Research Tools

The library provides dozens of research databases and digital content platforms for free use by library cardholders.

  • Most of these tools can be used from your home. A few only work within the library — these are specially marked.
  • You may be required to enter your library card number and/or create an account.
  • Check out the “Tutorials” button on the right side of your screen — you can find help with many of our research tools.
  • Questions? Contact a librarian. We’re here to help!


 

A to Z The USA
Education, History, Kids, Reference
Prepare reports on U.S. states and research detailed information about the U.S. and individual states. Research culture, people, history, geography and government. Explore 127 feature articles for every state and territory, 103 feature articles about the United States, video dictionaries to help learn geography, thousands of royalty-free images, and study plans for teachers.

A to Z World Culture
Education, History, Kids, Teens, Languages, References
Comprehensive, easy-to-navigate information on 175 countries including culture, language, history, national symbols, geography, and more.

A to Z World Food
Education, How-To
Explore food culture and traditional recipes from around the world. It’s a movable feast in a digital cookbook.

A to Z World Travel
Education, Languages, Reference
Find essential travel information on 202 world cities--culture, attractions, food, transportation, security, and more.

Academic Search Elite
EDUCATION, TEENS
A multidisciplinary database for academic institutions powered by EBSCOhost, providing thousands of full-text, peer-reviewed journals to support scholarly research in key areas of study.

Access Video on Demand
Education, How-To
Access more than 21,000 films - watch a Bob Dylan concert, go on a trip with Rick Steves, learn to bake with Julia Child, enjoy an award-winning indie film, work out with Jeanette Jenkins, and much more. Includes documentaries, award-winning educational films, independent movies, and helpful instructional videos on a wide variety of topics.

Ancestry (Library Edition)
GENEALOGY
More than 200 billion images in 7,000 unique databases, including census records, vital records, immigration records, family histories, military records, and more (in-library use only).

Author Check
Books
Create a list of your favorite authors that are currently available in your library’s catalog, and receive an email notice as soon as the library receives one of their new titles, with a link into the catalog to place your own hold.

Beanstack
Books, Teens, Kids
Use Beanstack to participate in reading challenges like the library’s Summer and Winter Reading Challenges, keep track of the books you read all year, and receive personalized book recommendations for you and your kids by email.

Book Connections
Education, Kids, Books
Over 300,000 resources to thoroughly experience the joy of reading including interviews of authors and illustrators, read-along audiobooks, reader’s advisory, booklists and more.

Chilton Library
How-To
Find step-by-step auto repair instructions, maintenance schedules, recalls, diagrams and more. Search by specific year, make and model.

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Genealogy, History, News
Browse America’s historical newspapers from 1777 to 1963 with this searchable database of descriptive information and select digitization of historic pages. Provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.

Computer Skills Center
Business, Education, Employment, How-To
Video courses are the fastest and easiest way to learn how to use a computer. Use the materials in this center 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.

Consumer Health Complete
EDUCATION
Convenient access to understandable health and medical information powered by EBSCOhost. Browse medical encyclopedias, popular reference books, and magazine articles.

Consumer Reports
Education, Magazines
Consumer Reports offers complete access to rating information from the Consumer Reports Magazine, Buying Guides, and more. Access rating information and product testing made available by the Consumers Union, an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves.

Digital Literacy
Education, Reference, How-To
Navigate today’s virtual landscape with guides to create podcasts, multimedia presentations, social media campaigns and articles that explore cyberbullying, digital research skills and citizen journalism.

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)
Books, Education, Genealogy, Reference
Discover and search the millions of images, texts, videos and sounds pulled from libraries, archives, and museums from all across the Unites States. Explore your favorite topic or find a new favorite! No library card is required.

EBSCO eBooks
EDUCATION, BOOKS
Read fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, with more than 33,000 titles, unlimited downloads, and no waiting.

EBSCOhost Integrated Search
EDUCATION, REFERENCE
Leading research databases and discovery service providing scholarly journals, full-text articles, magazines, e-books, and more.

ERIC
EDUCATION
An authoritative database of indexed and full-text educational literature and resources. Essential for education researchers of all kinds, it features journals included in the Current Index of Journals in Education and Resources in Education Index.

Explora Elementary
EDUCATION, KIDS
Designed for the needs and search abilities of elementary school students, this EBSCOhost research database contains age-appropriate materials, lots of images and videos, and topic overviews to provide students with a starting point for research.

Explora High School
EDUCATION, TEENS
Designed for the needs and search abilities of high school students, this EBSCOhost research database contains age-appropriate materials, lots of images and videos, and topic overviews to provide students with a starting point for research.

Explore Middle School
EDUCATION, TEENS
Designed for the needs and search abilities of middle school students, this EBSCOhost research database contains age-appropriate materials, lots of images and videos, and topic overviews to provide students with a starting point for research.

Financial Literacy
Business, Education, Teens
Interactive personal finance resources designed for grades 7-12. Learn to manage credit and debt, save and invest with confidence, plan for college and retirement and avoid fraud and scams.

Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
EDUCATION, REFERENCE, TEENS
For students and adults alike, provides over 25,000 records consisting of images, brief biographies and information on a variety of subject areas.

Gale Business: Entrepreneurship
Business, Reference
Access thousands of articles, videos, and other resources--all sorted by topic. Learn about subjects of interest to small business owners such as venture capital, marketing, and managing employees.

GCF Learn Free
Education, Employment, How-To
More than 1,000 lessons in technology, math, reading, and more—all free.

Heritage Quest Online
Genealogy
Comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, convenient research guides, interactive census maps, and more.

hoopla
books
Instantly borrow free digital movies, music, eBooks, and audiobooks with your library card.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

Learning Express Library
Education, Employment, Teens
Achieve educational and career goals by taking practice tests with complete answer explanations. Offers tutorial courses and eBooks to help with High School equivalency exam prep, ACT and SAT prep, career-specific tests, and more.

Mango Languages
Languages
Ph.D.-created and linguist-approved software teaches real conversations in over 70 languages and makes it fun. Free mobile apps, plus learning through film available.

Medline Plus
Education, Health
MedlinePlus is an online health information resource provided by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world's largest medical library, and a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). No library card is required.

Missouri Digital Newspaper Project
Genealogy, History, News
Access hundreds of digitized historical newspapers from the state of Missouri and are easily keyword-searchable. Provided by the State Historical Society of Missouri and the Library of Congress.

Missouri Libraries 2 Go
Books, Magazines
Download digital audiobooks or eBooks. Powered by Overdrive.

New Book Alerts
Books
New Book Alerts is a free online service that showcases the newest titles purchased by your library. Receive alerts via email and/or RSS feeds. If you see a new title that you are interested in, just click “check catalog” to place a hold on the item right away.

Newspaper Source
NEWS, HISTORY
Searchable full-text for hundreds of national, international and regional newspapers as well as complete television and radio news transcripts from major networks.

Newspapers.com (Library Edition) Missouri Collection
GENEALOGY, HISTORY, NEWS
Extensive online database of 3,000+ historical newspapers from the early 1800s into the early 1990s. Includes a diverse blend of well-known regional and state newspapers.

Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment
BUSINESS, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, HOW-TO
Practice the skills needed to use a computer and the internet in daily life for employment, health and education. Online, self-guided modules assess proficiency in accessing email, Microsoft products, social media, career searching, distance learning and more.

NoveList K-8 Plus
Teens, Kids, Books
Specifically for younger readers in grades K to 8. Find books that are just right for their reading level and interests complete with recommendations, discussion guides, reviews, and more.

NoveList Plus
Books
The premiere database of reading recommendations, with comprehensive information about books including expert recommendations, read-alike recommendations, reviews, and more.

Professional Development Collection
EMPLOYMENT
Comprehensive research database especially for educators powered by EBSCOhost, with full-text access to education journals.

Reference Solutions (Formerly ReferenceUSA)
Business, Directory, Employment, Reference
Reference Solutions is a powerful online reference and research tool providing library cardholders instant, real-time access to accurate, in-depth information on U.S. businesses (59 million) and U.S. residents (310 million). Reference Solutions makes it faster and easier to find new business opportunities, research executives and companies, find news articles, conduct job searches, research papers, locate addresses and phone numbers, conduct market research and much more.

Resume and Cover Letter Builder
Business, Employment
More than 200 expert-developed resumes covering a range of occupations and preparation levels. Build your own or filter templates.

Science Reference Center
EDUCATION, TEENS
Designed to meet every student’s science research needs, Science Reference Center contains full text for hundreds of science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals, and other sources.

Select Reads
Books
Find your next favorite book! Select your favorites categories like fiction, mystery, romance, and many more, then sign up to receive emails to learn about the newest books in those categories that have been added to your library’s collection.

TeachingBooks
Education, Kids, Books
Over 300,000 resources to thoroughly experience the joy of reading including interviews of authors and illustrators, read-along audiobooks, reader’s advisory, booklists and more.

Teen Health and Wellness
Teens, Reference, Health
This award-winning resource provides middle and high school students with up-to-date, nonjudgmental, self-help support. Topics covered include diseases, drugs, alcohol, nutrition, mental health, suicide, bullying, opioid abuse, gender identity, LGBTQ+ information and many more. Articles are correlated to state, national and provincial standards.

The Reference Shelf
Reference, History
Get full-text online access to many of our print reference titles from Salem Press and Grey House Publishing. These are the same books you find on the reference shelf at our library.

TumbleBook Library
Books, Kids
TumbleBooks are animated, talking picture books that teach kids the joy of reading in a format they’ll love. TumbleBooks are created by taking existing picture books, adding animation, sound, music and narration to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you.

Udemy
Education
Gale Presents: Udemy is an online learning platform to improve work-related skills or further develop a personal interest. Users can search through more than 14,000 on-demand video courses across 75 categories in business, technology, design, and more taught by world-class instructors.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

VetNow
Business, Education, Employment, How-To
Online live assistance and support for local veterans and their families with navigating VA benefits, housing, academic tutoring, resume building, employment transition assistance and more.