Reference Department

Reference Questions
Digital Newspaper Collection
Databases provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetss (available from home)
Databases provided by the Eldredge Public Library (available from home)
Databases only available from within the Eldredge Public Library
Ready Reference Links

Reference Questions

Reference Librarian Amy Andreasson can help you find answers to your questions through our growing on-site reference collection or on-line resources. We also have access to back-up sources like the Falmouth Public Library and the Boston Public Library, with its many specialty collections, including the famous Kirstein Business Library. The reference department is available to help you with any questions, be it for school, business, research, or just plain old curiosity.

If you have a reference question, please include your name and contact information, either email, phone, or mailing address. Please provide any information you already know about the subject or question. The more information you can provide the better. Please also include any resources you have already checked so we do not duplicate our efforts. Send your reference questions to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or use our Ask a Question form.

Digital Newspaper Collection

The Eldredge Public Library is proud to announce that our Digital Newspaper Collection is now available online both from home and from within the library. The collection starts with the Chatham Monitor in 1871 and currently ends with the Cape Cod Chronicle in 2009. For more detailed information regarding the newspaper dates and issues, please connect to the database.

CONNECT TO THE DIGITAL NEWSPAPER COLLECTION

There are additional instructions and helpful information, such as how to print, AVAILABLE HERE. Please email the .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 508-945-5170 if you have any questions or problems.

Databases provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (available from home)

Eldredge Public Library provides access to high quality databases that can provide you with reliable information on a variety of topics. This information is often not available on the "free" Internet. The following databases are provided by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the Massachusetts Library System, and the Eldredge Public Library.

Full Suite of Gale Databases

Massachusetts History Online

Contains full-text articles gathered from almost 50 sources that directly relate to MA history

The New York Times

Search the full text of The New York Times (starting in 1985).

Springfield Republican

Full-text articles (1/1988 to present).

Cape Cod Times Newspaper

Full-text articles (11/1998 to present).

Massachusetts Newspaper Stand Provided by Proquest

ProQuest includes newspaper articles from the Boston Globe (1980-), Boston Herald (1991-), Worcester Telegram and Gazette (1989-) and Patriot Ledger (1995-). (Access to 15 Massachusetts newspapers in all)

Databases provided by the Eldredge Public Library (available from home)

These databases are available from home to Eldredge Public Library card holders only. Anyone can access the databases from within the Eldredge Public Library.

HeritageQuest Online

HeritageQuest Online is designed specifically for patrons in public libraries who are either just beginning their family research or who after years of work are still uncovering their past. With over 25,000 books, the entire U.S. Federal Census, and other expanding collections, HeritageQuest Online gives any library the chance to tap in to one of the largest collections of genealogy material in the country.

NoveList

NoveList is a fiction database that provides subject heading access, reviews, annotations, and much more for over 120,000 fiction titles. It also includes other content of interest to fiction readers, such as Author Read-alikes, Book Discussion Guides, BookTalks, and Feature Articles. For school media specialists and teachers there are Standards-Based Thematic Units and Picture Book Extenders, as well as specific teaching guides for using fiction in the classroom.

Mango Languages

Mango Languages online language-learning system is a fun, fast and easy way to learn to speak a foreign language. The system offers actual conversation skills for a variety of languages. As a member of the Eldredge Public Library, you have access to: French, German, Italian, Spanish, English for Spanish (Latin America) Speakers, and English for Portuguese (Brazil) speakers.

AtoZ World Travel

AtoZ World Travel by World Trade Press offers 150 world city travel guides. It's an online guidebook that you can access from home or even while you are on vacation, for a quick reference. It provides constantly updated information on city activities and attractions; native food and restaurants; health and medical information, including immunization requirements; contact information and locations of embassies and consulates; transportation; city maps; banking and money information; electrical outlet requirements; weather reports; communication information, including phone dialing and mobile phone details; travel essentials which include passport/visa details; and basic language help. A great resource for the world traveler.

Freegal Music

Freegal Music by Library Ideas allows library users to download songs in MP3 format from Sony Music's catalog of artists. You will need your Eldredge Public Library card to access. There is a limit of 3 downloads a person per week. This service will allow the library to increase the size and diversity of our collection by offering access to hundreds of thousands to titles.

Databases only available from within the Eldredge Public Library

This databases is provided by the Eldredge Public Library but there is no remote access from home. Any patron can access the database from within the Library.

Ancestry.com

A Genealogy database. Search for ancestors, census records, obit collection, US Immigration collection and birth, marriage and death records.

College Search

http://www.collegeboard.com
The College Board features online registration for SAT and help with essay preparation. Gives profile information for colleges.

http://www.collegenet.com
Apply to colleges online, or find information about schools and financial aid.

http://www.fastweb.com
A database of scholarships and grants.

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
Online version of the federal financial aid form.

http://app.commonapp.org
Common application for undergraduate college admissions.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php
An annual ranking of colleges according to U.S. News & World Report, and a database that can be searched for specific criteria.

http://www.collageanswer.com
Help with financial planning.

http://www.finaid.org
College directory, etc.

http://www.petersons.com
College directory and more

http://www.princetonreview.com
The Princeton Review

http://studentaid.ed.gov
Department of Education, FAFSA information.

http://www.students.gov
Planning and paying for …

http://www.bls.gov/oco
Occupational Outlook Handbook and training needed for various jobs.

http://www.studentaffairs.com
Links to many college related things

http://www.allaboutcollege.com
Directory to information and more

http://www.collegenews.com
College newspapers

http://www.massmentor.edu
Plan high school courses to meet admissions requirements, virtual campus tours, admissions and financial aid info, apply online for admissions. This is the online connection for students to the Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts.

http://www.masscolleges.org
View profiles and find information about the Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts.

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Consumer Information

Vehicles

http://www.kbb.com
Kelley Blue Book – Get values for new and used vehicles.

http://www.nadaguides.com
The NADA guides online give new and used values for cars, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles and more.

http://www.edmunds.com
Edmunds offers values for new and used cars, vehicle comparisons, car reviews and more.

http://www.vehix.com
Vehix has online car comparisons, check for recall information, reviews, vehicle history and more.

http://www.cars.com
Trying to find a new or used car to buy on Cape Cod? Try this website before hitting the pavement.

http://www.autotropolis.com
Autotropolis helps consumers research automobiles, find dealerships and more.

http://www.iihs.org
Insurance institute for Highway Safety is especially useful for its motor vehicle ratings.

Products

http://www.pricegrabber.com
Price comparisons and reviews.
http://abtolls.com
Compare long distance phone rates.

http://www.wirefly.com
Compare cell phone rates, plans and companies.

http://www.mysimon.com
Compare prices and products for online products.

http://www.dealtime.com
Offers comparison shopping services.

http://shopper.cnet.com
CNET offers pricing and availability of computer products.

http://www.dpreview.com
Digital camera reviews and comparisons.

http://www.dcresource.com
Digital camera reviews and comparisons.

http://www.projectorcentral.com
Review and informational site for anyone interested in digital projectors.

http://www.ebay.com
Online auction for new and used items nationwide.

http://www.craigslist.com
Find new and used items for sale locally.

http://www.swapthing.com
Opportunities to swap your items for items that you want.

Internet Fraud

Do you need to check on an Internet Business?
Better Business Bureau
http://www.bbb.org

Find out if an email, rumor, gossip, etc is true.
Snopes.com
http://www.snopes.com

Do you need to report Internet Fraud?
Internet Fraud Complaint Center
http://www.ic3.gov

File a consumer complaint
State Attorney General Office
http://www.ago.state.ma.us

Federal Trade Commission
http://www.ftc.gov

Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs
http://www.mass.gov/consumer (or call toll free 888-283-3757)

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Government

Massachusetts

http://www.mass.gov
Official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

http://www.dor.state.ma.us/forms/formlist.htm
Massachusetts tax forms.

http://www.massrmv.com
Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles

http://lawlib.state.ma.us
Massachusetts Trial Court Law Library – Links to Mass laws, regulations and cases.

United States

http://govspot.com/
Don't miss this site! Contains just about everything government related.

http://www.usa.gov
United States Government official web portal with links to government services, information and resources.

http://www.house.gov/
U.S. House of Representatives web site. You can search for members by state.

http://www.senate.gov
U.S. Senate web site. You can search for members by state.

http://www.usdoj.gov/
U.S. Department of Justice web site.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Official White House web site.

http://politicalgraveyard.com
The Internet's most comprehensive source for American political biography, living and dead.

http://www.irs.gov/
Federal tax forms and publications.

http://thomas.loc.gov/
Acting under the directive of the leadership of the 104th Congress to make Federal legislative information freely available to the Internet public, a Library of Congress team brought the THOMAS World Wide Web system online in January 1995. The three major areas covered by Thomas are legislative, congressional record and committee information.

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index.html
United States Code – (tax code is title 26).

http://www.cdi.org
Center for Defense Information (CDI) is an independent monitor of the military.
CDI operates as one of the foremost research organizations in the country analyzing military spending, policies, and weapons systems. Retired military officers and experienced civilians work together to analyze military and security issues and inform the public with unbiased facts and valid alternatives.

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
Federal Register. Database for the 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 Federal Register (Volumes 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69) The Federal Register is the official daily publication for Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as Executive Orders and other Presidential Documents.

http://govbenefits.gov
Govbenefits.gov is a web site managed by the U.S. Department of Labor and is designed to help citizens find out what government benefits they may be eligible to receive.

http://www.factcheck.org
Annenberg Political Factcheck monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major US political players in the form of ads, speeches, debates, interviews and news releases.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu
The American Presidency Project dedicated to the study of the Presidency.

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Investment and Business

Investment

www.bigcharts.com
Includes historical stock quotes.

http://www.annualreportservice.com
Free annual reports, either online or hard copy. Provided by Public Register's Annual Report Service.

http://www.fool.com
Motley Fool webpage.

http://www.fantasystockmarket.com
Fun, free and educational investment game.

http://www.dailystocks.com
Stock research site with links to stock quotes, profiles, charts, news, market commentary and more.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/recession.htm
What is a recession?

http://investopedia.com
Investing dictionary as well as articles and tutorials on many aspects of the market.

http://investorguide.com
Stock and fund research, market overviews and news, commentary and investing tools.

http://www.bankrate.com

http://finance.yahoo.com

http://www.investinginbonds.com
Great source for data, news and commentary about bonds.

http://www.businessweek.com/mutual_fund
Backed by Morningstar, this site by Business Week is updated each month to show how funds are performing.

http://www.mfea.com
Published by the Mutual Fund Education Alliance, this site provides information and investment tools.

http://www.valueline.com
Independently created research information for investors. We also have this in paper format.

http://www.smartmoney.com
Financial gateway for the individual investor.

http://www.prars.com
Provides free company financials, annual reports, and more on over 3,500 public companies.

http://money.cnn.com
Business news, personal finance calculators and other tools and global financial market information.

http://www.sec.gov/investor/shtml
Created by the Securities and Exchange Commission Office of Investor Education and Assistance, links to SEC tips and publication for people to invest wisely and avoid costly mistakes and fraud.

Business

http://www.sba.gov
US Small Business Association- useful resource for small business owners.

http://www.managementhelp.org
Approximately 650 topics which include the most important practices to start, develop, operate, evaluate and resolve problems for profit and nonprofit organizations.

http://www.work.com
Provided by Business.com, this site targets small business owners by offering over 3,000 'How to" guides on business and management topics.

http://www.business.gov
This site helps small businesses understand their legal requirements and locate services from federal, state and local government agencies.

http://www.thomasnet.com
Thomas Register of Manufacturers online. Search for manufacturers, trace brand names. Good for business to business needs.

http://www2.guidestar.org
Database with information about and for non-profit organizations.

http://www.bbb.org/charity
Better Business Bureau provides information, reports, reviews, complaints, etc on charity organizations.

http://www.zillow.com
Your source for real estate values and sales.

http://www.hoovers.com
Hoovers is a business directory which includes basic company profiles. This database is not very big and mostly contains information about larger corporations.)

http://www.anywho.com
Yellow and white page directory, including a criss-cross directory.

http://www.superpages.com
Verizon super pages telephone directory.

http://www.thewarrengroup.com
Banker and Tradesmen (includes town statistics, find median housing costs. We also have this in print form)

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Job Search

http://www.capecodemployer.com
Cape Cod and the Island job opportunities.

http://www.capecodworks.com
Cape Cod job opportunities.

http://www.cctechcouncil.org/jobs
Cape Cod Technology Council. Career opportunities in Technology from Plymouth to Provincetown.

http://www.newenglandemployer.com
New England Employer. Job opportunities in New England.

http://www.boston.com/jobs/cape
Cape Cod job opportunities.

http://www.detma.org
Massachusetts Department of Labor and Workforce Development, witha link to the Hyannis office www.capejobs.com.

http://www.monster.com
Search for jobs and post your resumes. Monster connects companies with qualified career minded individuals. Monster.com will combine with Yahoo hotjobs in early 2011.

http://www.careeronestop.org
Career One Stop has nationwide career and workforce information. This site is sponsored by the US Department of Labor.

http://www.employmentguide.com
Search for jobs by city, country, or employer.

http://www.truecareers.com
TrueCareers, formerly Careercity, was launched by the publishers of the Knock ‘Em Dead books and Job Bank books. This site is specifically designed for those technical and professional people seeking positions in their chosen field. You can post resumes and look at job listings.

http://www.careerbuilder.com
A giant web site that searches more than 50 other web sites for jobs.

http://www.juju.com
Like Career Builder, this sites allows you to search different job banks for jobs nationwide.

http://www.careersuccessassociates.com
Along with job skill coaching and training, this site offers links to professional networking organizations.

http://www.flipdog.com
Job search engine, powered by Monster, with access to a large job database and helpful career resume tools.

http://www.indeed.com
Search engine for job sites, newspapers, associations and company career pages.

http://www.transitionsabroad.com
The guide to learning, living and working overseas.

http://www.salaryexpert.com
Search salary information by job and location. Evaluates wage in context of local cost of living factor.

http://www.bls.gov/oco
Occupational Outlook Handbook. Employment statistics and projections by industry and profession.

http://www.rileyguide.com
The RileyGuide will help guide you through many online sites and services that are useful for your online job search. Information is available in 6 languages. They do not post jobs or resumes, they don't review resumes and they cannot forward resumes.

http://www.eresumes.com
Transform your resume into electronic format and build a web portfolio.

http://www.greencareersguide.com
A go-to resource for job seekers who want to enter the green market.

http://www.salarylist.com
A free real job salary data information site.

http://www.greencareersguide.com
A go-to resource for job seekers who want to enter the green market.

http://www.salarylist.com
A free, real job, salary data information site.

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Law

Massachusetts Law

http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/
Massachusetts Trial Court Libraries. The law library consists of seventeen public law libraries located across Massachusetts. This web site has two primary goals: to assist the public in taking advantage of the services of the Law Libraries and to guide users to other resources on the web that may be valuable in conducting legal research. This site includes Code of Regulations, court rules, Mass General Laws, Mass cases, Federal laws and laws from other states.

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl
Massachusetts State website contains Mass General Laws.

http://www.massbbo.org
Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers. Find information on Massachusetts lawyers, including disciplinary action.

http://www.mass.gov/obcbbo
Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, Office of the Bar Counsel. Information on how to file a complaint against a lawyer in Massachusetts.

Barnstable County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service
508-362-2121

United States Law

http://www.findlaw.com/
FindLaw includes cases and opinions from U.S. Supreme, Federal and District courts. (also see: http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com)

http://www.loc.gov/law/public/law-guide.html
Library of Congress web site.

http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/index.html
Supreme Court Opinions is made available through Cornell University.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode
Cornell University has a very easy to use website for the US Code.

http://www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/uscmain.html
Official government site for the US Code.

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html
Official government website for the Code of Federal Regulations.

http://pacer.mad.uscourts.gov/opinion.html
United States Court of Massachusetts decisions since Nov. 2001.

General Law Information

http://www.laworld.com/
Laworld is a network of commercial law firms from around the world.

http://www.neighborhoodlaw.org
Legal information for common legal disputes, arranged by topic. Also offers legal information in Russian and Spanish.

http://www.abanet.org/aging
American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging. Their mission is to strengthen and secure the legal rights of elders.

Lawyer Locators

http://lawyers.martindale.com
Click on lawyer locator on left side of screen.

http://www.lawyers.com
Legal information from LexisNexis.

http://lawyers.findlaw.com
Lawyer Directory web site.

http://www.massbbo.org
Look at Commonly Asked Questions on the left side of screen.

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Travel

Books

Hotel and Travel Index (Ref 917.4 Hot) and Woodall's 2000 North American Campground Directory (Ref 917.3 Woo)

World Chamber of Commerce Directory Ref 659 Wor
Includes US states, US cities, Canada, foreign chambers and tourist information bureaus, and more

Travel Guide Books Nonfic 910.2

** Discover New England again with guide books, historic places, romantic inns, beautiful scenery, and places for children. Browse through Nonfiction 917.4 located upstairs.

Websites

http://www.mapquest.com
Mapquest not only gives written directions and a map to your destination, you can request locations of restaurants, hotels, news and entertainment.

http://travel.state.gov
Bureau of Consular Affairs offers information for those planning to travel outside the U.S.

http://www.fodors.com
Travel guides and more.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com
Travel guides and more.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com
Looking for interesting vacation ideas?

http://www.tripspot.com
Tripspot brings together some of the best travel sites on the web. They have travel guides, destination ideas, how to get where you want to go, FAQ's, where to stay, what to do once you get there, and city guides.

http://www.expedia.com
Discount flight, hotel, car rental and vacation packages.

http://www.cheaptickets.com
Discount flight, hotel, car rental and vacation packages.

http://www.travelocity.com
Discount flight, hotel, car rental and vacation packages.

http://www.travel.com
International travel and vacation packages.

http://www.hotwire.com
Discount flight, hotel, car rental and vacation packages.

http://www.airgorilla.com
Discount flight, hotel, car rental and vacation packages.

http://bootsnall.com
Resource for the Independent Traveler, including hostels, eurail passes, etc.

http://www.restaurantrow.com
Find restaurants anywhere. World's largest dining guide.

http://www.travelzoo.com

Travel deals

http://www.travelsecrets.com
Check out the travel secrets, tips and advice page

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps
World Maps

http://www.cheapcaribbean.com
Travel deals to the Caribbean.

http://www.hotelhotline.com
Helpful resource for researching cheap hotels on the Internet.

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Citing Internet Sources

http://www.ifla.org/I/training/citation/citing.htm
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) offers many citation guides for Electronic Documents, including web pages.

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Style.html
Style Sheets for Citing Internet & Electronic Resources:
Humanities (MLA & Chicago), Scientific (APA & CBE), and History (Turabian) from UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops.

http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/mla/index.shtml
A Guide for Writing Research Papers based on Modern Language Association (MLA) Documentation prepared by the Humanities Department
and the Arthur C. Banks, Jr., Library Capital Community College, Hartford, Connecticut

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html
Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources - a book by Andrew Harnack and Eugene Kleppinger. Several chapters of their book are available online, including the chapter on citation. Covers MLA, APA, and Chicago style for web pages, e-mail, listserve, web discussion, and more.

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Health

MGH Treadwell Library
http://www.massgeneral.org/library
Treadwell Library at Massachusetts General Hospital is the largest hospital library in Massachusetts and also one of the largest in the United States.

Medicine Net
http://www.medicinenet.com
Since 1996, a network of U.S. board-certified physician writers and scientists have provided relevant, easy-to-read, in-depth medical information for consumers via their robust, user-friendly, interactive web site.

American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org

Medicare
http://www.medicare.gov

National Library of Medicine
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hinfo.html
This web site has access to Medline, MedlinePlus, PubMed, clinical trials and more.

Healthfinder
http://www.healthfinder.gov
Healthfinder is a free gateway to reliable consumer health and human services information developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthfinder can lead you to selected online publications, clearinghouses, databases, web sites, and support and self-help groups, as well as the government agencies and not-for-profit organizations that produce reliable information for the public.

HerbMed
http://www.herbmed.org
Herbmed is an interactive, electronic herbal database, which provides hyperlinked access to the scientific data underlying the use of herbs for health.

Mayo Clinic Oasis
http://www.mayoclinic.com
The Mayo Clinic Health Oasis is a source of reliable health information from the Mayo Clinic.

Web MD
http://www.webmd.com

The Free Dental Care Finder
http://www.1dental.com/free-dental/
Find free dental care in your area.

Looking for Doctor Information?

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
http://www.surgery.org
Find a plastic surgeon in your area, or check on your doctor's certification.

American Board of Medical Specialties
http://www.abms.org
Check on the certification of a medical specialist.

American Medical Association
http://www.ama-assn.org
The official site of the American Medical Association. This site has a “doctor finder” which lists doctors who are members of the Association, their specialty, where they studied, etc.

AIM Doc Finder
http://www.docboard.org
This site is from the Association of State Medical Board Executive Directors to find licensed doctors in participating states (Massachusetts is included)

Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure
http://www.state.ma.us/reg/home.htm
At this site you can check on the license of Massachusetts professionals, including dentists.

Quackwatch
http://www.quackwatch.org
A non-profit company whose purpose is to combat health related frauds, myths, fads and fallacies.

Nursing Homes

Nursing Home Evaluations
http://www.state.ma.us/dph/qtool/qthome.htm
A division of the Department of Public Health has made these nursing home survey's available to the public to evaluate the quality of care provided by the State's medicare and medicaid certified nursing homes. Local nursing homes are included.

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