Online Databases for Students

An online database is a collection of information that can be searched easily and quickly on a computer. The public library provides several databases that contain articles from magazines, reference books, and other sources of information helpful to students. These databases are available 24 hours a day with your OCPL library card.

For elementary school students

Primary Search or, for a fun way to find the same information, Kids Search

• more than 60 magazines
• more than 100 pamphlets
• more than 100,000 photos, maps and flags
• a dictionary
• an encyclopedia
• an enecyclopedia of animals

For middle school and junior high school students

InfoTrac Junior Edition – Using this database from your home computer or at your public library, you can search the same magazines, newspapers and reference books found in your school library. Look for answers to homework questions and find information on hobbies, sports, music and other interests.

• more than 140 magazines
• thousands of newspaper articles
• more than 300 maps
• The Reader's Companion to American History
• Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
• Merriam-Webster's Biographical Dictionary
• The Columbia Encyclopedia
• The World Almanac and Book of Facts

TOPICsearch – This database on current events covers social, political and economic issues, scientific discoveries and other topics. It includes controversial opinions and viewpoints. TOPICsearch is a good place to start if you are looking for a subject for a research paper.

• more than 78,000 articles from 3,000 diverse sources including
• international and regional newspapers
• magazines
• biographies
• public opinion polls
• book reviews
• pamphlets
• government information

World Book Online Reference Center – To access this database, you need a library card from the Central Library or one of the city branch libraries. You will also need a PIN (Personal ID Number).

• more than 25,000 encyclopedia articles
• audio and video clips
• a dictionary
• an atlas
• current events and Behind the Headlines news stories
• Today in History event list
• Surf the Ages imaginary news from Ancient Times and the Middle Ages
• maps
• a Spanish encyclopedia
• and more

CountryReports.org [in-library use only]
Quick facts about countries, statistics, cultural information, current events, teacher guides, related web links and lots more.

Novelist K-8 – A fiction database designed specifically for young readers Kindergarten through 8th grade, their parents and teachers. Find author read-alikes, stories that are set in a particular country and books about different cultures and relationships. To access this database, you need a library card from the Central Library or one of the city branch libraries. You will also need a PIN (Personal ID Number).

• hundreds of theme-oriented book lists for readers at all grade levels
• award-winning and recommended titles and book reviews

EBSCOhost Science Reference Center*

Full-text articles from over 630 reference books, encyclopedias, periodicals, newspapers, biographies and images. It is designed to support the middle and high school science curriculum.

Learning Express Library

Online practice for elementary and middle school skills improvement in math and reading, practice exercise and diagnostics. New users should enter their OCPL library card number as the user name.

Gale Twayne's Authors Series*

Contains the full text of 200 Twayne Literary Masters books on U.S., English, and world authors.

EBSCOhost Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia*

EBSCO Animals*

In-depth information on a variety of topics relating to animals.

Access to Primary Search, Kids Search, InfoTrac Junior Edition, and TOPICsearch is provided by the New York State Library through NOVEL (New York Online Virtual Electronic Library). NOVEL is currently supported with temporary federal Library Services and Technology Act funds.