Online Resources

For genealogy research, including census, vital, church, court and immigration records. Available in Library only (no remote access).

Do-it-yourself repair and maintenance information on most major manufacturers of domestic and imported vehicles. 

 Provides thousands of unique and reliable full-text biographies, including the complete full text of Biography and Biography Today.

Featuring full text articles from more than 2,200 business journals. Basic tutorial. Advanced tutorial.

Find contact information, criminal arrest records, information on properties, and more for these Illinois counties: Champaign, Cook, DeKalb, Dupage, Kankakee, Kane, Kendall, Lake, Madison, McLean, Mchenry, Peoria, Rock Island, St. Clair, Tazewell, Will and Winnebago.

Full-text newspapers for the Chicago area including:

Beacon News (1997 – Current)

Aurora Examiner (2009 – 2016)

Chicago Daily News (1875 – 1978)

Chicago Sun-Times Collection (1986 – Current)

Daily Southtown Collection

Herald News Collection (1997 – Current)

Naperville Sun Collection (1997 – Current)

Plainfield Sun (until 2010 when publication ceased)

Shorewood Sentinel (2011 – 2020)

Full-text newspapers including current and historical issues from 1929 to present.

Paywall and ad-free access to the Chicago Tribune online, includes news, opinion, sports and suburban news. (Instructions)

In-Library access offers 72-hour authenticated access (requires a free Chicago Tribune account) or 24-hour anonymous access (no account required). 

Remote access requires a PAPL library card and PIN # to connect.

You can also access the digital edition of the Chicago Tribune (in-library and remote) for a full-image daily edition of the Chicago Tribune, current plus previous months.

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Provides ratings and reviews, recommendations and buying advice for thousands of products and services.

Provides unbiased reviews, undercover price research, and advice on local businesses and healthcare professionals.  Available in Library only (no remote access).  See Adult Services desk for access.

Offers 1000+ online art and crafts classes with expert step-by-step instructions plus patterns, templates and recipes from Joann Fabrics.
(iOS / Android)

Practice tests, resources and FAQs to help obtain or renew your driver’s license. Does not require a library card to use.

Features a wide range of magazine and newspaper articles, medical, business, academic and other reference collections, including:

• Academic Search Elite
• Business Source Elite
• Biography Reference Source
• History Reference Source
• Literary Reference Source
• MasterFILE Complete
• Science Reference Center
• …and more

Explora provides research collections on thousands of topics to help you find the information you need quickly and easily. Search hundreds of professional journals, popular magazines, reference books, images, primary sources, and more by keyword or by topic.

Full-text articles from thousands of magazines, journals, and newspapers on a wide variety of subjects, along with images, videos, and primary sources. Lexile reading levels included.

Access to billions of digitized records, including millions of images that are only available to Affiliate Libraries and FamilySearch Family History Centers (Affiliate Library digital images are only available in the Library).

Fiero Code is an e-learning platform designed to teach coding from the ground up. With a curriculum that spans HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, SQL, and block-based coding with Scratch, it’s geared toward turning beginners into proficient coders. Suitable for ages 8 to adult.

Designed for those who are just starting, this series gives you the necessary tools to make sure you are fully equipped to manage your finances. 

Fold3 Library Edition by Ancestry provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served from the Revolutionary War onward. 

Full-text database covering a variety of subjects including information on specific diseases and overall health topics. Also provides access to current health pamphlets and Merriam-Webster’s Medical Desk Dictionary.

A live tutoring service for students of all ages. Tutors are available Monday — Sunday 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM CST.
(iOS / Android)

Explore Joliet area history through local news, events and people with the Herald News Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online.

For genealogy research including U.S. Federal census records, PERSI Archive, local and family history books and more.

Covering topics in U.S. and world history from the earliest civilizations through the 21^st century, this research database contains full-text journals, magazines, reference books and thousands of primary source documents.

Learn the latest about current, important news topics with reliable information curated by Library staff.

Inkie.org (formerly Biblioboard) includes digital curated collections on a variety of topics including literature, art, and history as well as self-published works from authors in Illinois and nationwide.
(iOS / Android)

Features expert resume assistance, live interview preparation and career coaching. Coaches are available Sunday — Saturday, 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM CST except holidays. 

Designed to help students and professionals with resources including interactive tutorials, practice tests, articles, e-books and high-stakes test preparation modeled after official tests. Learning centers include:

• Job & Career Accelerator
• High School Equivalency Center
• Resources for high school and college students
• Adult Core Skills
• Computer And Internet Basics Center
• Recursos Para Hispanohablantes
• …and more

Navigate legal matters of all kinds with reliable “how-to” information and thousands of federal, multi-state and state-specific legal forms.

Full-text literary database covering all genres and time periods. It includes thousands of synopses, critical essays, book reviews, literary journals and author biographies, plus full-text classic novels, short stories and poems. 

Make a free profile for your child and get started learning Chinese, French, German, Spanish and more.

An online database of digital picture books in World Languages; provides over 1350+ book titles in 45+ World Languages, together with English translations, and new digital books and languages released every month.

Online language learning instruction for over 60 languages, many recently expanded, including English Language Learner (ELL) courses.
(iOS / Android )

In-Library access | Unlimited access to News, Cooking, and Wirecutter while onsite at the Library. (Instructions)

• Visit the New York Times website.
• Log into or create a free account.

Remote access | For offsite access to News, Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, and The Athletic:

• Log into your Library Account.
• Go to My Account, then My Record.
• Click the link that says New York Times access code.
• Click Redeem and log into or create a free New York Times account to redeem a 24-hour access code.

Helps kids find books that are just right for their reading level and interests.

Provides reading recommendations and information about books including reviews, articles, lists, series and more.

Searchable every-name database for digital copies of the Plainfield Enterprise from 1957-2012.

Covers hundreds of topics, each with an Overview (objective background/description), Point (argument) and Counterpoint (opposing argument) to help evaluate the controversy and enhance students’ ability to read critically, develop their own perspective on the issues, and write or debate an effective argument on the topic.

Edit, format, and generate print-ready and eBook formats for your book through the Inkie. org site which also includes eBooks from local, self-published authors.

Search, find and preview more than 900 million documents without authentication and retrieve Open Access full-text content curated by ProQuest.

Public records of real estate sales, new business licenses, foreclosures and bankruptcies for Illinois counties, particularly the greater Chicago area and quick background checks through CheckIllinois.

Full text reference books from Salem Press and Greyhouse Publishers on literature, science and more.

Create marketing plans, conduct competitive analysis, search for jobs/internships and locate people using real-time access to more than 44 million businesses, 270 million consumers, and more.

Full text for hundreds of science magazines, journals, reference books and high-quality videos. The database also contains science experiments, curriculum-aligned lesson plans, and a vast image collection.

Submit your book through Self-e so it can be shared with patrons of participating libraries across your region. If your book is selected by Inkie.org’s curation partners, it will also be available alongside other great indie reads in participating libraries across the U.S. and Canada.

Collection of state-specific resources with demographic data and other information to meet the needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Resources for routine maintenance (tune-ups, brake service) as well as extensive repairs (engine and transmission disassembly). Browse by product type, brand, model/engine type and model numbers.

An online learning platform with thousands of continuously updated, on-demand video courses across 75 categories in business, technology, design, and more.

NOTE: you will be prompted to create a Gale account to access Udemy courses.

Financial information and analytical tools for investment research.

Self-guided coding and game design lessons using JavaScript (suitable for all ages).

Offers independent, unbiased financial strength ratings of banks, credit unions and insurance companies and conservative buy-hold-sell investment ratings of thousands of stocks, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

Instructional videos: Weiss Financial Ratings, Medigap tool.

Includes World Book Kids, World Book Student, and World Book Advanced. These resources contain full-text articles as well as fun games and activities to enhance the learning experience.