Reference & Encyclopedias

Search for people in articles and books, based on personal facts such as name, birth and death year, nationality, ethnicity, occupation, and gender. Parents and teachers may find the Educator Resources helpful.

Find encyclopedia articles, pictures, and videos about animals, arts, language, places, plants, science & math, social studies, sports, and religions. Even tour the USA or compare countries!

Search or browse articles, media, biographies, and a world atlas for information on both academic subjects and personal interests. Start with Research Tools and Materials if you're doing academic research.

Find encyclopedia articles, images, videos, and biographies for high school students in a variety of subjects. Start with Research Tools and Materials if you're working on a paper or report.

Explore a wide range of carefully curated, age-appropriate encyclopedia topics in language for emerging readers. Enjoy images, read-aloud features, easy-to-understand explanations and content to spark curiosity in topics such as animals, science, nature, history, inspiring people, geography, civics and culture.

Easily find grantmakers and grants, build robust prospect lists, and connect with funders for your nonprofit or project. Find local nonprofits where you can donate, work, volunteer, or seek out services, like food banks or shelters. Find scholarships, fellowships and awards for students, artists, researchers, and individuals. This resource combines Foundation Directory, Guidestar, and Grants to Individuals. See examples of the information you can get about grantmakers and nonprofits.

Getting started ⏷

1. Start your search with a simple phrase, such as “food banks in [your area].” If you know the organization you’re looking for, search their name or EIN. 
2. Narrow your results using filters, such as location or population served. 
3. Select a nonprofit and explore their profile for key information on their mission, programs, financials, employees, and more.

Available anywhere ⏷

Candid Learning, which contains: 

• nonprofit training courses (free and paid) help articles
• research library including evaluations, case studies, toolkits, and more
• Sample documents
• Nonprofit startup & early stage resources
• Book recommendations

Benefits for nonprofits ⏷

Organizations can maintain profiles and earn Seals of Transparency to give donors the information they need in the tool whose data is at the heart of 230+ websites, programs, and applications, including Facebook and Salesforce.

Use CultureGrams to find printable maps and information on the peoples and cultures of over 185 countries, all 50 states in the U.S., and the provinces and territories of Canada. Includes a Kids Edition and Education Coursepack with teaching activities, scavenger hunts, handouts, and more.

Start here to find full-text articles. This search will look in most subscription eResources that contain journal, magazine, and newspaper articles, and serve up results no matter on which platform the article resides.

Learn about animals, plants, music, science, sports, and more in this accessible resource for young students. Also includes access to Nat Geo Kids! Teachers and parents may find the Educator Resources helpful.

Find articles and information on a wide range of topics, ranging from current events to history, arts and literature to science and math.  Find supporting documents for school assignments, including curriculum guides. Note: Use this to search MasterFILE and other Ebsco databases all at once.

Search full-text reference eBooks on a variety of topics, including art, the Gale eBooks business collection, biographies, health, history, sports and more. No limits, holds, or waiting!

Find printable Washington legal form templates and examples; legal, business, and other letter templates; definitions for legal terms; a law digest with articles on legal topics; and a national attorney practice directory. Topics include: business law, family law, real estate, landlord tenant, and more.

Find everything you need to research the world of literature: biographies, bibliographies, critical analyses, essays, poems, primary sources, and more for authors both historical and current. Resources include: Gale Literature: Something About the Author, Gale Literature: Dictionary of Literary Biography, Gale Literature Resource Center, and Gale Literature: LitFinder.

Find magazine articles, news, multimedia presentations and more on a wide variety of subjects (literature, science, history, and social issues) relevant to high school learning goals. Teachers and parents may find the Curriculum Standards and Educator Resources helpful.

View full-text reference books, encyclopedias, non-fiction books, history periodicals, documents, biographies, and historical photos, maps, and videos. A comprehensive resource for history research.

Use tools including NOLO Legal Guides (eBooks) and NOLO Legal Forms to independently address a wide range of legal issues. Topics include: business law, financial planning, immigration and travel, family law, property & real estate, and rights & disputes.

Find resources on a wide range of subjects in this one-stop research source (including citation information) aimed at upper elementary and middle school students. Subjects include: cultures, geography, government, literature, people, science, social issues, U.S. history, and world history. Teachers and parents may find the Curriculum Standards and Educator Resources helpful.

Provides curated reading lists across several disciplines of study, including English, biology, environmental science, leadership, and more. Access to inEducation is included when you are logged into The New York Times Digital through the library. You will need to create a complimentary account to activate your access: 

Discover new titles, series, and authors for kids and teens to enjoy. Find Author Read-alikes, Book Discussion Guides, BookTalks, and Feature Articles.

Discover new titles, series, and authors for kids and teens to enjoy. Find author or title read-alikes and books by grade level. Explore titles by story elements to match what appeals to you. Browse curated lists to jumpstart your discovery.

Access thousands of full-text magazines and newspapers, including peer-reviewed scholarly journals, covering a broad array of subjects and locations.

Want to know if the library subscribes to the electronic version of a magazine, journal, or newspaper you're seeking? Search for a particular title, or browse by topic to find eResource content by publication title! You'll find links to the content as well as a list of available issues by date. To find magazine and newspaper titles not available through Publication Finder, check Flipster or PressReader.

Search this index for citations from the most popular general-interest periodicals published in the United States from the years 1890 through 1982.

Explore newspaper articles that align with K-12 curricular areas such as English, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Technology, Arts, History and more.

Find authoritative science information: full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, experiments, images, videos, audio files, and links to vetted websites.  Teachers and parents may find the Curriculum Standards and Educator Resources helpful.

Look for experiments, images, videos, and articles on recent events and discoveries in a range of science areas.

Find primary documents, reference books, journal articles, and scholarly analysis on periods and events in our history. Teachers and parents may find the Curriculum Standards and Educator Resources helpful.

Find investment research, expert analysis, and unbiased commentary on approximately 3,400 stocks. Resources include: Stock Market Today with daily updates, Economic Calendar with market-moving reports, Fund Advisor Plus, The Value Line Investment Survey®, Small & Mid-Cap Survey, and the expanded Value Line "Universe" of stocks.

Find concise information in this powerful encyclopedia reference tool for high school students and adults. It includes articles, online books, primary sources, website links, Back in Time articles, special reports and more.

El banco de contenidos AulaPlaneta es una enciclopedia para los estudiantes de secundaria y los adultos que contiene información actualizada, fiable, y rigurosa. Incluye diccionarios, atlas, museo virtual, cronogramas, y más. Descubra qué es y qué te ofrece.

Banco de Contenidos AulaPlaneta is an encyclopedia for adults and high school students with information that is up-to-date, reliable, and rigorously vetted. Includes dictionaries, atlases, a virtual museum, timelines, and more.

Find foundational encyclopedia articles and multimedia on a variety of subjects, science fair projects, biographies, correlations to curriculum standards, 21st century research guides, and much more for high school students, reluctant readers, ELL, ESL, and adult literacy students.  

• Learn how to do research.

Check out the Life Skills Center to learn how to enter the work force, keep a bank account, or set up your first place.

Find easy-to-read encyclopedia articles, engaging games, science projects, interactive tools, and activities covering a variety of subjects for elementary and middle-school students.

Search this encyclopedia for information on any topic. Learn how to do research, write citations, and even create an account to keep track of your research. For elementary and middle school learners. Parents and educators may welcome the educator tools, including curriculum correlations, graphic organizers, and lesson plans.

This encyclopedia resource offers hundreds of pre-generated timelines across eight broad topics, which cover various time periods in history or span the life of historical public figures. Users can also create their own timelines from scratch, adding events, descriptions, and media.

Find scholarly analysis, articles, references, and primary documents covering the past 5,000 years. Teachers and parents may find the Curriculum Standards and Educator Resources helpful.

Find items—books, audiobooks, journals, and some articles—within and beyond FVRL's collection. Although you can access this without a library card, you will need one to sign in if you wish to make interlibrary loan requests.