Research Resources - Subject List

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 Students K-12

​Early World of Learning - Stories, games and other activities for early literacy.

Kids InfoBits - Search and browse encyclopedias, pictures and magazines for a variety of topics, like animals, arts, plants, sports and more.

Read It! English Language Learner - Read It! is designed for middle and high school students and adults who have a basic foundation in English grammar and reading but need adapted reading material for a variety of subjects.

Explora Public Libraries - Explora supports both student research and classroom instruction with rich, reliable content and easy-to-use functionality.

NoveList K-8 Plus - NoveList K-8 Plus is a trusted source of read-alike recommendations specifically for younger readers.

 Automotive

ChiltonLibrary - Vehicle maintenance and repair information, including service and repair procedures, a labor estimating tool, vacuum and wiring diagrams, photographs and illustrations.​

 Biography

Biography in Context - News and biographical information on public figures searchable by a variety of factors, including name, occupation, birth and death dates, places or gender.​

 Books and Literature
Gale Literary Sources - Full text of literary works, journal articles, literature criticism, reviews, author biographical information and overviews.

NoveList - Find your next great read with booklists and readalikes for your favorite books.

Something About the Author - Learn about the lives and works of authors and illustrators for children and young adults.

WorldCat​ - Find books, movies, music and articles in libraries worldwide.​

 Business, Careers & Investments

Business Source Elite - Business research information, including company profiles, business journals and publications.

Career Transitions - Explore career paths and view guidance and activities for job seekers and those investigating a career change.

DemographicsNow - Conduct market research with U.S. demographic data.

Financial Ratings Series - Accurate, independent information and ratings for banks, insurance companies and credit unions, with additional investment ratings for stocks and mutual funds.  When asked for your Library card number, type VBPL then your card number.

Morningstar Investment Research Center - Comprehensive financial information on investments, including mutual funds, stocks, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds.

​Referenc​e USA - Search for companies and people in the United States.
 
Small Business Reference Center - Learn about starting a company, operations management, sales and more. Search by industry and  business types.

Standard and Poor's NetAdvantage - Analysis and rankings on companies, industries, mutual funds and other investments.

​Value​Line - Data and performance analysis on stocks and other securities.

 Current Events

Opposing Viewpoints in Context - Articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents and magazine and newspaper articles on social issues

 ​General Reference
e-Book Collection by EBSCO - Nonfiction titles covering a broad range of topics.

Gale PowerS​e​arch​ - Search for articles from thousands of magazines, journals and newspapers.

Gale Virtual Reference Library - View e-books on a variety of topics, including business, education and history. ​

Kids InfoBits - K-5 parents and students, search and browse encyclopedias, pictures and magazines for a variety of topics, like animals, arts, plants, sports and more.

​MasterFile Premier - News and magazine articles on a wide range of topics.

 Grants
 Foundation Center resources are available inside the library:

GrantSelect - Search for grants from a variety of organizations.

 Health
MedlinePlus - Search for reputable information about diseases, conditions and wellness issues in easy to understand language. Produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

 Languages

Rocket Languages - Learn a new language with lessons and games and stay motivated by earning points and badges​.

Rosetta Stone​ - Access courses for 30 different languages. An app is available for iOS and Android devices. After downloading the app, select Work and School and type in VBPL in the namespace field.

 Law

Code of Virginia - Statutes, rules of the court and legal ethics opinions organized by title number and section and searchable by keyword.

Gale LegalForms - Search a variety of Virginia specific legal forms.

Lexis Advance - (available inside the library) Search news, business, public records and legal information.

​WestlawNext Patron Access - (available at the Law Library): This legal research database includes state and federal statutes and cases, including many unpublished cases. There are limited consecutive sessions available for this resource. Please sign off at the end of your session.

 Local History & Genealogy
Available for use inside the library:

Ancestry.com - Research your family history with census data, vital records, directories, photos and more.   

America's Obituaries and Death Notices - National obituaries and death notices (1999-present)

HeritageQuest - Images of U.S. census records and other primary sources materials.

​Norfolk Journal and Guide​ - Genealogists, researchers and scholars will find easy access to coverage of regional politics, society and events from 1921 to 2003.​

Sanborn Maps - Fire insurance maps for genealogists, planners and history buffs.

VBPL Digital Collections - Browse the library's digital archives for digitized images, books and other materials.

 Magazines & Newspapers

America's News - Full-text articles from local and national newspapers, newsmagazines and other news sources.

America's Obituaries and Death Notices - National obituaries and death notices (1999-present).

MasterFile Premier - News and magazine articles on a wide range of topics.​​

​New York T​imes - Full-text articles from the New York Times from 1985-present, searchable by date and topic.

Norfolk Journal and Guide​ - Genealogists, researchers and scholars will find easy access to coverage of regional politics, society and events from 1921 to 2003. ​

Virginian-Pilot - View scanned images of issues from 1865-1955 and text of issues from 1990-present.

 Online Courses

​Lynda.com​ - Online courses that teach business, software, technology and creative skills to help reach your personal and professional goals.​

Universal Class - Take free courses on a variety of topics to improve or gain work or life skills.

 Technology

Lynda.com​ - Online courses that teach business, software, technology and creative skills to help reach your personal and professional goals.​

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