Online Resources

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

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)

Browse complete issues or search full text articles from the Chicago Tribune archives (1849-1989) including obituaries and death notices.

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.

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.

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).

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. 

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.

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

Browse 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. 

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

Learn the latest business, technology, management, writing, creative skills and much more through instructional videos taught by industry experts.

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 )

Provides full text for magazines, reference books and primary source documents and an image collection containing photos, maps and flags.

In-Library access | Remote access  Morningstar Investing Center offers easy access to comprehensive and independent financial analysis and data on stocks and funds. 
(iOS / Android)

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

• 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.

Unlimited access to books, video and case studies from top companies, learning paths, expert playlists, and more in technology and business; . also includes titles related to job-seeking, career development and personal development. To access log into your Library Account. Then, go to My Account and My Record. Click the link that says O’Reilly For Libraries.

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

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.

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.

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.