Below is a list of sites and databases that our library subscribes to. They contain loads of information not necessarily found for free through the Internet. You’ll need your library card to log into most of these databases. Also included are links to regularly recommended websites.
Ancestry Library Edition (in-library use only) — Provides genealogical and historical research capabilities. With more than 5 billion names in over 4,600 databases, includes census, military, court, land, and probate records; vital and church records; directories; and passenger lists.
Auto Repair Source — Offers up-to-date service and repair information for thousands of domestic and imported vehicles. All content comes from the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and includes step-by-step repair information, diagrams, maintenance schedules, parts and labor estimates, service bulletins and recalls. Hosted by EBSCO.
BC Historical Newspapers — Hosted by ProQuest, provides access to western Canadian papers The Province, The Times-Colonist, and The Vancouver Sun, from as early as 1884 up to 2010. No library card is required to access these resources on the Internet. Search all three newspapers at once.
BC Laws – Statutes and Consolidated Regulations (free access online) — BC Laws provides free public access to the current laws of British Columbia. This unofficial current consolidation of BC Statutes and Regulations is updated continually as new and amended laws come into force. BC Laws is published by the Queen’s Printer for British Columbia in partnership with the Ministry of Attorney General and the Law Clerk of the Legislative Assembly. No library card is required to access these resources on the Internet.
Bibliothèque Numérique by Cantook is a collection of French language eBooks and audiobooks from Canadian and international publishers. It includes popular genre fiction, bestsellers, non-fiction and more. There are titles for adults, teens and children. Sign in with your library card number and your library PIN. See the Startup Guide for how to check out French eBooks on various devices.
British Columbia Codes (free access online) — Includes the current BC Building Code (including Plumbing Services) and the BC Fire Code.
British Columbia Statistics (free access online) — Statistics on population, business, the economy, labour, and society. From BCStats, the central statistical agency of the Province of British Columbia.
Business Plan Handbooks [GALE] — A compilation of business plans developed by small businesses throughout North America. Access is made possible by the Small Business Accelerator at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at UBC with financial support from the Sutherland Foundation.
Business Source Premier [EBSCO] — features full text and searchable cited references for top journals covering a variety of business disciplines.
Canadian Encyclopedia — A comprehensive information source about Canada and Canadians, for students, the general public and scholars. Includes articles written by experts, as well as web links and multimedia clips. No library card is required to access these resources on the Internet.
Canadian Reference Centre [EBSCO] — With thousands of full-text biographies, reference materials and an image collection, this database provides an optimal research experience for students keeping up with current events or studying Canada’s global involvement.
CELA
— CELA is a collection of books, magazines, and newspapers offered in many formats for the print disabled. Learn more about CELA.
Clicklaw — An Internet subject guide to authoritative legal resources in BC and Canada. Developed by the Legal Services Society of BC and now maintained by the BC Courthouse Library Society. No library card is required to access this resource on the Internet.
Cochrane Library — A database of authoritative, research-based health information for health professionals and laypeople.
Consumer Health Complete [EBSCO] — Health information for the general public, patients and health professionals. Includes mainstream medical information and holistic/alternative health information from popular and professional magazines, journals, reference books and reports. Also includes the Lexi-PAL Drug Guide, with up-to-date information on medications, natural products and vaccines available in the U.S.
EBSCOhost periodicals — Search the content of more than 10,000 popular and academic magazines, reference books, plus images, covering all subject areas, from current events and history to the arts and sciences. Many Canadian titles are included. Narrow results by date, subject, publication, etc. Sign in with your library card!
Video Tutorial for searching EBSCO [2:25 minutes]
See the full list of all of our EBSCOhost databases.
Some examples of specific EBSCOhost databases we provide access to include:
- MasterFILE Premier — Designed specifically for public libraries, this database provides full-text magazines, reference books and primary source documents. It also includes an extensive image collection containing photos, maps and flags.
- Academic Search Elite — Designed to meet every academic researcher’s needs, Academic Search Elite provides access to acclaimed full-text scholarly journals and magazines.
- Academic Search Premier — A leading multidisciplinary research database. It provides acclaimed full-text journals, magazines and other valuable resources.
- Middle Search Plus — A full-text database providing popular middle school magazines and reference books. Covering subjects such as history, current events, science and sports, it also includes thousands of biographies and primary source documents, plus over a million photos, maps and flags.
- Primary Search— A full-text database providing popular children’s magazines, easy-to-read encyclopedic entries and a vast image collection
Explora Canada [EBSCO] — Information for students of all ages on a wide variety of topics, from history and current events to science and technology. Search a variety of sources such as magazines, encyclopedias, primary source documents and more.
Explora Primary Schools [EBSCO] — A research interface for K-5. Simple search that quickly delivers relevant results including articles, essays, and primary source documents to help students feel successful in their research. Easy-to-browse categories organized by popular topic to give students research ideas. Topic overviews that provide students with a starting point for research.
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia [EBSCO] — Provides over 25,000 encyclopedic entries. Searchable by subject or keywords within the entry.
GreenFILE [EBSCO]— Provides information related to all aspects of human impact on the environment, from global warming to recycling to alternate fuel sources and more. Identifies or provides full-text access to scholarly, government and general-interest periodicals and reports.
Khan Academy (free access online) — “Learn almost anything for free.” 3300 videos explain many subjects.
Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text (LISTA) [EBSCO] — A specialized database for library staff covering more than 500 journals. Subject coverage includes librarianship, classification, cataloguing, collection development, online information retrieval and more. Many titles include reviews or announcements of new books.
Library to Go (BC Libraries) from Libby — Download audio books, ebooks and digital magazines onto a variety of devices, including android and Apple tablets and smartphones, MP3 players and Zune players, as well as eReaders. For more information, click here.
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) — Learn at your own pace from anywhere. Achieve your personal and professional goals through thousands of expert let courses. Learn business, software, technology and creative skills. Courses range from beginner to intermediate and expert level and can include quick tutorials to more in-depth courses. Access requires your Library card number and your Library PIN. If you don’t know what your PIN is please contact the Library.
LOTE4Kids — Thousands of audio-picture books online in 65+ languages for kids. Also includes activities like colouring pages, spot the difference games, word searches and memory games. Download the LOTE4Kids App today!
NNELS — NNELS is a collection of books offered in many formats for the print disabled. Learn more about NNELS.
Points to the Past — Searchable primary source material: maps, photos, newspapers, manuscripts, pamphlets, portraits, sermons, poems, and more. For research, teaching and learning.
Professional Development Collection [EBSCO] — A specialized resource for teachers and educators, providing access to over 500 education journals, including more than 350 peer-reviewed titles. This database also contains educational reports.
Regional Business News [EBSCO] — A collection of regional U.S. business periodicals and newswires that includes some international business news. Contains the most recent 30 days of information from each wire source.
Small Engine Repair Reference Center — Clymer manuals containing thousands of maintenance and repair instructions for hundreds of small engine machines. Routine maintenance and more extensive repairs for motorcycles, ATVs, personal water craft, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, tractors, snow blowers, generators, and more are covered. Video Tutorial [3 minutes]
Statistics Canada — Statistics Canada produces statistics that help Canadians better understand their country — its population, resources, economy, society and culture.
Tumble Book Library — TumbleBookLibrary is an online collection of TumbleBooks – animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they’ll love. TumbleBooks are created by adding animation, sound, music and narration to existing picture books in order to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you.