Research Tools

Below is detailed list of searchable databases available for use at the library or from home.


Academic Search Premier  


This resource provides full-text scholarly content for major college courses. Designed specifically for academic institutions, this database provides full-text and peer-reviewed journals essential for undergraduate and graduate studies.

Amazing Animals  


Amazing Animals is now part of Scholastic Go! Use this new service to search for information about all of the species of animals.

AncestryLibrary.com  


More than one and a half billion names in over 4,000 databases. It includes records from the United States Census; military records; court, land and probate records; vital and church records; directories; passenger lists; and more. This can only be accessed in the library.
AncestryLibrary.com - Tutorial

AtoZ databases  


Premier Reference and Marketing Databases including 30 million business profiles & amp; 220 million residents. Ideal for sales leads, mailing lists, market research, employment opportunities, finding friends and relatives, and much more!
AtoZ databases - Tutorial

Auto Repair Source  


This database contains do-it-yourself repair and maintenance information on most major manufacturers of domestic and imported vehicles. New repair procedures, TSBs and updates are added to the product on a regular basis. All of the content has been created by ASE certified technicians.
Auto Repair Source - Tutorial

Business Source Premier  


Business Source Premier is the industry's most popular business research database, featuring the full text for more than 2,200 journals. Full text is provided back to 1965, and searchable cited references back to 1998.

Consumer Health Complete  


Full-text articles to support research in aging, cancer, diabetes, drugs and alcohol, fitness, and nutrition. Includes teen health topics for teens and parents.

ConsumerReports.org  


The largest paid-publication subscription-based website in the world, this resource enables consumers to make better purchasing decisions on the products they are shopping for. Whether a user is looking to find the best deal on an LCD TV, or researching the top-recommended used vehicles, ConsumerReports.org provides ratings and reviews, recommendations and buying advice for thousands of products and services.
ConsumerReports.org - Tutorial

CultureGrams Online  


A database that provides great information about countries throughout the world from what they eat and wear to climate and government. It is especially useful for students and travelers.
CultureGrams Online - Tutorial

Digital Public Library of America  


The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. It strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to works of art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science.

Driver Education Program  


Free DMV Pratice Tests. 10 car practice tests, 6 motorcycle practice tests, 1 CDL (Commercial Driver's License) practice test, 2 online driver's manual (car and motorcycle) and an FAQ section with detailed answers to 100+ DMV-related questions.

Explora Primary Schools  


Aimed for the primary school student, this is a user-friendly interface for content found in Searchasaurus and Kids Search, including top videos from the Associated Press.
Explora Primary Schools - Tutorial

Explora Public Libraries  


Search popular magazine articles, encyclopedias, subject specific works, primary source documents, and videos. Browse topic areas for research paper ideas. (User-friendly interface for content from MasterFile Complete. Business Source Complete, Legal Reference Research Center and Consumer Health Complete, plus videos from the Associated Press.)
Explora Public Libraries - Tutorial

History Reference Center  


Designed for secondary schools, public libraries, junior/community colleges and undergraduate research, this database features full text for more than 1,990 reference books, encyclopedias and non-fiction books from leading history publishers.
History Reference Center - Tutorial

Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center  


How-tos and creative ideas in arts and crafts, collecting, home and garden, indoor recreation, kids' crafts, model building, needlecrafts and textiles, outdoor recreation, performing arts, science and technology, and scrapbooking and papercrafts.
Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center - Tutorial

Home Improvement Reference Center  


Through a collection of comprehensive full-text content, this database provides users with detailed, user-friendly “how-to” information covering all manner of home improvement/repair projects. Home Improvement Reference Center features full-text content from leading home improvement magazines images not found anywhere else online, and videos of popular home repair projects. All of the content is organized in a powerful, easy-to-use manner so that users can quickly gain the information they need.

I-Share  


An online catalog that includes the resources of 65 Illinois libraries belonging to CARLI, the Consortium of Academic & Research Libraries in Illinois. Materials found on I-Share can be interlibrary loaned by contacting the library.

Learning Express Library  


Each Learning Center offers practice test, exercises, skill building courses and information you need to achieve the results you want - at school, at work, or in life. You can also find an entire Learning Center dedicated to helping you get the one that's right for you.
*Please note: URL has changed and you must re-register to use this source.

Legal Information Reference Center  


Resources to assist you in legal matters of all kinds, including business law, financial planning, family law, property and real estate, and rights and disputes. Includes full text reference books from Nolo, the nation’s oldest and most respected provider of legal information for consumers and small businesses.

Literary Reference Center  


This comprehensive, full-text database provides a broad spectrum of information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and timeframes—to give students, professors, and researchers a foundation of literary reference works to meet their research needs.

MasterFILE Premiere  


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.

Middle Search Plus  


Resources to support middle school students, including biographies, magazines, primary source documents, photos, maps, and flags. Includes Sports Illustrated Kids, Scholastic News, National Geographic and dozens more. Articles include reading level indicators (Lexile).

Newspaper Source Plus  


Newspaper Source Plus provides cover-to-cover full text for hundreds of national (U.S.), international and regional newspapers. In addition, it offers television and radio news transcripts from major networks.

NoveList Plus  


Created especially for people who love books, NoveList Plus is the premier online database for reading recommendations, available through libraries around the world. Helping readers of all ages find just the right book to read, this comprehensive source of popular and professional book information includes expert recommendations, reviews, articles, lists and more.
NoveList Plus - Tutorial

Points of View Reference Center  


Containing resources that present multiple sides of an issue, this database provides rich content that can help students assess and develop persuasive arguments and essays, better understand controversial issues and develop analytical thinking skills.
Points of View Reference Center - Tutorial

Primary Search  


Resources to support elementary school students, including encyclopedias specifically for kids, articles from children's magazines including Highlights and Junior Scholastic, and a large image collection.

Rosetta Stone  


Learn to listen, read, write and speak a new language! The Rosetta Stone Library Solution teaches by context clues and interactive feedback through your computer, tablet or mobile device for 30 different languages.
Rosetta Stone - Tutorial

Scholastic Go  


Scholastic Go! is an online encyclopedia and news magazine designed with different entry points for elementary, middle and high school students. Includes links to other web sites, clickable maps, and dictionaries.

Science Reference Center  


A comprehensive research database that provides easy access to a multitude of full-text, science-oriented content. Science Reference Center contains full text for hundreds of science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals and other sources. Topics covered include biology, chemistry, earth and space science, environmental science, health and medicine, history of science, life science, physics, science and society, science as inquiry, scientists, technology and wildlife.
Science Reference Center - Tutorial

Tuition Funding Sources  


Tuition Funding Sources is a private website designed to help students find scholarships, college and career information. TFS offers students the largest scholarship database in the world with over $41 Billion in scholarship awards along with a career personality test and detailed college and career information.

TumbleBook Cloud  


TBC is a collection of videos and chapter books in categories which include: Ebooks (Shakespeare, poetry, non-fiction, science, history, geography, etc.), Read-Alongs, Graphic Novels, Videos (from National Geographic!), and Audio Books. Our books feature adjustable text sizes, full narration, and a read-along function which highlights text as it is read. As a subscriber, you have access to lesson plans, quizzes and our Common Core Portal! These features make TBC a great tool for reluctant readers and ESL students. Plus, all these options can be switched to manual so readers can read at their own pace. If you aren't automatically logged in, the username is: palosheights and the password is: login.
TumbleBook Cloud - Tutorial

TumbleBook Library  


TumbleBook Library is a collection of TumbleBooks (animated, talking picture books). TumbleBooks are created from existing picture books which we have licensed from children's book publishers and converted to the TumbleBook format. [user name: palosheights password: libra.
TumbleBook Library - Tutorial

Tutor.com / Homework Help Illinois  


Connects users to Live Homework HelpR, an online tutoring service that links students in grades K-12, those in introductory-level college courses, and adult learners to expert tutors (at no charge) in math, science, social studies, and English via the Internet. This service is available seven days a week, from 2pm to 9pm. Login by using your Palos Heights Library card number.
Tutor.com / Homework Help Illinois - Tutorial

US Major Daily: Chicago Tribune  


Access the current issues of the day, as well as progression of issues over time with digital and remote access to up-to-date news with articles from the 1980s through today with timely content updated daily from the Chicago Tribune.

Value Line Research Center  


Value Line is the most trusted and prestigious name in the investment field. For more than seventy-five years Value Line has been synonymous with trust, reliability, objectivity, independence, accurate information and proven performance for investors.
Value Line Research Center - Tutorial

Vocational & Career Collection  


Designed to meet a wide variety of vocational and technical research needs, this database provides full-text coverage for trade and industry-related periodicals for high schools, community colleges, trade institutions and the general public.

World Book Encyclopedia  


This database includes both the World Book Encyclopedia and Research Libraries. Many documents are primary source (e.g. eyewitness accounts speeches, Supreme Court rulings, treaties.) Downloadable versions of classic books are also available through this source.
World Book Encyclopedia - Tutorial