.6 million records and links to hundreds of thousands of full-text documents. It includes records for a variety of source types, including journal articles, books, conference papers, curriculum guides, policy papers and more.
Learning Express Library offers online practice tests for ESL and basic skills improvement in reading, writing and math. Also includes SAT, ACT Advanced Placement, HiSET, and other tests. Registration by the user is required for the software to record progress.
Freely Available Online
Driving Tests is a website designed to help prepare people for their driver's test or driver's license test. It includes comprehensive resources, including permit tests, DMV driving tests, and permit practice tests.
EDSITEment! provides free resources for teachers, students, and parents searching for high-quality K-12 humanities education materials in the subject areas of history and social studies, literature and language arts, foreign languages, arts, and culture.
Financial Literacy database makes economics and personal finance easy to understand and highly engaging. Articles explore macro-, micro-, and global economics as well as personal and household finance.
GENERAL RESEARCH
Academic Search Elite is a core resource for scholarly information. The database contains more than 2,100 journals and over 1,700 peer-reviewed, full-text journals.
EBSCOhost is a subscription to thousands of journals containing thousands of full-text articles. You can search for articles or pamphlets in a medical database, or elementary school students can find articles written at their reading level using the Primary Search.
Explora is designed specifically for general research in a public library. This interface is graphically rich and provides access to a wide range of materials. Includes topic overviews that provide a starting point for research and 60,000 top videos from the Associated Press.
Financial Literacy database makes economics and personal finance easy to understand and highly engaging. Articles explore macro-, micro-, and global economics as well as personal and household finance.
Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia is an online encyclopedia with articles and images about a variety of subjects. The listen feature enables you to have the computer read the encyclopedia entries out loud.
Freely Available Online
The Missouri Census Data Center (MCDC) is a cooperative program among state agencies in Missouri and the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Its purpose is to enhance awareness of and access to public data, especially Census Bureau products. The MCDC data archive includes many national collections as well as Missouri-specific data.
GOVERNMENT & LEGAL
VetNow offers live online assistance for veterans and their families. Connect with a live navigator to get help determining your VA benefits, translating your resume for civilian jobs, building academic skills, and so much more!
Freely Available Online
Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. It provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public. Usually updated the morning after session adjourns.
CourtListener is a legal research website containing millions of legal opinions from federal and state courts. Includes a fully-searchable and accessible archive of court data including growing repositories of opinions, oral arguments, judges, and federal filings.
Federal Information Guide is a collection of U.S. government information online. This guide is not comprehensive, but resources are selected based on regional interests and needs.
GovInfo is a service of the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO), which is a Federal agency in the legislative branch that provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government.
Justia is a large law database with federal and state constitutions, codes, regulations, case law, and legal topics for individuals and businesses. Find guides on law practices, legal aid, and lawyer contacts. Information covers the United States and sections of Latin America
Missouri State Agency Databases is an annotated list of databases produced by Missouri state agencies organized by database subject. Find information from the Department of Agriculture to voter registration and elections data.
Missouri State Publications is a free, online collection of select publications from Missouri state government agencies. The collection includes annual, financial, statistical, policy, legislative, commission reports and strategic plans from Missouri state agencies.
HEALTH
MEDLINE has articles about medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, pre-clinical sciences, and much more from over 4,800 current biomedical journals.
Freely Available Online
Mayo Clinic has a database of information about different illnesses, healthy living, drugs, tests, and procedures. The Health Information tab has A-Z lists of diseases & conditions, symptoms, tests, and drug information.
MedlinePlus is an online health information resource for the public that offers information on health topics, human genetics, medical tests, medications, dietary supplements, and healthy recipes. High-quality, relevant health and wellness information that is trusted and easy to understand, in both English and Spanish.
PubMed is a database of over 32 million citations and abstracts of biomedical literature from life sciences journals, online books, and MEDLINE, with links to full text articles from PubMed Central, a free full-text biomedical literature archive, and other sources.
WebMD is an online publisher of medical news, health, and well-being information. Contains in-depth medical news, reference material, and articles on topics that range from common conditions to drug information.
JOB & CAREER
LearningExpress Computer Skills offers resources to learn the basics of computers, from searching the Internet to using popular programs for word processing, creating spreadsheets and databases, implementing design, and more.
LearningExpress Library is an online academic and licensing practice tests including SAT, ACT, HiSET, LSAT, Advanced Placement, civil service, military, real estate, law enforcement, citizenship, TOEFL, and ESL. Registration by the user is required for the software to record progress.
LearningExpress Resume and Cover letter Builders is a step-by-step resource to create resumes and cover letters with expert advice. Resumes cover a wide range of occupations and preparation levels with easy-to-follow instructions, helpful samples, and templates.
VetNow offers live online assistance for veterans and their families. Connect with a live navigator to get help determining your VA benefits, translating your resume for civilian jobs, building academic skills, and so much more!
Freely Available Online
CareerOneStep is a source of employment information to help manage your career with tools designed to help job seekers, students, businesses, and career professionals. Find skills, training, and financial assistance for laid-off workers, veterans, and ex-offenders.
Jobs.mo.gov offers workforce development and employment-related programs, products, and services for Missouri businesses and job seekers. Find information on Job Skills Workshops and job postings on MoJobs.
My Next Move is an interactive tool for job seekers and students to learn about career options with tasks, skills, salary information, and more for many different careers.
Occupational Outlook Handbook offers information about a wide-range of occupations with job summaries, work environment, education, pay, job outlook, and more.
SCIENCE
Science Reference Center offers full-text and articles from science encyclopedias, reference books, and magazines about biology, chemistry, earth and space, environment, life science, physics, and more.