Research & Learn | District of Columbia Public Library

Service Alert

The Petworth Library is closed for HVAC repairs. It will reopen on Thursday, July 10. The Northeast Library is closed today, Wednesday, July 9, due to high temperatures in the building. The Takoma Park library is closed today, Wednesday, July 9, due to a facilities issue.

Find trustworthy information, explore history, or learn a new skill. We have dozens of online resources to help.

Popular Guides & Resources

Tutorials for Online Resources

Learn how to use our popular online resources through video tutorials.

The People's Archive

Learn how to use unique resources that illustrate D.C.'s local history and culture.

Support for Educators

Learn about services for educators, educator cards with special borrowing privileges, class visits, and online resources.

OverDrive & Libby

Borrow eBooks, Audiobooks, and digital magazines to read on your phone, tablet, Kindle or computer.

QuickSearch

Discover what our collection has to offer and search across many of our databases for journals and articles.

PressReader

Stay connected with the world with unlimited access to more than 7,000 publications from over 120 countries, in 60 different languages.

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A

ABCmouse

ABCmouse helps children 2 and older learn to read through phonics, and teaches lessons in math, social studies, art, music and more.

Library card required

Academic OneFile Select

Research academic topics ranging from art and literature to economics and the sciences with Gale Academic OneFile Select.

Library card required

Accedia Noticias

Encuentre artículos actuales y archivados de periódicos, revistas, y agencias de noticias de todo el mundo en español. Proporcionado por Newsbank.

Library card required

Access Video

Stream documentaries, award-winning educational films, and instructional videos.

Access World News

Full-text access to newspapers from around the world. Provided by Newsbank.

Library card required

African American Music Reference

Essays and images on blues, jazz, spirituals, gospel, rhythm and blues, hip hop and rap and other forms of African American musical expression. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

America's Newspapers

Search American newspapers and other sources of current and archived articles on issues, events, people, government and more. Provided by Newsbank.

Library card required

American Song

Stream music from America's past including songs about Civil Rights, Prohibition, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, anti-war protest & much more. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

Ancestry Library Edition

Get started with genealogy and explore the amazing history of you.

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Architectural Digest Archive

Access the Architectural Digest Archive starting from its first issue in 1920.

Library card required

Archive-It

Selected archived websites from The People's Archive. Find archived websites that document the culture and history of Washington, D.C. including music, artists, blogs, obituaries, politics, and government.

Archives of Sexuality and Gender

Explore LGBTQ history with primary source content on social, political, health, and legal issues impacting LGBTQ communities around the world with Gale Primary Sources.

Library card required

Atlantic, The

The Atlantic features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.

Library card required

B

Baltimore Sun, The

Full page and article images of The Baltimore Sun newspaper from 1837-1991.

Library card required

Black Freedom Struggle in the United States

Website focused on Black Freedom, featuring select primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history.

Bookflix

Kids can explore educational topics through animated books, read-alongs, puzzles and games.

Library card required

Brainfuse HelpNow

Connect to live online tutors for homework help, writing lab, test prep and more.

Library card required

Brainfuse JobNow

JobNow provides live interview coaching, award-winning resume creation software, a writing lab, and helpful tips and tricks for landing the perfect career.

Library card required

Britannica Academic

Comprehensive research tool and fact-checked online encyclopedia.

Library card required

Britannica Enciclopedia Moderna

Enciclopedia destinada a estudiantes de secundaria completa con un diccionario, atlas y líneas de tiempo.

Library card required

Britannica Escolar

Britannica Escolar está diseñado específicamente para estudiantes Primaria & Secundaria e incluye artículos, imágenes, videos y un atlas.

Library card required

Britannica Fundamentals!

Engaging and fun learning experience for students in kindergarten through second grade.

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Britannica Image Quest

Images from the world’s leading collections including Getty Images, National Geographic Society, and National Portrait Gallery of London.

Library card required

Britannica School

Find information for homework and school projects by reading level, grade and age.

Library card required

Business Source Complete

Provides coverage of business, management, and economics journals. Includes titles such as Forbes, Fortune and Harvard Business Review.

Library card required

C

Classical Music in Video

Stream classical music performances, masterclasses and interviews with master teachers from around the world. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

Classical Music Library

Stream classical music from the earliest times to the 21st century. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

Classical Music Reference Library

Learn more about the history of western classical music. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

Classical Scores Library

Find and print more than 45,000 classical music scores covering major classical genres and time periods from medieval to contemporary. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

Comics Plus

Digital comics, graphic novels, and manga for all readers.

Library card required

Consumer Reports

Research thousands of products with test results, ratings, recommendations and buying guides.

Library card required

Consumers' Checkbook

Research and compare local products and services with regional reviews.

Library card required

Contemporary World Music

Stream contemporary music from every continent around the world. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

Creativebug

Experience unlimited access to craft classes. Paint, draw, sew, knit, bake, and design today.

Library card required

D

D.C. Regional Newspapers

Full-text access to D.C. Metro newspapers (excluding The Washington Post). Provided by Newsbank.

Library card required

Dance in Video

Stream dance productions and documentaries by the most influential performers and companies from the 20th Century. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

DCist Archive

Web archive, captured by The Wayback Machine, of local Washington D.C. online news source, DCist. DCist covered news, politics, arts, culture, and events in Washington, D.C., and is owned by WAMU 88.5.

Dig DC

Selected digital collections from The People's Archive. Find photos, maps, oral histories, and newspapers documenting the history of Washington D.C.

Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867–1970

Digital Sanborn Maps (1867-1970) delivers detailed property and land-use records that depict the grid of everyday life in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Library card required

E

Ebony Magazine Archive

Access the Ebony Magazine Archive starting from its first issue in 1945 through 2014.

Library card required

Ethnic Newswatch

Full-text coverage from ethnic and minority press publications.

Library card required

Evening Star

Research local news and history in the long considered "hometown paper of record" for the nation's capital from 1852-1981. Provided by Newsbank.

Library card required

F

Federal Surveillance of African Americans

Collection of Justice Department's and its Federal Bureau of Investigation's widespread investigation of those deemed politically suspect.

Library card required

Fight For Racial Justice And The Civil Rights Congress

Learn more about the Civil Rights Congress (CRC) involvement in civil rights and civil liberties.

Library card required

Freegal Music+

Download and stream music twenty-four hours every day from popular music labels such as Sony Music.

Library card required

G

Gale Business: Entrepreneurship

Resources to help you start your new business.

Library card required

Gale Business: Insights

Research global companies and industries with in-depth analysis through current news, statistical data and comprehensive reports.

Library card required

Gale eBooks

Digital encyclopedias and reference resources on a range of subjects from art, business, history, literature, medicine, multicultural studies and science.

Library card required

Gale General OneFile

Search articles in a wide range of general and academic topics with Gale General OneFile

Library card required

Gale in Context: Biography

Learn about the people who make history. Searches can be based on name, occupation, nationality, ethnicity, or gender.

Library card required

Gale in Context: Elementary

Social studies, science, language arts and more for grades 1-5.

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Gale in Context: Global Issues

International viewpoints on a broad spectrum of global issues, topics and current events.

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Gale in Context: High School

Browse topics to help with papers, projects and presentations.

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Gale in Context: Middle School

Research cultures, history, science and social issues for students in grades 6-8.

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Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints

Brings together all the information that's needed to fully understand an issue.

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Gale in Context: Science

Current and up-to-date science topics. For middle school and high school learners.

Library card required

Gale in Context: U.S. History

Discover American history from pre-colonial times to the present.

Library card required

Gale Literature Resource Center

Access biographies, literary criticism, and reviews on writers of all disciplines, from all time periods, from around the world with Gale Literature Resource Center.

Library card required

Gale OneFile: High School Edition

Research content for high school students.

Library card required

Gale OneFile: Informe Académico

Una colección de revistas hispánicas con textos completos.

Library card required

Garland Encyclopedia of World Music

Learn more about the music of the world's peoples. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

Government Documents

DC Public Library serves as a Federal Depository Library. Depository libraries provide free access to U.S. Government information.

H

Harvard Business Review

Access full text historical and current Harvard Business Review articles from 1922 to the present.

Library card required

HeritageHub

Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research, 1704 – today. Previously named America's Obituaries and Death Notices by Newsbank.

Library card required

HeritageQuest

Get started with genealogy and discover your family history.

Library card required

Historical Black Newspapers

This historical newspaper collection provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.

Library card required

History Commons

African American Newspapers, including Washington, D.C. resources, emphasizing eyewitness accounts of events during the 19th century. Formerly named Accessible Archives.

Library card required

HistoryMakers Digital Archive

The nation's largest African American video oral history collection with high-quality primary source content, with fully searchable transcripts, from thousands of people from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

Library card required

Hiveclass

Hiveclass is an e-learning platform for sports, physical activity, and mind+body wellness.

Library card required

I

Internet Archive

Internet Archive is a non-profit online library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more.

J

Jazz Music Library

Stream jazz music from every genre and time period. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

Jet Magazine Archive

Access the Jet Magazine Archive starting from 1970 through 2014.

Library card required

Job & Career Accelerator

Everything you need for a successful job search. Explore occupations, search for jobs, create resumes, and improve skills.

Library card required

JSTOR

JSTOR contains the full-text of more than 2,300 journals from 1,000 publishers, available in more than 60 disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences and mathematics.

Library card required

Just for Kids Access Video

Stream popular children videos and TV shows including Sesame Street, Arthur, Reading Rainbow, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Franklin and more.

K

Kanopy

Stream over 30,000 movies & documentaries from hundreds of popular producers as well as thousands of independent filmmakers.

Library card required

Kanopy Kids

Stream a selection of educational and enriching videos on Kanopy Kids with developmentally appropriate, age-based ratings from Common Sense Media.

Library card required

Khan Academy

A free online resource offering practice exercises and videos in math and science. Videos for Kindergarten through High School.

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Learning Express Library

Practice tests for improving skills and passing academic and licensing exams.

Library card required

Learning Express Library: Recursos para Hispanohablantes

Desde mejorar sus habilidades de lectura, escritura y matemáticas hasta prepararse para el GED, estos recursos lo ayudarán a alcanzar sus metas.

Library card required

Legal Forms

Access customizable standard legal forms, specifically drafted by attorneys for the District of Columbia, with Gale Legal Forms.

Library card required

Life Magazine Archive

Access the Life Magazine Archive starting from its first issue in 1936 through 2000.

Library card required

LinkedIn Learning

Learn business, technology, computer and creative skills to meet your personal or professional goals.

Library card required

M

Mango Languages

Learn new languages and cultural skills.

Library card required

MedlinePlus

National Library of Medicine’s database of health information. Includes information on over 750 health topics, drugs and supplements, medical encyclopedia, dictionaries, interactive tutorials and surgery videos.

MedlinePlus (en Español)

MedlinePlus tambien le ofrece mucha informacion sobre medicamentos, una enciclopedia medica ilustrada, programas interactivos para el paciente y las mas recientes noticias acerca de la salud.

Mergent Archives

Complete archive of the Mergent/Moody's Manuals of corporate and securities information from 1909-present.

Library card required

Mergent Market Atlas

Mergent Market Atlas includes business descriptions, corporate histories, and financial statements from active and inactive U.S. and international public companies. Updated daily.

Mergent Online

Business descriptions, corporate histories, and financial statements from active and inactive U.S. and international public companies.

Library card required

Morningstar Library Edition

Make the most of your investments. Identify stocks, mutual funds and ETFs that meet your needs.

Library card required

Music & Dance Online

Music and Dance Online delivers a large, diverse catalog of music content for students, scholars and patrons of the arts. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

N

National Geographic Virtual Library

View the complete archive of National Geographic Magazine and National Geographic Traveler.

Library card required

National Newspaper Core

Includes Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

Library card required

New York Times

Access The New York Times articles from 1851-present.

Library card required

New York Times Digital

Unlimited access, both onsite and remote, to The New York Times website and app.

Newspapers.com

This Newspapers.com portal includes newspapers from Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia from the late 1700s into the 1960s.

Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers

Gale Primary Sources: Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers provides a window into events, culture and daily life in nineteenth-century Washington D.C. & America.

Library card required

NoveList Plus

Discover new book titles based on your interests or reading preferences.

Library card required

NoveList Plus K-8

Discover new book titles based on your interests or reading preferences, with recommendations for grades K-8.

Library card required

O

O'Reilly for Public Libraries

eBooks and videos on topics such as business, career development, data, design, hardware, security, software development and system administration.

Library card required

Opera in Video

Stream opera performances from staged productions, interviews and documentaries. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

OverDrive & Libby

Borrow eBooks, Audiobooks, and digital magazines to read on your phone or tablet using the Libby app, by OverDrive.

Oxford English Dictionary

Get English language definitions, origins and history.

Library card required

P

Peterson’s Test and Career Prep

Search college and graduate schools, identify scholarships, take practice tests, create resumes and explore careers.

Library card required

Popular Music Library

Popular Music Library contains a wide range of popular music from around the world. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

PressReader

Stay connected with the world with unlimited access to more than 7,000 newspapers & magazines (including The Economist) from over 120 countries, in 60 different languages.

Library card required

ProQuest eLibrary

ProQuest eLibrary is a user-friendly general reference tool that provides content, context and pathways to beginning researchers.

Library card required

Publication Finder

Search our collection of Journals, Periodicals, and Newspapers by title or browse by discipline.

Library card required

PubMed

A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that includes over 16 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles back to the 1950s.

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QuickSearch

Discover what our collection has to offer and search across several of our databases for direct access to full-text articles, videos, music and more. Formerly named EBSCO Discovery Service.

Library card required

DC Public Library QuickSearch

R

Ralph J. Bunche Oral Histories Collection on the Civil Rights Movement

Interview transcripts of individuals who made history during the Civil Rights Movement.

Library card required

Reference Solutions

Research and analyze U.S. public and private businesses by geography, sales volume, industry and size.

Library card required

S

ScienceFlix

Enhance STEM learning with films and online books.

Library card required

Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries

Stream over albums from a virtual encyclopedia of the world's music and aural traditions including Smithsonian Folkways albums. Provided by Alexander Street Press.

Library card required

T

TumbleBooks

Enjoy animated books, read-alongs, eBooks, language learning, educational videos, puzzles and games for grades K-5.

U

Universal Class

Learn something new with Universal Class. Continuing education credits available.

Library card required

V

Value Line

Get the tools to make profitable investment decisions.

Library card required

Very Short Introductions

Discover a new topic or subject with these intelligent and serious introductions written by authors who are experts in their field.

Library card required

W

Wall Street Journal

Full-text access, from 1984-present, to The Wall Street Journal, the financial newspaper of record.

Library card required

Washington Blade

The Washington Blade has been Washington, D.C.’s principal LGBTQ newspaper since 1969. Dig DC contains digitized editions from 1969-1996.

Library card required

Washington Business Journal

Washington Business Journal provides comprehensive business coverage of Washington, D.C., and neighboring cities & counties in Virginia & Maryland.

Library card required

Washington Post

Full text access to The Washington Post, from 1877-present.

Library card required

Washington Post Digital

Unlimited access to The Washington Post website and app.

Library card required

Washington Times

The Washington Times, established in 1982, covers events in Washington, D.C., the nation and the world.

Library card required

Watch & Learn Library

Watch & Learn Library is made especially for young learners, pre-k through 3rd grade, to help expand their vocabulary and comprehension.

Library card required

Women in the Life Magazine

Magazine for lesbians of color published by Women in the Life Association focusing on culture, politics and health.

Library card required

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