Research Databases & Resources

A next-generation magazine service that allows people to browse digital versions of the latest issues of popular magazines, courtesy of the library.

SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses start, grow, and succeed nationwide. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and has been mentoring small business owners for more than fifty years.

Freegal® is a free music service from your library. All you need is your library card number and some libraries utilize a PIN. Freegal offers access to about 7 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of legendary artists. In total the collection is comprised of music from over 28,000 labels with music that originates in over 80 countries. There is no software to download, and there are no digital rights management (DRM) restrictions. Access to Freegal is limited to patrons of subscribing libraries.

A Collection of more than 300 online reference books covering a wide range of subjects such as art, business, health, history, science, religion, and more.
*Access anywhere with your valid library card and PIN. 

For elementary and middle school teachers to supplement classroom instruction with curriculum-aligned materials in math, reading, writing and social studies.

U.S. Census Records from 1790 – 1930 and from over 25,000 family and local histories.
*Access anywhere with your valid library card and PIN. 

Guided support and preparation to help you earn a high school equivalency credential.

Resources for high school students to help build classroom and homework skills in math, English language arts, social studies, science and technology.

Find historical photos of West Chicago from the West Chicago City Museum collections.

features full text for more than 1,990 reference books, magazines, encyclopedias and non-fiction books from leading history publishers.
*Access anywhere with your valid library card and PIN. 

his database offers detailed “how-to” instructions and creative ideas to meet the interests of virtually every hobby enthusiast. Full text is provided from leading hobby and craft magazines.
*Access anywhere with your valid library card and PIN. 

Through a collection of comprehensive full-text content, this database provides users with detailed, user-friendly “how-to” information covering a variety of home improvement and repair projects.
*Access anywhere with your valid library card and PIN. 

A suite of resources – available to everyone in Illinois at no charge – that supports local authors with online creation and publishing tools and allows readers to access locally-produced content.

Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps.

Build Academic & Workplace Skills with Easy-to-Use Online Resources. Improve your basic skills with Math, reading, and writing tutorials. Learn about in-demand careers. Prepare for occupational exams as well as the ACT®, SAT®, AP®, GED®, HiSET®, and TASC tests. Tutorials, practice tests, eBooks and more.
*Access anywhere with your valid library card and PIN. 

Legal Information Reference Center is an online database designed to assist the general public in legal matters of all kinds. It includes exclusive full text for many top consumer legal reference books, as well as thousands of legal forms.
*Access anywhere with your valid library card and PIN.