Databases

NoveList Plus allows you to search among hundreds of thousands of popular fiction and readable nonfiction titles, and also retrieve author read-alikes, book lists, book discussion guides, and more.

Wowbrary is a catalog service that informs patrons by weekly emails and through the library website about the newest books, movies and music that have been added to the collection. It is now easy to browse through the latest additions and even place new items on hold.

Consumer Reports features ratings and recommendations on thousands of products and services in categories including appliances, cars, electronics and computers, home and garden, health and fitness, babies and kids, food, personal finance, and travel. The database provides access to product buying advice, blogs, safety alerts, recalls, as well as Consumer Reports' unbiased product and service Ratings and recommendations, selections from the latest issue of Consumer Reports, a searchable archive of the past four years of Ratings, Consumer Reports' exclusive product- and car-reliability reports, comprehensive decision guides, the ability to participate in expert Discussions, access to consumer/user reviews, and much more. 

Hoopla offers ebooks, audiobooks, comics, movies, TV shows, and music to download or stream to your computer, tablet, or smartphone. There is no wait list, everything is always available! Access Hoopla through this link or through their app, Hoopla Digital. You will need to create an account with an email address and enter your library barcode number and PIN.  Limit 4 credits per month.

hoopla

Libby offers eBooks and eAudiobooks to stream or download as well as electronic movies to stream and is compatible with most ereaders, tablets, and smartphones. Access Libby by using this link or downloading the Libby app. We are part of the Rolling Prairie Digital Consortium. Use your library card number and PIN to sign in.

Libby Tutorial

(IN LIBRARY USE ONLY) Ancestry Library Edition delivers billions of records in census data, vital records, directories, photos, and more. 

This FREE site provides access to a growing collection of databases of digitized records for genealogical research. Users are required to create an account, which is free. Using the website in the Library allows access to many digital images that cannot be viewed at home.

FamilySearch.org Tutorial

Fold3 features premier collections of original military records. These records include the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served in the military. 

Fold3

HeritageQuest Online is a comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, convenient research guides, interactive census maps, and more.

HeritageQuest

This comprehensive news collection is ideal for exploring issues and events at the local, regional, national and international level. Its diverse source types include print and online-only newspapers, blogs, newswires, journals, broadcast transcripts and videos. Use it to explore a specific event or to compare a wide variety of viewpoints on topics. 

Our subscription to First Search provides access to approximately fifteen databases, several of which are full-text (including Article First and Wilson Select Plus). Please contact the library for the username and password to access this database from home.

Online full-text version of the State Journal-Register newspaper, with coverage from July 1, 1985 to the present.

SJR Full Text

Read the digital SJR, but in the familiar format of the physical paper. We have coverage of this user-friendly format from August 31, 2018 to present.

Click on the SJR line with the 'image' format.

SJR Image Version

Access US and world news from home with The New York Times! Create a free account after following one of the links below. Then just sign in anytime you want to read breaking news.

Issues from 1851-1923 and 1980-current are available within the library and at home.

Limited access to 1923-1980 issues can be accessed from home with a limit of 5 articles per day from that time range. Access from home will last 24 hours before you need to redeem the Access From Home code again.

Academic Search Premier is a multi-disciplinary article database containing full text for more than 4,600 journals, including nearly 3,900 peer-reviewed titles. This scholarly collection offers information in nearly every area of academic study.

To access this database from home, enter your Chatham Area Public Library card number for the Patron ID. 

Academic Search Premier

This curation covers a wide range of topics—including Literature, Philosophy, History, Geography and Science—with each collection containing corresponding middle and high school common core guides.

Click on Biblioboard of Illinois to access the books.

Biblioboard Library

Global Road Warrior is the world’s most extensive country-by-country resource for learning about culture, customs, history, and language worldwide. Global Road Warrior consists of 174 Country Guides of 119 topics each covering culture, history, language, travel and education.

Global Road Warrior

Selected ebooks available are: "Principles of Anatomy," "Forensic Science," "Milestone Documents in American History."

For a limited time, these ebooks are also available: "Pandemics: The Invisible Enemy," "Civil Disobedience, Social Justice, Nationalism * Populism, Violent Demonstrations and Race Relations," and "Treaties in the News."

Locate books, periodicals, computer programs, films, maps, sound recordings, videotapes and other formats in thousands of libraries worldwide. Access to books outside of the Illinois Heartland Library System is also available.

Kanopy has films that can be streamed to most computers, tablets, smartphones, and televisions by downloading the Kanopy app. Use your library card number and PIN to sign up and then create an account with a username and password of your choice.

Kanopy