Reference Services
Reference & Information Services librarians are available to answer your questions and assist you in doing your research. Whether you need the phone number of your aunt in California, or details about medieval life, we are available to help:
In personlibrarians are happy to provide answers to your questions at the Reference & Information desk on the 2nd floor of the main library. Come in during open hours.
By phonecall us with your questions at 753-4900, extension 230 or 231. Call us during open hours.
By emailyou can email your reference questions by going to the AskAway logo and choosing email. Reference librarians from Lincoln Library will answer your email within 24 to 48 hours.
By chatlastly, you may ask your question using live chat with the AskAway service 24 hours a day. Librarians from all over the state of Illinois can provide you with immediate and reliable answers, anytime, day or night.
Sites Our Librarians Recommend Web sites that you may find helpful in your research.
Alphabetical list of Databases
Databases by
subject
All databases can be accessed on computers at Lincoln Library. Many
databases can also be accessed at home. These databases have a home icon
by them. Unless otherwise specified, home use is limited to Lincoln
Library customers only and log in usually requires a Lincoln Library card number
which is indicated by a library card icon. If different, the login method
is explained by the individual database listing.
=Home
use
=Library
card needed
Articles | Auto repair | Books & audio | Business & Investing | Careers & college | Genealogy | Government & law | Health | Kids | Newspapers | People | Phonebooks | Student research
Articles
Academic
Search Premier Provides full text for nearly 4,500
journals, including full text for more than 3,600 peer-reviewed titles.
EBSCOhost
Search just one database, or search multiple databases
simultaneously. A variety of topics and periodicals are included.
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FirstSearch
Search online databases for
books, articles and reference information. (Ask a reference librarian, or phone
217-753-4900 ext. 230, for the username & password). ![]()
Illinois
Periodicals Online Access
full-text versions of several Illinois periodicals. (No
log on required). ![]()
MasterFILE
Premier This database provides full text for more than
1,730 general reference publications with information dating as far back as
1975.
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Thomson
Gale PowerSearch Cross search both Gale Virtual
Reference Library and Opposing Viewpoints.
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Auto
Repair
ALLDATA
Auto repair and maintenance
information.
Books
& audio
FirstSearch
Search online databases for
books, articles and reference information. (Ask a reference librarian, or phone
217-753-4900 ext. 230, for the username & password). ![]()
GaleVirtual
Reference Library Encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference
sources for multidisciplinary research. These reference materials once were
accessible only in the library, but now you can access them online from the
library or remotely 24/7.
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I-Share
Check holdings at Illinois academic
libraries, including the Illinois State Library, Lincoln Land Community College,
the University of Illinois at Springfield, and the Southern Illinois University
Medical School. (No log on required). ![]()
Listen Illinois Downloadable audiobooks. Use NetLibrary to download
audiobooks at home to your own MP3 player. Or, choose Audible audiobooks that
library staff will download to library-owned MP3 players.
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NetLibrary
Collection of online books to
read or browse. (Limited to
Lincoln Library customers only; you must sign
up for netLibrary at the library before accessing it at home).
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NoveList Your guide to fiction. (For use in the main library only).
NoveList K-8 Your guide to fiction. (For use in the main library only).
Business
& investing
Business
Source Premier Includes full-text coverage in all
disciplines of business, including marketing, management, accounting, finance
and economics.
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Regional
Business News Provides comprehensive full-text coverage of 75 business
journals, newspapers and newswires from all metropolitan and rural areas within
the United States.
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Value Line Investment Survey Investment reports. (For use in the main library only).
Careers
& college
Careers-Internet.org Career
planning information. (Log on using: Username=385w & Password=future). ![]()
CollegeSource
Online Thousands of
college catalogs and links to college profiles and web sites. (Ask a reference
librarian, or phone 217-753-4900 ext. 230, for the username & password). ![]()
LearningExpress
Library Practice
tests for many academic and civil service tests such as ACT, GED and Postal
Worker. (Home use requires Lincoln Library card number & registration;
in-house use with registration).
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Genealogy
America's Obituaries & Death Notices Comprehensive
collection of newspaper obituaries and death notices.
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Ancestry Library Edition One of the most important genealogical collections available today. It has unparalleled coverage of the United States and the United Kingdom, including census, vital, church, court, and immigration records, as well as record collections from Canada and other areas. This collection has more than 4,000 databases and two billion names.
HeritageQuest Census
data, family records & local histories.
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Government
& law
Congressional
Staff Directory Information about
United States Congress members and committees. (For use in the main library
only—ask Reference staff to log you in).
LegalForms
A wide selection of Illinois and
U.S. legal forms, including real estate contracts, wills, bankruptcy, and
divorce. Also included is an attorney directory and a dictionary of legal
definitions in laymen's language.
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Worldwide Government Directory Listings for elected and appointed officials in 196 countries. Each listing includes complete contact information, including phone, fax, and e-mails for contacts in the executive, legislative and political branches in these countries. (For use in the main library only—ask Reference staff to log you in).
Health
Alt
HealthWatch Focuses on complementary, holistic and
integrated approaches to health care and wellness.
Health
Source: Consumer Edition Provides information on many
health topics including the medical sciences, food sciences and nutrition,
childcare, sports medicine and general health.
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Health
Source: Nursing/Academic Edition Nearly 550 scholarly
full text journals focusing on many medical disciplines.
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Kids
Kids
Search Provides full text
for nearly 70 popular magazines for elementary and middle school research.
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Searchasaurus
Provides full text for nearly 70
popular magazines for elementary school research. The American Heritage
Children's Dictionary is also included.
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Newspapers
America's Newspapers Search
full-text local, regional, and national news in The State Journal-Register,
Chicago Sun-Times, Peoria Journal Star, The Washington Post, and
more.
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The
State Journal-Register Full-text
local news in The State Journal-Register back to 1985.
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People
Biography Resource Center Award-winning
biographies from respected Gale Group sources combined with full-text articles
from hundreds of periodicals. (Note that Lincoln Library
has only purchased access for 3 people at once--if you get a "Concurrent
Usage Limit Reached", try again a bit later).
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Phonebooks
Reference
USA A national
phonebook.
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Student
research (See also: Articles; Books & audio; People)
CQ Researcher Offers
in-depth, non-biased coverage of today's most important issues. (Note that Lincoln Library has only purchased access for
1 person at
once--if you get a message that "Your maximum concurrency has been reached", try again a bit
later).
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EBSCO
Animals Provides in-depth information on a variety of
topics relating to animals.
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Funk
& Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia Provides over
25,000 entries covering a variety of subject areas.
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Live
Homework Help® Get
online homework help Sunday from 4-9 p.m. and Monday through Thursday from 6-10
p.m.
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Opposing
Viewpoints Draws on
the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as
other Gale imprints, to provide a one-stop source for information on social
issues. (Note that Lincoln Library has only purchased access for 3 people at
once--if you get a "Concurrent Usage Limit Reached", try again a bit
later).
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Student
Research Center Access a research collection of magazines, newspapers,
biographies, country reports, the TOPICsearch database, and more.
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