Research and Reference Resources
Online Resources by Name
NEW: access to ProQuest newspaper database was discontinued on July 1, 2009 due to state contract changes. [more info]
All resources are available to all libraries in the South Central Library System service area and remotely to all those libraries' customers unless otherwise indicated.
*Available in library only at all South Central Library System libraries, including Madison.
** Available in all Madison libraries, and remotely to City of Madison residents only.
***Available in some or all Madison libraries. Must ask staff for login information due to licensing restrictions.
****Available to some, but not all, South Central Library System libraries, including Madison.
Ancestry Library -- IN LIBRARY ONLY -- connect now
Search AncestryPlus for access to genealogy information in more than 4,000 databases, including census data, passenger lists, the Social Security Death Index, and much more. THIS DATABASE IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARIES.
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Auto Repair Reference Center -- connect now
Part of the new, expanded version of EBSCOhost, the Auto Repair Reference Center has information on over 33,000 vehicles from 1945-present.
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Business Source Premier -- connect now
If you’re a business owner/entrepreneur researching business trends, an investor researching a company, or a student doing a paper on business or economics, Business Source Premier is the perfect place for you to begin your search. This modern electronic resource has a wide variety of full-text popular business magazines, scholarly journals and trade publications.
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Career Library -- connect now
Career Library is a rich, online resource designed to help you find the right path—whether it’s toward a career or college. It includes information about particular occupations, résumé tools, colleges, and practice quizzes for tests such as the ACT and SAT.
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Consumer Reports Online -- IN LIBRARY ONLY -- connect now
Find printable, full-text current issue articles of Consumer Reports, as well as additional online-only updates and features. THIS DATABASE IS ONLY AVAILABLE INSIDE THE LIBRARY AT MADISON LIBRARIES. Ask staff for login information.
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DemographicsNow -- connect now
DemographicsNow is a multi-level database offering a variety of simple, easy-to-use demographic data reports. Users customize results by geography, choosing the area best suited to their needs. Established businesses, prospective entrepreneurs, business students, and anyone who needs to identify cultural patterns or sociological trends will benefit from this flexible marketing tool.
When using a Mac, unless you have most recent version of Mac operating system, you may encounter a problem accessing DemographicsNow. If this happens, please call DemographicsNow technical support at 1-800-877-4253 (then press option 4); this service is available 24/7.
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EBSCOHost -- connect now
The new, expanded version of EBSCOhost offers
full-text access to many local and national newspaper articles through Newspaper Source Plus.There are over 30 databases included in EBSCOhost, some need to be searched separately and some can be searched in conjunction with others. Provided through a statewide contract as part of BadgerLink.
Encyclopedia Britannica -- connect now
Encyclopedia Britannica is new as of June 2009 and provided through a statewide contract as part of BadgerLink.
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Enciclopedia Juvenil -- connect now
Enciclopedia Juvenil is a Spanish-Language children's version of Encyclopedia Britannica, new as of June 2009 and provided through a statewide contract as part of BadgerLink.
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Gale Virtual Reference Library -- connect now
Eleven titles of popular multi-volume reference sets: Business Plans Handbook; Encyclopedia of Education; Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia; Dictionary of American History; Encyclopedia of Food and Culture; Gale Encyclopedia of Everyday Law; Reference Guide to World Literature; Encyclopedia of Science and Religion; Space Sciences; Encyclopedia of Aging; Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice. See a more descriptive list of titles.
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GreenFILE -- connect now
Use GreenFILE for timely, in-depth information about environmental issues facing our planet. Topics range from global warming to recycling, alternate fuel sources, and beyond.
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HeritageQuest -- connect now
HeritageQuest provides access to genealogy records and books, including census data, local histories, tax rolls, cemetery lists, military rosters, and more.
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LearningExpress Library -- connect now
LearningExpress Library provides an interactive online learning platform of practice tests and tutorial course series designed to help students and adult learners succeed on the academic or licensing tests they must pass. Create your own individual username and password to take tests and track your progress. You'll get immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and an individualized analysis of your results.
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Literary Reference Center -- connect now
Literary Reference Center is a full-text database that combines information from a variety of sources in one unique location. More than 10,000 plot summaries, 75,000 articles, 130,000 author biographies, 500,000 book reviews, over 7500 novels, more than 300 literary journals, 11,000 short stories, 25,000 poems, and 3000-plus full-text author interviews, plus 1000 images of literary figures can be found here.
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Literature Resource Center -- connect now
Search the Literature Resource Center to find information about authors and their works. The Literature Resource Center covers more than 90,000 novelists, poets, essayists, journalists and other writers.
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LitFinder -- connect now
Includes thousands of full-text poems, short stories, essays, speeches and plays. Also includes biographies, work summaries, photos, and a glossary. Access provided through a statewide contract as part of BadgerLink.
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Magill's Medical Guide -- connect now
Magill’s Medical Guide is a perfect mix of accessibility and depth, providing general readers with an authoritative reference source that helps bridge the gap between medical encyclopedias for professionals and popular self-help guides. It is an up-to-date and easy-to-use compendium of medical information suitable for student research as well as use by general readers, including patients and caregivers.
Mitchell OnDemand -- IN LIBRARY ONLY -- connect now
Find repair information and wiring diagrams or estimate repair costs for automobiles and trucks. THIS DATABASE IS ONLY AVAILABLE AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY. Ask staff for login information.
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Morningstar Investment Research Center-- IN LIBRARY AND CITY OF MADISON RESIDENT USE ONLY -- connect now
Stock and mutual fund information from Morningstar.com. Find current and historical quotes for over 90,000 investments, and in-depth analysis for nearly 7,000 mutual funds and stocks. Plus, company and industry information and financial education tutorials.
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NetLibrary -- connect now
The NetLibrary collection includes the searchable full text of over 6,000 online books and it will continue to grow. This collection was purchased from NetLibrary by a consortium of more than 165 Wisconsin Public Libraries.
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NewsBank -- IN LIBRARY AND CITY OF MADISON RESIDENT USE ONLY -- connect now
Newspaper access to Wisconsin State Journal (1989- present), Capital Times (1989- present), and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1990-present). Access to these papers was formerly provided through ProQuest as part of a statewide contract through BadgerLink (June 2009).
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Newspaper Archive --connect now
Newspaper Archive is a unique database of historical newspapers offered through EbscoHost. It includes close to 30 million scanned pages from newspapers spanning over 200 years. The content of the newspapers is not indexed by subject, and advanced searching of this very large database is not available. You may only search NewspaperARCHIVE in two ways: search the full-text by keyword or browse the collection by date and newspaper location & title. This is an invaluable primary resource for historical research and a unique tool for genealogists.
Access is provided through a statewide contract as part of BadgerLink.
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Newspaper Source Plus--connect now
Use Newspaper Source Plus to find full text for many U.S. and international newspapers, as well as full text television and radio news transcripts from CBS News, FOX News, NPR, ABC News, and PBS, to name just a few.
[search tips]
NoveList Plus -- connect now
Novelist Plus has everything the original Novelist does, with the addition of thousands of nonfiction titles. As with NoveList, find Author Read-alikes, Book Lists, Book Discussion Guides and more. Access to NoveList Plus is provided through a statewide contract as part of BadgerLink.
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NoveList K-8 -- connect now
NoveList K-8 meets all the fictional reading needs of kids (0-18) and includes picture books, chapter books, and young adult titles. Access to NoveList K-8 is provided through a statewide contract as part of BadgerLink.
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Overdrive -- connect now
A collection of Digital Audio Books that can be downloaded to a computer, burned to CDs, or loaded onto many portable devices.
[more info]
ReferenceUSA Business -- AVAILABLE TO MADISON AND SOME OTHER LIBRARIES -- connect now
ReferenceUSA Business provides directory information for about 13 million U.S. businesses of all sizes. Search by phone number, address, CEO, estimated sales and much more.
This service is intended for in-library use and for home-use only.
NOTE: As of January 1, 2009, this database is only available in the library at the following libraries and remotely to these library's cardholders: Adams County Library, Baraboo, Belleville, Black Earth, Brodhead, Cambria, Cambridge, Columbus, Cross Plains, Dane County Library Service, Deerfield, Lodi, Madison, Marshfield, Middleton, Monroe, Monona, Monticello, Mount Horeb, New Glarus, Oregon, Portage, Portage County Public Library, Poynette, Prairie du Sac, Verona, Waunakee, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Rapids.
The database will also be available remotely to cardholders of these libraries.
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Serials Solutions -- connect now
Browse or search to see if we have the magazine or newspaper you seek in electronic format.
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TeachingBooks.net -- connect now
A multimedia website to generate enthusiasm for books and reading by providing original, up-close profiles of authors and illustrators, audio excerpts of book readings, guides to thousands of titles and a wealth of resources on children's and young adult literature all in one place.
Access to TeachingBooks.net is provided through a statewide contract as part of BadgerLink.
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Value Line -- IN LIBRARY AND CITY OF MADISON RESIDENT USE ONLY -- connect now
Value Line Investment Survey stock reports and rankings, as well as news, commentary, and investment planning tools.
What Do I Read Next? -- connect now
Looking for something new to read? Using What Do I Read Next, you can find it. Search more than 100,000 recommended titles and 58,000 plot summaries by genre, subject, author, title, and more!
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WorldCat -- connect now
Worldcat is a database of millions of records describing books and other library materials from around the world. Use it to find items you are unable to find in LINKcat . You may request these items through Outerlibrary Loan (OLL). Please read the OLL FAQ first. WorldCat is a registered trademark of OCLC, Inc. Logo used with permission.
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