Online Resources
Audiobooks
- eAudiobooks - Downloadable audiobooks from NetLibrary are available to remote users who have a Berkeley Public Library card. Click here for access information.
Biography
- African American Studies Center - Full text access to the Encyclopedia of African American History 1619-1895, Black Women in America (2nd ed), and Africana, a 5-volume history of the African and African American experience. Additional content details African American biography, art and architecture, and African American literature.
- Biography Resource Center - Articles about historic and contemporary people active in many fields.
- Granger's Poetry Online - Find poems, poets' biographies,authoritative commentaries on poems and poets, and a glossary of poetic terms at this source from Columbia University.
- Grove Art Online - Full text of all 34 print volumes of The Dictionary of Art, with added links to thousands of images and other relevant fine and decorative art sites.
- Grove Music Online - Full text access to New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , New Grove Dictionary of Opera , and New Grove Dictionary of Jazz , with links to sound clips and other relevant sites.
Books and Literature
- Book Review Index - Review of books, audiobooks, periodicals, and electronic media from a wide range of popular and special interest resources. Limit of 3 online users at a time.
- Booklist Online - Full text access to reviews, columns, and read-alike lists from the American Library Association's review journal.
- Books In Print Online - Publishing information about American books. Limit of 5 online users at one time.
- Fiction Connection - Offers readers easy access to finding good reading, by topic, genre, setting, character description, or time period, from among all fiction currently in print by US publishers.
- Granger's Poetry Online - Find poems, poets' biographies,authoritative commentaries on poems and poets, and a glossary of poetic terms at this source from Columbia University.
- Literature Resource Center-LRC - Biographies of authors and critical analyses of books from every age and genre.
- NoveList K-8 - Search for good books, according to various appeal categories, for young readers in kindergarten through middle school.
- Oxford Reference Premium - English language and bilingual dictionaries, atlases, quotations, and reference books covering literature and more can be searched individually or across this basic reference collection. The complete Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature (4 volumes, 2006) is included here.
- What Do I Read Next? - Identify books you'd like to read, based on criteria about themes, book length, characters, and much more.
- WorldCat - Search for authoritative information on titles, authors and locations of materials in California and beyond.
Business and Careers
- Associations Unlimited - Complete and up to date listings for national, regional, and international organizations, with detailed descriptions of causes, financial worth, and membership size.
- Berkeley Information Network - Berkeley Public Library's own directory of organizations serving local people.
- Berkeley Office of Economic Development - The Office of Economic Development provides a variety of business services for a community- based approach to entrepreneurial success.
- Berkeley Office of Economic Development - A Resource Guide to Starting a Small Business - Information on city and state permits and licenses, taxes, zoning, and how to get additional help for starting a business in Berkeley.
- Business and Company Resource Center - Company profiles and histories, brand information, rankings, investment reports, chronologies, and full text magazine articles.
- Business Source Elite - Provides company profiles, full text and peer-reviewed current and archived business journals, and management information.
- East Bay Small Business Development Center - Offers free one-on-one counseling services for small and medium-size businesses: business plans, marketing, sales, taxes, accounting, loans, etc, to improve opportunities for small businesses throughout Alameda County.
- Learn A Test - Online practice tests for students, college applicants, career explorers, and those learning English. Includes resume writing help and study courses in business English and related topics, and exam prep books in pdf format. Although registration asks for your name, you may input any words in this field. Please keep track of your user name and password for later access.
- Legal Forms (California) - Search, download and print many legal forms needed when doing business or working in Civil and Probate Courts in California.
- Reference USA Company Listings - Detailed information on more than 12 million U.S. businesses. The most complete company directory available on the web. Easy to sort search results by industry and location.
- Small Business Network - Resource Library - A virtual information center for people working in small businesses.
Computers and Technology
- Safari Tech Books Online - Search, browse and read technical books online. Subject areas include operating systems, programming languages, database technologies and more.
Education
- Calisphere - Provides primary source material, including both photographic and illustrated images for elementary and secondary school research in California history or multicultural heritage.
- Columbia International Affairs Online - Comprehensive source for theory and research in international affairs including working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, proceedings from conferences, books, journals and policy briefs.
- Expanded Academic ASAP - Scholarly journals, news magazines, and newspapers - many with full text and images.
- General Reference Center Gold - General interest articles from magazines, newspapers, and parts of reference books. Many with full text and images.
- History Reference Center - Primary and secondary resource documents, including videos and historic graphics, for students and researchers.
- History Resource US - Primary source documents, articles from reference books, and full-text journal articles about themes, events, individuals and periods in U.S. history from pre-Colonial times to the present.
- History Resource Center: World - Reference book and full-text articles from scholarly publications, primary sources, and images, maps and charts for the study of world history from ancient Europe to Latin America and from the Far East to the Renaissance.
- InfoTrac OneFile - Magazine and newspaper articles on a wide range of general interest topics. Millions of full text articles, many with images. A good place to start if you don't know which database to select.
- Kid's Edition K-12 - Designed for elementary school students, with easy access to full text magazines, newspapers, and reference books.
- Learn A Test - Online practice tests for students, college applicants, career explorers, and those learning English. Includes resume writing help and study courses in business English and related topics. Although registration asks for your name, you may input any words in this field. Please keep track of your user name and password for later access.
- Live Homework Help - One-on-one tutors available 4-10 pm daily for English, math, sciences, and social studies through the 12th grade level.
- NoveList K-8 - Search for good books, according to various appeal categories, for young readers in kindergarten through middle school.
- Online Language Learning Center - Learn and practice hearing, reading, and speaking English, Spanish, and two dozen other languages using Rosetta Stone software. This resource cannot be accessed from the Library's catalog computers. You can access it on the internet, either at the Library or remotely. Although registration asks for your name, you may input any words in this field. Please keep track of your user name and password for later access.
- Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center - Full text access to several complete series offering expert opinion on a range of controversial subjects in the social sciences.
- Science Resource Center - Full text science magazines, articles from reference works, and links to related internet sites.
- Social Studies Fact Cards Online - Basic facts about California geography, history, and Indians, as well as facts about US states and Presidents, world cultures, and religions.
- Student Resource Center - Gold - Access to articles from magazines, reference books, and other materials on topics often assigned to middle and high school students.
- Testing & Education Reference Center - Practice tests for higher education and trade school, along with information about colleges and universities, and help with writing application essays and resumes. Although practice test registration asks for your full name, you may input any words in these fields. Please keep track of your user name and password for the practice tests.
- What Do I Read Next? - Identify books you'd like to read, based on criteria about themes, book length, characters, and much more.
Español
- Consumer Health Complete - Provides access to medical and health books, ready reference health information in English and Spanish, drug information, and current health and medical news.
- Health And Wellness Resource Center (Medline en Español ) - Informational journal and reference book articles, definitions, directories, and internet links on a wide range of health and alternative health issues. Access to MEDLINE in English and Spanish.
- ¡Informe! (Revistas en Español) - Una colección de revistas hispánicas con textos completes. Abarca negocios, salud, tecnología, cultura, temas de actualidad y otras materias.
- Online Language Learning Center - Learn and practice hearing, reading, and speaking English, Spanish, and two dozen other languages using Rosetta Stone software. This resource cannot be accessed from the Library's catalog computers. You can access it on the internet, either at the Library or remotely. Although registration asks for your name, you may input any words in this field. Please keep track of your user name and password for later access.
- Oxford Reference Premium - English language and bilingual dictionaries, atlases, quotations, and reference books covering history, several sciences, the arts, literature, computing, food, and more can be searched individually or across this basic reference collection.
Fine and Performing Arts
- African American Song - Provides access to recordings of blues, jazz, gospel, and more. Listening is free. Downloads cost (just as photocopies of print sources cost). You do not need to set up a separate log in unless you want your own play lists to be maintained by this site. This site can be browsed from any computer in the Library but music clips can only be played at Internet machines.
- Classical Music Library - Provides access to recordings of orchestral, choral, and opera. Listening is free. Downloads cost (just as photocopies of print sources cost). You do not need to set up a separate log in unless you want your own play lists to be maintained by this site. This site can be browsed from any computer in the Library but music clips can only be played at Internet machines.
- Full Text Custom Newspapers - Christian Science Monitor, Denver Post, Financial Times (UK), Guardian (UK), Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Times (London) Daily and many more.
- Grove Art Online - Full text of all 34 print volumes of The Dictionary of Art, with added links to thousands of images and other relevant fine and decorative art sites.
- Grove Music Online - Full text access to New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, New Grove Dictionary of Opera , and New Grove Dictionary of Jazz , with links to sound clips and other relevant sites.
- National Newspapers 5 - Full text articles from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, and Wall Street Journal.
- Newsbank - Full text access to Oakland Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Berkeley Voice, San Jose Mercury News and West County Times, as well as hundreds of other newspapers throughout the United States.
- Oxford Reference Premium - English language and bilingual dictionaries, atlases, quotations, and reference books covering the arts and more can be searched individually or across this basic reference collection. The International Encyclopedia of Dance (6 volumes, 1998) is here as well.
- Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries - Includes more than 35,000 recordings, ranging from music to natural sounds to spoken word. Listening is free. Downloads cost (just as photocopies of print sources cost). You do not need to set up a separate log in unless you want your own play lists to be maintained by this site. This site can be browsed from any computer in the Library but music clips can only be played at Internet machines.
General Reference
- Black Thought and Culture - Contains the full run of the Black Panther newspaper as well as many other original documents.
- Britannica Online - full text access to the current editions of Encyclopaedia Britannica and its student and elementary editions, with links to images, video clips, and electronic texts of classics.
- Gale Virtual Reference Books - Fully searchable reference books provide online access to titles we have in our print Reference collection. Included here are International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers (4 volumes, 4th edition), VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (2007 edition), Encyclopedia of Management (5th edition), Encyclopedia of Small Business (2 volumes, 2nd edition), College Blue Book (6 volumes, 34th edition), Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia (17 volumes, 2nd edition), American Decades (10 volumes), New Dictionary of History of Ideas (6 volumes), The People's Chronology (3rd edition), Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in America (3 volumes), Encyclopedia Judaica, and Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices (3 volumes).
- General Reference Center Gold - General interest articles from magazines, newspapers, and reference books. Many with full text and images.
- GovSearchSuite - Authoritative directory information for all public office holders at the Federal, State, County, and Municipal levels in the US, updated daily.
- How To Do It Index - Indexes repair, craft, and other instructional articles published in a wide range of popular magazines.
- ixquick Phone Search - Personal and business phone lisitings for most European, Latin American, and some other nations.
- Legal Forms (California) - Search, download and print many legal forms needed when doing business or working in Civil and Probate Courts in California.
- Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Locator - Search attorneys by name, location, and/or practice specialty. Includes education and full contact information.
- Oxford Reference Premium - English language and bilingual dictionaries, atlases, quotations, and reference books covering history, several sciences, the arts, literature, computing, food, and more can be searched individually or across this basic reference collection. You can search the full contents of The Dictionary of American Family Names, The Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States, The International Encyclopedia of Dance and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America at this site as well.
- WorldCat - Search for authoritative information on titles, authors and locations of materials in California and beyond.
Health
- Berkeley Information Network - Berkeley Public Library's own directory of organizations serving local people.
- Consumer Health Complete - Provides access to medical and health books, ready reference health information in English and Spanish, drug information, and current health and medical news.
- Health and Wellness Resource Center - Informational journal and reference book articles, definitions, directories, and internet links on a wide range of health and alternative health issues. Access to MEDLINE in English and Spanish.
- Health Reference Center Academic - Articles on: fitness, pregnancy, medicine, nutrition, diseases, public health, occupational health and safety, alcohol and drug abuse, HMOs, prescription drugs, etc. The material contained in this database is intended for informational purposes only.
- National Newspapers 5 - Full text articles from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, and Wall Street Journal.
- Science Resource Center - Full text science magazines, articles from reference works, and links to related internet sites.
History
- African American Studies Center - Full text access to the Encyclopedia of African American History 1619-1895, Black Women in America (2nd ed), and Africana, a 5-volume history of the African and African American experience. Additional content details African American biography, art and architecture, and African American literature.
- Berkeley History Online - Digitized images from the Library’s collection of historic photos, maps, postcards, and other documents.
- Biography Resource Center - Articles about historic and contemporary people active in many fields.
- Black Thought and Culture - Contains the full run of the Black Panther newspaper as well as many other original documents.
- Calisphere - Provides primary source material, including both photographic and illustrated images for elementary and secondary school research in California history or multicultural heritage.
- Columbia International Affairs Online - Comprehensive source for theory and research in international affairs including working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, proceedings from conferences, books, journals and policy briefs.
- Gale Virtual Reference Books - Fully searchable reference books provide online access to titles we have in our print Reference collection. Included here are International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers (4 volumes, 4th edition), VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (2007 edition), Encyclopaedia Judaica (2006 edition), Encyclopedia of Management (5th edition), Encyclopedia of Small Business (2 volumes, 2nd edition), College Blue Book (6 volumes, 34th edition), Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia (17 volumes, 2nd edition), American Decades (10 volumes), New Dictionary of History of Ideas (6 volumes), The People's Chronology (3rd edition), Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in America (3 volumes), Encyclopedia Judaica, and Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices (3 volumes).
- History Reference Center - Primary and secondary resource documents, including historic graphics, for students and researchers.
- History Resource US - Primary source documents, articles from reference books, and full-text journal articles about themes, events, individuals and periods in U.S. history from pre-Colonial times to the present.
- History Resource Center: World - Reference book and full-text articles from scholarly publications, primary sources, and images, maps and charts for the study of world history from ancient Europe to Latin America and from the Far East to the Renaissance.
- Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center - Full text access to several complete series offering expert opinion on a range of controversial subjects in the social sciences.
- Oxford Reference Premium - English language and bilingual dictionaries, atlases, quotations, and reference books covering history, and more can be searched individually or across this basic reference collection. You can search the full contents of The Dictionary of American Family Names, The Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States, The International Encyclopedia of Dance and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America at this site as well.
- Social Studies Fact Cards Online - Basic facts about California geography, history, and Indians, as well as facts about US states and Presidents, world cultures, and religions.
Kids
- Britannica Online (Elementary Edition) - Provides full text access to the current editions of Encyclopaedia Britannica and its student and elementary editions, with links to images, video clips, and electronic texts of classics.
- Calisphere - Provides primary source material, including both photographic and illustrated images for elementary and secondary school research in California history or multicultural heritage.
- Kids Edition K-12 - Designed for elementary school students, with easy access to full text magazines, newspapers, and reference books.
- Kids Infobits - Articles from children's magazines and reference titles for kids in Kindergarten through Grade 5.
- Live Homework Help - One on one tutors available 4-10 pm daily for English, math, sciences, and social studies through the 12th grade level.
- NoveList K-8 - Search for good books, according to various appeal categories, for young readers in kindergarten through middle school.
- Science Resource Center - Full text science magazines, articles from reference works, and links to related internet sites.
- Social Studies Fact Cards Online - Basic facts about California geography, history, and Indians, as well as facts about US states and Presidents, world cultures, and religions.
- Student Resource Center - Gold - Access to articles from magazines, reference books, and other materials on topics often assigned to middle and high school students.
- What Do I Read Next? - Identify books you'd like to read, based on criteria about themes, book length, characters, and much more.
Language Learning
- Learn A Test - Online practice tests for students, college applicants, career explorers, and those learning English. Includes resume writing help and study courses in business English and related topics.
- Online Language Learning Center - Learn and practice hearing, reading, and speaking English, Spanish, and two dozen other languages using Rosetta Stone software. This resource cannot be accessed from the Library's catalog computers. You can access it on the internet, either at the Library or remotely. Although registration asks for your name, you may input any words in this field. Please keep track of your user name and password for later access.
- Oxford Reference Premium - English language and bilingual dictionaries, atlases, quotations, and more can be searched individually or across this basic reference collection.
Law
- California Courts Legal Forms - Downloadable forms that you can complete online or copy to fill offline can be found here, some in multiple languages.
- California Franchise Tax Board - California income tax forms and instructions are available here in ready-to-print, fill-out-and-print, and electronic filing options.
- Columbia International Affairs Online - Comprehensive source for theory and research in international affairs including working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, proceedings from conferences, books, journals and policy briefs.
- Federal Forms - Printable forms from many Federal agencies, including passport applications, Veteran benefit forms, and Social Security forms.
- Federation of Tax Administrators - Download tax forms for any state from this site.
- Legal Forms (California) - Search, download and print many legal forms needed when doing business or working in Civil and Probate Courts in California.
- Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Locator - Search attorneys by name, location, and/or practice specialty. Includes education and full contact information.
- National Newspapers 5 - Full text articles from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, and Wall Street Journal.
- Tax Forms (Federal) - The Internal Revenue web site provides ready-to-print forms and instructions, as well as providing the portal to online tax filing.
Magazines and Newspapers
- Berkeley Area Newspapers (Newsbank) - Full text access to Oakland Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Berkeley Voice, San Jose Mercury News and West County Times, as well as hundreds of other newspapers throughout the United States.
- Booklist Online - Full text access to reviews, columns, and read-alike lists from the American Library Association's review journal.
- Business and Company Resource Center - Company profiles and histories, brand information, rankings, investment reports, chronologies, and full text magazine articles.
- Business Source Elite - Provides company profiles, full text and peer-reviewed current and archived business journals, and management information.
- Expanded Academic ASAP - Scholarly journals, news magazines, and newspapers - many with full text and images.
- Full Text Custom Newspapers - Christian Science Monitor, Denver Post, Financial Times (UK), Guardian (UK), Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Times (London) Daily and many more.Each newspaper’s staff-written articles are the only ones featured here.
- General Reference Center Gold - General interest articles from magazines, newspapers, and reference books. Many with full text and images.
- Health and Wellness Resource Center - Informational journal and reference book articles, many full text.
- Health Reference Center Academic - Informational peer-reviewed professional journal articles, many full text.
- How To Do It Index - Indexes repair, craft, and other instructional articles published in a wide range of popular magazines.
- InfoTrac One File - Magazine and newspaper articles on a wide range of general interest topics. Millions of full text articles, many with images. A good place to start if you don't know which database to select.
- ¡Informe! - Revistas en Español - Una colección de revistas hispánicas con textos completes. Abarca negocios, salud, tecnología, cultura, temas de actualidad y otras materias.
- Kid's Edition K-12 - Designed for elementary school students, with easy access to full text magazines, newspapers, and reference books.
- MediaFinder - Find, analyze, sort and download detailed information on over 72,000 U.S. and Canadian periodicals. Please Note: BPL has only three user licenses; only three users can access this database at the same time. If you get a busy message, try again in a few minutes.
- National Newspaper Index - New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post. Note: This is an index only. You can visit the Central Library to see any of these newspapers in full text on microfilm.
- National Newspapers 5 - Full text articles from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, and Wall Street Journal.
- Science Resource Center - Full text science magazines, articles from reference works, and links to related internet sites.
- Student Resource Center - Gold - Full text articles from magazines, reference books, and other materials on topics often assigned to middle and high school students.
Music
- African American Song - Access to recordings of blues, jazz, gospel, and more. Listening is free. Downloads cost (just as photocopies of print sources cost). You do not need to set up a separate log in unless you want your own play lists to be maintained by this site. This site can be browsed from any computer in the library but music clips can be played only at Internet machines.
- Classical Music Library - Access to recordings of orchestral, choral, and opera music. Listening is free. Downloads cost (just as photocopies of print sources cost). You do not need to set up a separate log in unless you want your own play lists to be maintained by this site. This site can be browsed from any computer in the library but music clips can be played only at Internet machines.
- Grove Music Online - Full text access to New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , New Grove Dictionary of Opera , and New Grove Dictionary of Jazz , with links to sound clips and other relevant sites.
- Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries - Access to more than 35,000 recordings, ranging from music to natural sounds to spoken word. Listening is free. Downloads cost (just as photocopies of print sources cost). You do not need to set up a separate log in unless you want your own play lists to be maintained by this site. This site can be browsed from any computer in the library but music clips can be played only at Internet machines.
Organizations
- Associations Unlimited - Complete and up to date listings for national, regional, and international organizations, with detailed descriptions of causes, financial worth, and membership size.
- Berkeley Information Network - Berkeley Public Library's own directory of organizations serving local people.
- Columbia International Affairs Online - Comprehensive source for theory and research in international affairs including working papers from university research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, foundation-funded research projects, proceedings from conferences, books, journals and policy briefs.
Poetry
- Granger's Poetry Online - Find poems, poets' biographies, authoritative commentaries on poems and poets, and a glossary of poetic terms at this source from Columbia University.
Religion
- Gale Virtual Reference Books - Fully searchable reference books provide online access to titles we have in our print Reference collection. Included here are Encyclopaedia Judaica and Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices (3 volumes).
- Oxford Premium Reference: Religion and Philosophy - More than half a dozen concise guides to world religions, including dictionaries of Buddhism, Islam, Roman Popes, and more.
Science
- Expanded Academic ASAP - Scholarly journals, news magazines, and newspapers - many with full text and images.
- Full Text Custom Newspapers - Christian Science Monitor, Denver Post, Financial Times (UK), Guardian (UK), Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Times (London) Daily and many more.
- General Reference Center Gold - General interest articles from magazines, newspapers, and reference books. Many with full text and images.
- Health and Wellness Resource Center - Informational journal and reference book articles, definitions, directories, and internet links on a wide range of health and alternative health issues. Access to MEDLINE in English and Spanish.
- Health Reference Center Academic - Articles on: fitness, pregnancy, medicine, nutrition, diseases, public health, occupational health and safety, alcohol and drug abuse, HMOs, prescription drugs, etc. The material contained in this database is intended for informational purposes only.
- Kids Edition K-12 - Designed for elementary school students, with easy access to full text magazines, newspapers, and reference books.
- Kids Infobits - Articles from children's magazines and reference titles for kids in Kindergarten through Grade 5.
- Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center - Full text access to several complete series offering expert opinion on a range of controversial subjects in the social sciences.
- Oxford Reference Premium - English language and bilingual dictionaries, atlases, quotations, and reference books covering several sciences and more can be searched individually or across this basic reference collection.
- Science Resource Center - Full text science magazines, articles from reference works, and links to related internet sites.