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To make research a breeze for teens, your friendly teen librarians have culled our on-line resource collection to find what’s most useful to you. Here they are, by category.
When used outside of the library, many databases will asked for you library card number; sometimes referred to simply as a barcode. You might want to have it handy. For information on obtaining a library card, go here.
As many more of you are using these databases from home the following challenges have been discovered:
Message – “This is an exclusive website for people in the State of Rhode Island”
Solution – click the link and enter RI2020.
If this does not work, contact a reference librarian at 401-847-8720 x206 or via Text/SMS to 66746. Start your text with newportli.
Leave a message if necessary. We WILL get back to you.
When using some databases, your zip code may be requested. Simply enter your RI zip code.
Books & Biographies
Be Green
Current Events
Encyclopedias
General Research
Government
Health
History
Just Curious
Learn a Language
Newspaper Research
Just for fun
General Research
Academic Search Elite – In-depth research projects search over 8,200 academic and scholarly journals.
Explora for Secondary Schools – Designed for kids in grades 6-12 and allows them to choose to research in a multitude of formats and categories, including Arts & Literature, Biographies, Business & Government, Current Issues, Geography, Health, History, and Science/Math.
Federal Depository Library Program – Basic Collection – Provides access to key sources of information about the workings of the United States federal government.
Learning Express – Lets you achieve your educational and career goals! Each center has the tools you need for success – practice tests and entrance exams for both educational and career institutions, skill-building exercises, interactive tutorials, ebooks, and expert strategies and advice. Take practice tests for the SAT’s, to get your GED, nursing exams, military exams, and many more careers! You will need a RI college or public library card to access this database from outside the library.
MasterFile Premier – General topics and school assignments. Search over 1,950 popular magazines and journals. This resource also contains biographies, primary sources and an image collection.
Middle Search Plus – Provides full-text articles from magazines for middle and junior high school students. Content includes biographies, historical essays, student pamphlets, primary source documents, etc. Materials come with reading level indicators.
Encyclopedias
Encyclopedia Britannica – An expanded version of their website offering the COMPLETE CONTENT of this classic encyclopedia.
Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia – The online F&W Encyclopedia provides over 25,000 entries, covering a variety of subject areas.
World Book – An online, interactive complement to World Book’s popular print reference set.
Newspaper Research
Access World News – Provides information on world issues and events, education, government, politics and more including newspapers, videos and web-only content featuring the Providence Journal, USA Today, international sources and more.
New York Times – Historical – Provides full-text access to back issues of the paper (1851-2013). Content is searchable by keyword, author, article title, and first paragraph (abstract); it includes illustrations and advertisements. (Note: this publication’s title changed from The New York Daily Times to The New York Times in 1857.) An NPL barcode (the 14-digit number on the back of your library card) is required to access this resource remotely.
Newport Mercury – Articles and information from 1758-1846.
Newspapers.com – Access to past editions of newspapers from the United States and abroad; including Newport Daily News. Search or browse the collection of 4,200+ titles to find news reports, notices of births/marriages/deaths, sports headlines, comics, and more. An NPL barcode (the 14-digit number on the back of your library card) is required to access this resource remotely. Please click here to access newspapers.com from inside the library.
Press Reader a digital platform providing access to more than 7,000 of the world’s top newspapers and magazines. The search feature will search both publication title and keyword search articles. This service is free for NPL patrons, but please be sure to log in with your library card number. Do not create an account. Each login will last only 48 hours, but there is no limit to the number of times you can login. There are also no limits on downloads or back issues. Content is accessible from both desktop and mobile devices.
Providence Journal (1983-Present) – Find full-text articles on local news, issues, events, people and much more from current and archived issues of Providence Journal. Updated daily, it includes editorials, announcements, sports, real estate and other sections. An NPL barcode (the 14-digit number on the back of your library card) is required to access this resource remotely.
RI Historical Newspapers – Newspapers printed in RI between 1732 and 1921. Newport Mercury and Providence Journal are part of this database.
Books & Biographies
American National Biography – Offers portraits of more than 18,700 men & women from all eras and walks of life whose lives have shaped the nation.
Biography Reference Center – Lets you locate biographies of interest by browsing key categories, including occupation, nationality, publication, and more than 30 genre categories including actors, artists, authors, current world leaders, explorers, and scientists.
Literary Reference Center – Comprehensive database that provides users with a broad spectrum of information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and time frames. It combines information from respected reference works, books, and literary journals as well as original content from the publisher.
NoveList – Guide to fiction reading. Find book awards lists, author biographies and personalized recommendations based on authors, series and subjects you enjoy.
NoveList Plus is a more robust version of EBSCO’s Novelist database. Includes nonfiction titles and audiobooks. An NPL barcode (the 14-digit number on the back of your library card) is required to access this resource remotely.
Government
Federal Depository Library Program – Basic Collection – Provides access to key sources of information about the workings of the United States federal government.
Library of Congress – Digital collection
RI State Civics Education Resources
Explore the Smithsonians‘ vast collections!
Be Green
GreenFILE – Offers well-researched information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on the environmental effects of individuals, corporations and local/national governments, and what can be done at each level to minimize these effects. Topics covered include global climate change, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more. The database provides indexing and abstracts for more than 612,000 records, as well as Open Access full text for more than 9,100 records.
Health
Consumer Health Complete is designed to support the information needs of patients and to foster an overall understanding of health-related topics. Covers all key areas of health and wellness, from mainstream medicine to complementary, holistic, and integrated medicine.
Medline Plus offers user-friendly health and wellness information from the National Library of Medicine. Find information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in language you can understand.
LGBTQ Resources for Students
Vaping Websites
CDC: E-Cigarettes and Young People: A Public Health Concern
-includes links to a video, a parent tip sheet, and a fact sheet
Juul E-Cigarettes: A New Threat to Kids
MedlinePlus: Talking to your child about smoking
National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teachers (NIDA)
-offers free curriculum materials
–interactivegames, videos, fact sheets
-resources for teens. App for quitting, chat with expert, text message support, information on risks and triggers
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Booklet: Keeping Youth Drug Free
-Can order for free (pay for shipping)
History
History Reference Center – Features full text for more than 1,620 reference books, encyclopedias and non-fiction books from leading history publishers. The database also includes full text for more than 150 leading history periodicals, 57,000 historical documents, more than 77,000 biographies of historical figures, more than 113,000 historical photos and maps, and more than 80 hours of historical video.
Official National History Day website topic information and including recommended research websites.
Languages
Mango Languages – Online language-learning system that can help you learn languages like Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Italian, Russian and more. You can gain a very basic understanding of the language or progress up through more challenging levels. Mango languages also provides a translator page.
Current Events
Topic Search – Current events database that allows you to explore social, political and economic issues, scientific discoveries, and other popular topics from today’s classrooms.
Just Curious
Auto Mate – A do-it-yourself resource for repairing and maintaining domestic and imported vehicles manufactured between 1974 and today. Includes step-by-step photos, video overviews, wiring diagrams, service bulletins, and other resources.
Expand your horizons at Kahn Academy.
Consumer Reports is available through MasterFile Premier
Just for Fun
Ezone for Teens – Downloadable e-books and audiobooks
NoveList – Guide to fiction reading. Find book awards lists, author biographies and personalized recommendations based on authors, series and subjects you enjoy.
NoveList Plus is a more robust version of EBSCO’s Novelist database. Includes nonfiction titles and audiobooks. An NPL barcode (the 14-digit number on the back of your library card) is required to access this resource remotely.