Online Resources
Art, Music & 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.
- American Song - Provides access to recordings of music of America's past. Listening is free. Downloads are not available at this time. You do not need to set up a separate log in unless you want your own play lists maintained by the site. This site can be browsed from any computer in the library but music clips can only be played at Internet machines.
- Art Index - Provides indexing of more than 450 publications as far back as 1984 including art, architecture, film craft and costume.
- 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.
- Contemporary World Music - Provides access to recordings of music from all over the world. Listening is free. Downloads are not available at this time. You do not need to set up a separate log in unless you want your own play lists maintained by the site. This site can be browsed from any computer in the library but music clips can only be played at Internet machines.
- Foundation Grants to Individuals Online - Provides access to foundations and public charities that fund students, artists, researchers and other individual grantseekers. (Available at the Central Library only)
- Foundation Directory Online - Provides access to information on thousands of grantmakers and their giving interests.(Available at the Central Library only)
- Foundation Guide to Proposal Writing - Audiobook from the Foundation Center, includes detailed instructions on preparing grant proposals and insights into what makes for a winning proposal.
- Oxford Art Online - Access to art reference that includes Grove Dictionary of Art, Oxford Companion to Western Art, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics and Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms on all aspects of the visual arts.
- Oxford Music Online - Access to music reference that includes Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Dictionary of Jazz, Dictionary of Opera, Oxford Companion to Music and Dictionary of Music on musicians, composers, instruments, genres, terms, acoustics, and more.
- 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.
Audiobooks & eBooks
- eAudiobooks and eBooks - Downloadable audiobooks and eBooks from NetLibrary are available to remote users who have a Berkeley Public Library card. Click here (attached PDF) for access information.
Please Note: Netlibrary will no longer be available at the Berkeley Public Library as of June 30, 2009. BPL will be offering a new service for downloadable audiobooks coming soon in July 2009. - Safari Tech Books Online - Search, browse and read technical books online. Subject areas include operating systems, programming languages, database technologies and more.
Automotive
- Chilton Automotive Repair - Access to repair instructions, service bulletins and recalls and wiring diagrams for domestic and foreign cars, trucks and vans, beginning with the 1929 Cadillac. Content provided by Chilton's.
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.
- Oxford Art Online - Access to art reference that includes Grove Dictionary of Art, Oxford Companion to Western Art, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics and Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms on all aspects of the visual arts.
- Oxford Music Online - Access to music reference that includes Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Dictionary of Jazz, Dictionary of Opera, Oxford Companion to Music and Dictionary of Music on musicians, composers, instruments, genres, terms, acoustics, and more.
Books & Literature
- 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.
- Book Letters - Check Bookletters for reading lists by genre, audience and award winners.
- Dear Reader - Join any of nine online book clubs and receive daily e-mails with books changing each week.
- 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 Criticism Online - Full text pdf access to every volume of Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism, Twentieth Century Literature Criticism, and Contemporary Literary Criticism, including all photos and other images.
- Literature Resource Center-LRC - Biographies of authors and critical analyses of books from every age and genre.
- NoveList K-8 Plus - 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.
- WorldCat - Search for authoritative information on titles, authors and locations of materials in California and beyond.
Business & Careers
- 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.
- 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/Learning Express Library - Online practice tests for students, college applicants, career explorers, and those learning English. Includes resume writing help,study courses in business English, computer skills tutorials for Microsoft office programs, 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.
- 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 & Technology
- Learn A Test/Learning Express Library - You can access tutorials for the following Microsoft Office products: Microsoft Access, Excel, Word and PowerPoint, as well as for Microsoft Vista and Internet Explorer. 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.
- Safari Tech Books Online - Search, browse and read technical books online. Subject areas include operating systems, programming languages, database technologies and more.
Education
- Berkeley Schools Libraries - Berkeley school libraries are bustling centers of learning, cultivating an appreciation for literature and fostering development of research skills and information literacy.
- Calisphere - Provides primary source material, including both photographic and illustrated images for elementary and secondary school research in California history or multicultural heritage.
- 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 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/Learning Express Library - Online practice tests for students, college applicants, career explorers, and those learning English. Includes resume writing help,study courses in business English, computer skills tutorials for Microsoft office programs, 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.
- NoveList K-8 Plus - Search for good books, according to various appeal categories, for young readers in kindergarten through middle school.
- Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center - Full text access to several complete series offering expert opinion on a range of controversial subjects in the social sciences.
- 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.
Español
- ¡Informe! (Revistas en Español) - Una colección de revistas hispánicas con textos completos. Abarca negocios, salud, tecnología, cultura, temas de actualidad y otras materias.
- Gobierno USA - Información oficial en espanol.
- Obras de Consulta Oxford (Oxford Reference Premium) - Diccionarios bilingües y en inglés, átlases, compendios de citas, y libros de consulta que cubren historia, ciencias, artes, literatura, computación, alimentación y más. Se pueden consultar individualmente o en conjunto.
General Reference
- 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.
- Chilton Automotive Repair - Access to repair instructions, service bulletins and recalls and wiring diagrams for domestic and foreign cars, trucks and vans, beginning with the 1929 Cadillac. Content provided by Chilton's.
- 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.
- How To Do It Index - Indexes repair, craft, and other instructional articles published in a wide range of popular magazines. This database is available only from within the Library building, not remotely.
- ixquick Phone Search - Personal and business phone lisitings for most European, Latin American, and some other nations.
- 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.
Grants & Scholarships
- Foundation Grants to Individuals Online - Provides access to foundations and public charities that fund students, artists, researchers and other individual grantseekers. (Available at the Central Library only)
- Foundation Directory Online - Provides access to information on thousands of grantmakers and their giving interests.(Available at the Central Library only)
- Foundation Guide to Proposal Writing - Audiobook from the Foundation Center, includes detailed instructions on preparing grant proposals and insights into what makes for a winning proposal.
Health
- Berkeley Information Network - Berkeley Public Library's own directory of organizations serving local people.
- 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.
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.
- Calisphere - Provides primary source material, including both photographic and illustrated images for elementary and secondary school research in California history or multicultural heritage.
- 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 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
- Berkeley Schools Libraries - Berkeley school libraries are bustling centers of learning, cultivating an appreciation for literature and fostering development of research skills and information literacy.
- Biography Resource Center - Articles about historic and contemporary people active in many fields.
- 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.
- NoveList K-8 Plus - Search for good books, according to various appeal categories, for young readers in kindergarten through middle school.
- Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center - Full text access to several complete series offering expert opinion on a range of controversial subjects in the social sciences.
- 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.
Language Learning
- eAudiobooks and eBooks - Downloadable audiobooks and eBooks from NetLibrary including Pimsleur Language Programs are available to remote users who have a Berkeley Public Library card. Click here (attached PDF) for access information. Please Note: Netlibrary will no longer be available at the Berkeley Public Library as of June 30, 2009. BPL will be offering a new service for downloadable audiobooks coming soon in July 2009.
- Learn A Test/Learning Express Library - Online practice tests for students, college applicants, career explorers, and those learning English. Includes resume writing help,study courses in business English, computer skills tutorials for Microsoft office programs, 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Locator - Search attorneys by name, location, and/or practice specialty. Includes education and full contact information.
- New York Times Historical - 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.
- 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. This database is available only from within the Library building, not remotely.
- 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.
- 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.
- New York Times Historical - 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.
- New York Times, 1987 to Present - As of September 2007, the New York Times has opened the past ten years of its archives for free. Many articles back to 1981 are also free, however before 1987, most front page articles and those with images must be purchased. In addition to searching keywords, you may narrow your search by categories based on the New York Times section and subject matter--for example, you may limit your results to Magazine Articles, Book Reviews and more. After searching, these limits may be found at the bottom of the results page.
- Student Resource Center - Gold - Full text articles from magazines, reference books, and other materials on topics often assigned to middle and high school students.
Organizations
- Berkeley Information Network - Berkeley Public Library's own directory of organizations serving local people.
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.