Research Tools (A-Z)
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About Books
Search for author, title, subject… anything about books.
Academic Search Premier
Full-text articles from hundreds of academic journals on a wide
variety of subjects. For college-level research.
Access World News
Explore and stay informed on local, national and international topics, people and events in areas such as business, health, education, jobs and careers, political and social issues, and more.
Alt. Health News
This database focuses on the many perspectives of complementary, holistic and integrated approaches to health care and wellness.
America’s News featuring The Plain Dealer
America’s News provides unique access to over 2,100 local, regional and national news sources, featuring the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and over 40 titles from the state of Ohio.
American and English Literature
The full text of poems, stories, novels, plays – including Shakespeare’s works – and many versions of the Bible. Excellent for literary research.
Ancestry Library Edition (in Library only)
Comprehensive genealogical research tool including U.S. Census images; the Social Security Death Index; the New York Passenger Lists and other immigration records; WWI Draft Registration Cards and more military records; directories & membership lists; court, land & probate records; maps. Also, the U.K. & Ireland Collection of genealogy records. – For use in the library only. – Key Differences between Ancestry.com and Ancestry Library Edition
Exclusively devoted to African American family history research, this database is a comprehensive mix of resources, records, and tools specifically pertaining to African Americans.
B
Biography Reference Bank
Biographical information on thousands of notable people from history and today. Includes the reference classic Current Biography. Pictures.
Black Life in America
The experience and impact of African Americans as recorded by the news media
BrainFuse HelpNow
Online tutoring service for all ages and levels
Business Source Premier
Popular business magazines, academic and trade journals, the Harvard Business Review. Company, industry, and country information.
C
Chilton Library
Provides access to repair, maintenance, and service information on the most popular cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs on the road today, as well as many new vehicles.
Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor from Sept. 30, 1988, to present.
Chronicling America – Library of Congress
Communication & Mass Media Complete
This database provides quality research solutions in areas related to communication and mass media.
Computer Source
This database provides researchers with the latest information and current trends in high technology.
Consumer Health Complete | EBSCOhost
Consumer Reports
Find Product reviews and Ratings on cars, appliances, electronics, and more from Consumer Reports. *Consumer Reports is best viewed on Mozilla Firefox, Chrome, and Opera browsers.
CultureGrams
This databases provides understanding and appreciation of the world’s countries and peoples by creating and publishing concise, reliable, and up-to-date cultural content.
E
EBSCOhost
All EBSCOhost magazines, newspapers and reference book databases on one list. Pick and choose databases to search separately or
together. Databases cover general interest, academic, business, education, health, and more topics.
EBSCO Business Source
Full-text business articles, research, and news.
ERIC
The Education Resource Information Center contains more than 1,300,000 records and links to more than 317,000 full-text documents dating back to 1966.
Explora
An easy-to-use resource for students which searches EBSCO research databases for relevant and reliable content.
F
FamilySearch
Rocky River Public Library is an Affiliated Library with FamilySearch, a non-profit genealogy organization. Access 135 million records at RRPL that are restricted outside the library. You will need a free FamilySearch account to search and view records.
Funk & Wagnall’s New World Encyclopedia
This database provides over 25,000 encyclopedic entries covering a variety of subject areas.
Fold3
The premier collection of historical military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served from the Revolutionary War through recent conflicts.
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GreenFile
This database offers well-researched information covering all aspects of human environmental impact.
H
Health Source – Consumer Edition
Health Source: Nursing / Academic Edition
This database provides nearly 550 scholarly full-text journals focusing on many medical disciplines.
HeritageHub
Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1704 – today.
HeritageQuest
For genealogy research, U.S. Census images, family and local histories, Revolutionary War records, Freedman’s Bank Records, and PERSI for genealogical periodical research.
Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center
Offers detailed “how-to” instructions and creative ideas to meet the interests of virtually every hobby enthusiast.
Home Improvement Reference Center
Features full-text content from leading home improvement magazines, images not found anywhere else online, and videos of popular home repair projects.
Humanities International Index
This is a comprehensive database covering journals, books, and other important reference sources in the humanities.
K
Kids InfoBits
Introduces elementary students to database searching with authoritative, age-appropriate, and reliable content that is perfect for today’s young learners.
L
Learning Express Library
Find full-text books and practice tests for academic and career tests and tutorials for students of all ages. Includes ACT, SAT, AP, GRE, ASVAB, TOEFL with audio, real estate, police and firefighter, reading comprehension, spelling, math, and more.
Legal Forms
Real estate, contracts, wills, bankruptcy, divorce, landlord-tenant and other legal forms, many specific to Ohio. Print or download forms and fill them out online.
Lexi-Pals Drug Guide
This is a database of Patient Advisory Leaflets from Lexi-Comp that provides vital education on medications for patients.
LinkedIn Learning for Libraries (formerly Lynda.com)
Access thousands of courses, ranging from computer programming to project management including instruction on various computer software, programming languages, and business topics.
Literary Reference Center | EBSCOhost
Little Pim – Online language learning for ages 0-6
Los Angeles Times
L.A. Times from Dec. 4, 1996 – present.
M
Mango Languages – This database is an interactive language-learning platform, offering more than 70 different languages and 18 different ESL courses.
Mas Ultra – School Edition
This database contains full text for nearly 500 popular high school magazines.
MasterFILE Premier
The place to go for articles from hundreds of magazines on virtually every subject. Includes Consumer Reports, Crain’s Cleveland Business.
MEDLINEPlus
The EBSCOhost version of this comprehensive source for authoritative information on medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, and other health topics.
Middle Search Plus
This database provides full text for more than 140 popular middle school magazines.
Morningstar Investment Research Center
Highly regarded research and analysis of stocks and mutual funds. Portfolio builder tool. The premium edition
N
National Geographic Virtual Library | Gale
National Geographic Magazine Archive from 1888 to 1994
NetWellness
Click on any of over 100 health topics to find in-depth information on hundreds of diseases and wellness issues. You will also find health professionals ready to respond to your specific questions.
Newsbank: now America’s News
Newspaper Source
200-plus U.S. and international newspapers. Some papers include selected content only. Newswires. TV and radio news transcripts.
New York Times
– New York Times (July 1980 to Present) – The New York Times from 1995 to the present plus the Book Review and Magazine from 1997 to the present.
– New York Times All Access (In-Library Only) – Enjoy free complimentary access to the NYTimes.com. NOTE: In order to read the NYT, you’ll need to create a free account or log in using an existing account and on our public Wi-Fi.
– New York Times News, plus Games, Cooking, Wirecutter and The Athletic (24 hour access codes). – Get free access, including apps, at the library or at home, with 24-hour access codes. NOTE: in order to activate your access, you’ll need to create a free account (those with existing accounts will have to create a new account using a different email address to access this offer or cancel their current account)
NoveList Plus
A guide to present-day fiction. Author information, reviews, summaries. Lists of books in series.
Novelist K-8
Information about fiction for children and teens in grades K-8.
O
Ohio Links
- Ohio Battle Flags: Fight for the Colors
- Ohio Death Certificate Index
- Ohio History Central Encyclopedia
- Ohio History Online
- Ohio Memory
- Ohio Military Rosters
- State of Ohio Government Information and Services
Ohio’s Newspapers with the Plain Dealer (NewsBank)
The electronic editions of local, regional, and national U.S. newspapers including the Plain Dealer; Cincinnati, Dayton, and Mansfield papers; Detroit News, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and more.
Ohio Web Library
Search public access to the premium resources provided by the Libraries Connect Ohio partners and the OPLIN-hosted information databases in one search.
Skills First (formerly known as Optimal Resume)
Offers a complete set of career preparation tools to help you navigate the hiring funnel and land a job:
- Create modern, keyword-optimized resumes and cover letters tailored for specific job descriptions.
- Develop an effective and engaging elevator pitch.
- Gain confidence, improve interview skills with the video curriculum, and complete interview practice tools.
- Showcase your accomplishments with an attractive career portfolio.
Oxford Research Encyclopedias
Provides collections of in-depth, up-to-date, and trustworthy research on a range of topics by world-class experts who give you an overview of a subject.
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Plain Dealer Collection: Newsbank
Provides access to the Cleveland Plain Dealer from 1989 to the present, as well as a link to a daily image of the paper from 2018 to the present. You can use this link to go directly to today’s Plain Dealer.
Points of View Reference Center | EBSCOhost
Primary Search
This database provides full text for more than 70 popular magazines for elementary school research.
Professional Development Collection
Designed for professional educators, this database provides a highly specialized collection of nearly 520 high-quality education journals, including more than 350 peer-reviewed titles.
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
This is a comprehensive database covering information concerning topics in emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes.
R
ReferenceUSA
Business and residential directories. Search by county, ZIP Code, Yellow Pages heading and more. Research business prospects. Find addresses and phone numbers for friends and family.
Regional Business News
This database provides comprehensive full-text coverage for regional business publications.
Religion and Philosophy Collection
This database provides extensive coverage of such topics as world religions, major denominations, biblical studies, religious history, epistemology, political philosophy.
S
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
Fire insurance maps of Ohio from 1867 to 1970 for history and genealogy research.
Science Reference Center | EBSCOhost
Skills First (formerly known as Optimal Resume)
Offers a complete set of career preparation tools to help you navigate the hiring funnel and land a job:
- Create modern, keyword-optimized resumes and cover letters tailored for specific job descriptions.
- Develop an effective and engaging elevator pitch.
- Gain confidence, improve interview skills with the video curriculum, and complete interview practice tools.
- Showcase your accomplishments with an attractive career portfolio.
Small Business Reference Center
Offers exclusive full text for top consumer small business reference books, as well as tools to address small business topics
T
Topic Search
This database contains full text for over 60,000 articles from 399 diverse sources including international and regional newspapers, EBSCO’s collection of periodicals, biographies, public opinion polls, book reviews, pamphlets, and government information.
V
Value Line Investment Survey Reports
Very Short Introductions
A digital version of the Very Short Introductions book series offering concise introductions to a diverse range of subject areas.
Vocational and Career Collection
This collection provides full-text coverage for nearly 340 trade and industry-related periodicals.
W
Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal from 1984 to the present. All news and
feature articles.
Washington Post
The Washington Post Newspaper from December 1996 – present.
World Book Online
The easy-to-use encyclopedia for all ages. Selected articles from past encyclopedias, magazine articles, photos, graphs and charts, atlas, dictionary. Fun, imaginary “web site” from historical eras. More features. (Note: Select the World Book Online Reference Center in the “For Public Libraries Section)
World Book Kids
The easy-to-use encyclopedia for kids.