All Databases

An early learning program for young children with games, songs, art activities, and virtual field trips. Parents and teachers can download coloring pages, math worksheets, and activity sheets. Available only on computers inside the library.

Interactive nonfiction for young readers covering biographies, STEAM topics, and animals. Each collection holds 160 titles, and the animal content is also available in Spanish as ABDO Animales.

Search historical records documenting African American families, including federal census returns, marriage and cohabitation records, and military draft and service files. The collection also holds registers of enslaved and free people of color and Freedman’s Bank records.

Search billions of genealogical records from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, including census returns, vital records, immigration files, and family photographs. Available only on computers inside the library.

A free math and science tutoring service from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for Indiana students in grades 6 through 12. Students can call, email, or chat live with a tutor. No library card is required.

Learn American Sign Language through more than 300 categorized video lessons created by Deaf instructors. A video dictionary covers over 18,000 signs. Built for students, families of Deaf children, and general learners.

A free directory of assisted living facilities across Indiana, searchable by city and county. Listings include care levels and contact information, alongside guidance on choosing a facility.

Search profiles for 30 million U.S. businesses and 240 million residents. The database supports job hunting, sales prospecting, market research, and locating people, and results can be filtered and exported as mailing lists.

Explore American regional cooking through historic cookbooks, immigrant culinary traditions, and how-to preparation videos. The collection covers food history and culture state by state.

Find world, regional, country, and state maps along with environmental, climate, and antique maps. The database includes lesson plans and interactive video guides to geography for educators and students.

Research 110 topics for every state, territory, and the District of Columbia, plus 118 topics covering the country as a whole. Designed for students and educators building an in-depth understanding of the United States.

Covers 121 topics for 175 countries, beginning with a country snapshot and cultural overview. Entries include climate, food and recipes, history, language, maps, and currency, along with lesson plans for educators.

Offers travel guides for 202 world cities, each covering 67 topics. Guides address pre-trip planning, points of interest, neighborhoods, restaurants, nightlife, and health and safety.

Read ebooks, comics, and magazines with no holds, no waitlists, and no checkout limits. The collection emphasizes independent and self-published authors alongside curated anthologies.

A freely available collection of ebooks and digital content that requires no library card or login. Titles cover fiction, history, and reference from open-access publishers.

Free practice tests for the Indiana learner’s permit exam, driver’s license exam, and senior citizen refresher test. Questions are drawn from the current Indiana BMV manual. No library card is required.

Live online tutoring for students from fourth grade through college, available on demand throughout the week. Tutors cover core academic subjects, and the service includes a writing lab and practice tests.

Work with a live coach on your resume, cover letter, or interview preparation. The service also includes local job search tools and free resume templates.

Connects veterans with specialists who explain benefit eligibility and help navigate claims. Live coaching is also available for the transition from military to civilian employment.

Maintenance schedules, specification tables, and step-by-step repair procedures for vehicles from 1990 to the present. Includes vacuum diagrams for troubleshooting and wiring diagrams explaining system operation.

Browse Consumer Reports issue by issue for product ratings, reviews, and reporting on consumer issues. Use this when you want to read a specific issue rather than search by topic.

Search Consumer Reports by product or topic for independent testing results and buying advice. The organization is a nonprofit that accepts no advertising and buys the products it tests.

Stream more than 1,000 art and craft classes taught by working artists, covering sewing, knitting, drawing, painting, and paper crafts. Classes never expire, so projects can be started and paused at your own pace.

An index of obituaries published in Crown Point area newspapers, searchable by surname. Provided courtesy of the Crown Point Public Library.

Build a professional resume, cover letter, or reference sheet in three guided steps. The tool suggests wording for skills and job duties by occupation.

Learn a new language through short daily lessons structured like a game, earning points and advancing through levels. Free apps for phones and tablets keep your progress in sync. No library card is required.

Every issue of Ebony from its 1945 founding forward, reproduced in full color. The archive documents African American life, politics, arts, and business across seven decades.

A gateway to EBSCO’s collection of full-text databases covering academic journals, magazines, ebooks, and newspapers. Searches can run across several databases at once.

Full-page archives of historically significant African American periodicals, including church and community publications. Original photography, layout, and advertising are preserved.

A free genealogy service offering billions of searchable historical records and a collaborative family tree. Digitized records include parish registers, census returns, and vital records from around the world.

Locates free federal government publications and the libraries that hold them. Useful for finding official reports, statistics, and legislative documents.

A digital newsstand for reading popular magazines on a computer, tablet, or phone. Current titles include Ebony, Elle, Eating Well, Hot Rod, MacWorld, and Rachael Ray Every Day.

Search U.S. military records including service files, pension applications, and unit histories. The collection also holds photographs and personal documents contributed by families, which can be combined into an online memorial.

Stream and download music from a catalog of millions of songs across genres. Downloaded tracks are yours to keep, and streaming hours reset each week.

Practical guidance for starting and running a small business, including sample business plans and industry reports. Covers financing, marketing, and legal formation.

Instructor-led online courses in subjects from accounting and web design to writing and healthcare. Courses run six weeks, new sessions begin monthly, and library cardholders in good standing take them at no cost.

Browse full-text reference encyclopedias across history, science, literature, and social issues. Articles can be printed, emailed, or shared, and a built-in citation tool formats references for research papers.

A broad collection of news articles, magazines, academic journals, images, and video supporting general research. Content can be browsed by subject or by current event.

Answers health questions using medical journals, reference works, and consumer health magazines. Topic pages cover conditions, treatments, drugs, and nutrition.

Profiles of more than 4,500 contemporary and historical figures, combining reference entries with periodical articles. Each profile gathers videos, images, audio selections, and primary sources.

Age-appropriate articles, images, and videos for elementary students on animals, geography, science, and social studies. Content is drawn from books, magazines, and news periodicals written for young readers.

Curriculum-aligned content for high school research, including full-text newspapers and periodicals such as The Economist, National Geographic, and Popular Science. Images, video, and audio are available for use in projects and papers.

Topic pages for science coursework and research covering biology, chemistry, earth science, and technology. Content includes journal articles, experiments, and biographies of notable scientists.

Explore 3D models in biology, chemistry, and earth and space science by zooming, rotating, and pulling them apart. Designed to make abstract science concepts easier to grasp.

Thousands of official, state-specific legal forms covering business, personal, and real estate matters. Forms can be completed, saved, and printed, and new forms are added regularly.

A master index to Gale’s literary reference works, pointing to criticism and biographical entries on authors and titles. A good starting point for literature research.

Full-text articles from medical journals and consumer health magazines. Suited to nursing students, caregivers, and patients researching a diagnosis.

A Spanish- and Portuguese-language collection of scholarly journals and popular periodicals. Coverage emphasizes the disciplines most studied in Latin America.

Practice tests and study guides for the ACT, SAT, GED, ASVAB, and graduate and professional exams. Also includes scholarship searches and college application tools.

Reference encyclopedias and handbooks from Grey House and Salem Press covering history, literature, science, and social issues. Titles are searchable in full text.

Look up residents and businesses by address or phone number rather than by name. Useful for market research and neighborhood canvassing. Available only on computers inside the library.

Search U.S. census records back to 1790, along with city directories, selected Revolutionary War records, and Freedman’s Bank records. Results can be printed or emailed directly.

Borrow ebooks, audiobooks, comics, music, movies, and television instantly, with no holds or waiting. Cardholders may check out a set number of titles each month, and items return themselves automatically.

Digitized photographs, documents, and local publications contributed by libraries and museums across Indiana. Includes materials specific to Lake County and the Calumet Region.

A collection of online databases available free to every Indiana resident. Offers language learning, product ratings, standardized test practice, and full-text articles from newspapers and academic journals.

Biographical entries on notable people from history and current events, drawn from reference books and periodicals. Searchable by name, occupation, era, and nationality.

The U.S. Census Bureau site, offering population, housing, and economic statistics down to the neighborhood level. Historical census data supports both genealogy and community research.

Plain-language health information on conditions, treatments, and wellness, drawn from consumer magazines and reference books. Written for patients and caregivers rather than clinicians.

Peer-reviewed journals covering nursing and the allied health professions. Search by keyword, subject, or publication. Intended for students and practicing professionals.

A free, full-text archive of digitized Indiana newspapers from the Indiana State Library. Searchable by keyword, date, and title, with coverage from the 1800s forward.

The Indiana State Library’s digital collections portal, gathering historical photographs, maps, manuscripts, and government documents from institutions statewide. Collections can be browsed by contributing institution or searched across the whole archive.

Practice tests, tutorials, and skill-building exercises for academic and career goals. Covers math, reading, writing, and basic science, plus civil service and licensing exams.

Literary criticism, author biographies, plot summaries, and full-text classic works. Supports book reports, essays, and reading group discussion.

Full-text articles from hundreds of national and international newspapers, plus newswire content and television and radio transcripts. Results can be narrowed by publication, date, and geographic coverage.

Research guides created by East Chicago Public Library staff, organizing recommended resources by subject and topic. A good starting point when you are not sure which database to use.

The complete run of Life magazine, including its photojournalism, reproduced page by page. Original advertisements and layouts are preserved.

More than 9,500 illustrated children’s picture books in over 100 languages, with narration. Supports families raising bilingual children and young learners studying a new language.

Conversational courses in 71 languages, built around practical phrases and cultural context. Specialty courses include Spanish for legal professionals and French wine and cheese.

Every issue of National Geographic from its first through 1994, reproduced page by page. Maps, photography, and original advertising are preserved.

Search thousands of newspapers from the United States and around the world in one place. Coverage includes local, regional, and national titles, with archives going back decades.

Newspapers and periodicals documenting Asian American communities and experiences. Coverage spans both historical and current publications.

Newspaper coverage of African American history, culture, and community life drawn from thousands of U.S. publications. Coverage extends from the early 1700s to the present.

A searchable collection of obituaries and death notices from U.S. newspapers, with coverage from 1704 forward. The American South and Midwest are covered in particular depth.

Newspaper and periodical coverage of Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States. Sources include both Spanish- and English-language publications.

Newspaper coverage of immigration and immigrant communities in the United States across three centuries. Useful for social history and for family research.

Newspaper and periodical coverage of Native American and Indigenous history, culture, and current affairs. Series 1 through 3 are included.

Newspaper and periodical coverage of LGBTQIA history, culture, and civil rights in the United States. Draws on both mainstream and community publications.

Full-text archive of the Post-Tribune, serving Northwest Indiana. Search local news, obituaries, and community coverage by keyword and date.

Full-text archive of The Times of Northwest Indiana. Covers regional news, government, business, and obituaries.

A large archive of digitized historical newspapers from across the United States and beyond. Searchable by keyword, date, and location, with strong coverage of small-town papers.

Search more than 17,000 news, business, and legal sources, including court opinions and company filings. Formerly known as LexisNexis Academic.

Reading recommendations for children and middle grade readers, searchable by reading level, subject, and appeal. Includes series lists and discussion guides.

Find your next book through recommendations based on what you already enjoy. Covers fiction and nonfiction for adults and teens, with read-alike lists and audiobook suggestions.

Create wills, powers of attorney, and other common legal documents through a guided three-step process. Completed documents can be saved and printed.

Career profiles from the Bureau of Labor Statistics covering duties, required education, pay, and projected job growth for hundreds of occupations. A reliable starting point for career planning.

Borrow ebooks and audiobooks for your tablet, phone, or e-reader. Titles return themselves at the end of the loan period, so there are never any late fees. Also available through the Libby app.

Peer-reviewed, regularly updated encyclopedia articles across the sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Each article is written by a subject specialist and includes suggestions for further reading.

Annotated editions of classic literature with scholarly introductions and explanatory notes. Useful for students reading canonical works for coursework.

Balanced overviews of controversial topics, each paired with opposing viewpoint essays. Built for students writing position papers or preparing for debate, with tools to print, email, and cite articles.

Recent obituaries and death notices published in the Post-Tribune. Entries include guest books and funeral service information.

A surname index to obituaries published in the Post-Tribune. Provided courtesy of the Lake County Public Library.

Archived editions of the federal government’s summary volume of national statistics, covering 2010 and earlier. Useful for historical figures on population, the economy, education, and health.

Every issue of Time from 1923 forward in full-page image format. A useful primary source for research on twentieth-century news events.

A surname index to obituaries published in The Times of Northwest Indiana. Provided courtesy of the Hammond Public Library.

Live and recorded conversations with authors, hosted online and free to library patrons. Sessions cover new releases across fiction and nonfiction.

Independent ratings of banks, credit unions, insurers, and investments. Ratings are produced without payment from the companies being rated.

Oxford’s reference series presenting complex subjects in a question-and-answer format. Titles cover politics, science, religion, health, and current affairs.

The full World Book Encyclopedia online, with articles written for a range of reading levels. Includes maps, videos, and research tools for student projects.

Search the catalogs of thousands of libraries worldwide to find which ones hold a book, article, or recording. Useful for locating items available through interlibrary loan.