America: History & Life Indexes hundreds of journals covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present.
Ancestry Library Edition A genealogy research tool with over 1.5 billion names in over 4,000 databases, including US Census, birth and death records, military records, and much more. Ancestry has temporarily made access available to library cardholders working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote access will end December 31, 2021.
Auto Repair Service Service and repair information for thousands of domestic and imported vehicles. Includes repair information, diagrams, maintenance schedules, parts and labor estimates, and more.
Black Freedom
Features select primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history. For a wide range of students, from middle and high school students to college students and independent scholars.
BookConnections Find multimedia resources, book guides, lesson plans, author interviews, and more for fiction and nonfiction books for the K-12 reader and educator.
Brainfuse Get unlimited, live homework help with your San Mateo Public Library card. Tutors are available 1pm-10pm daily.
Britannica Escolar Encyclopedia articles and other learning resources that support student research in Spanish.
Britannica School Encyclopedia articles and other learning resources that support student research.
California Missions eBook Series A username and password is needed to read a mission eBook: username: missions password: missions
CCH Cheetah Includes Capital Changes Reporter, provides timelines for public corporations by recording name changes, new stock issues, dividends, splits and reverse splits as well as other actions.
Consumer Reports Search Consumer Reports magazine index and find full-text articles.
Consumers' Checkbook Reviews of local services: auto repair shops, dentists, plumbers, health plans and much more.
Coursera Build skills with courses, certificates, and degrees online from world-class universities and companies. The California State Library is pleased to offer this resource until September 2022 to help communities recover from the pandemic.
CultureGrams Provides concise and reliable cultural information on the countries of the world.
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Data Axle - Reference Solutions (Formerly ReferenceUSA) A leading source for business and residential data in the United States. Find millions of business and residential listings and more.
Directory of Business Information Resources Provides comprehensive coverage of business related industries. Information includes associations, newsletters, magazines, trade shows, directories as well as international trade resources.
Enki Thousands of downloadable eBooks from independent publishers and self-published authors. In response to COVID-19, access to enki is temporarily available to any California library card holder.
ERIC ERIC, the Education Resource Information Center, provides access to journal articles, research reports, and other documents related to education literature and research.
Explora (grades K-5) Explora (grades 6-8) Explora (grades 9-12) Homework help for students. Find topic overviews, articles from encyclopedias and magazines, biographies and more.
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Financial Rating Series Online Provides information to make informed decisions about financial planning. Covers insurance, banks, credit unions, mutual funds, stocks, exchange-rated funds, and financial literacy tools.
Foundation Directory Online (inside the library) Foundation Directory Online (outside the library) Find grant makers and information on grant making history. Over 91,000 U.S. foundations and corporate donors, 1.2 million recent grants, and more than 400,000 key decision-makers.
General Research Find articles in thousands of general-interest periodicals. Includes reference book articles, primary source documents, and images.
GetSetUp Join an online community of people who want to learn new skills, connect with others, and unlock new life experiences designed specifically for older adults. The California State Library is pleased to offer this resource until September 2022 to help communities recover from the pandemic.
Guide to Venture Capital & Private Equity Firms Directory includes both domestic and international firms. Provides valuable, current, and detailed information to individuals, entrepeneurs, and business seeking venture capital.
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Historical Abstracts Covers world history (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 - present. Contains indexing of historical articles and records from over 1,800 journals, some with full text, in over 40 languages back to 1955.
History Reference Center Find articles from reference books, encyclopedias, books, and history periodicals. Also includes select historical documents, biographies of historical figures, historical photos, maps, and historical video.
Hoopla Thousands of movies, TV shows, music albums and audiobooks to borrow for instant streaming or temporary downloading to a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
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JobNow & VetNow
Receive live job coaching, interview practice, resume help, access to job resources, and more! Includes veteran resources and help navigating veteran benefits. Live help is available every day 1:00 PM - 10:00 PM.
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Kanopy Enjoy more than 30,000 independent, international, classic, or documentary films through Kanopy. Create an account, download the app, and watch them on your smartphone, tablet, PC or smart TV. You may view 10 movies per month; the loan period is 3 days.
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Learning Express Library Targeted for students and professionals at all levels of learning, achieve your educational and career-related goals with these online resources. The California State Library is pleased to offer this resource until September 2022 to help communities recover from the pandemic.
LinkedIn Learning Helps you discover and develop business, technology-related, and creative skills through expert-led course videos. The California State Library is pleased to offer this resource until September 2022 to help communities recover from the pandemic.
Literary Reference Center Plus Information from reference works, books, magazines, and literary journals. Includes plot summaries/synopses, author biographies, and literary criticism.
Morningstar One of the best-known sources for stock and mutual fund advice.
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The New York Times (inside the library) The New York Times (outside the library) The New York Times newspaper online from 1851-present. Spanish and Mandarin Chinese languages also available. Register for a free account.
Newspaper Source Plus Contains full-text articles from hundreds of newspapers. Includes television and radio transcripts.
Northstar Provides assessments, instructor-led curricula and self-directed online learning for basic digital literacy skills. The California State Library is pleased to offer this resource until September 2022 to help communities recover from the pandemic.
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O'Reilly Formerly Safari Books Online. Computer and technology eBooks from the best authors and publishers.
OverDrive Downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks for all ages.
Points of View Reference Center Find information on social issues, such as gun control, genetic engineering, censorship, endangered species, and terrorism. Perfect for debate prep, current events assignments and research papers.
ProCitizen A citizenship prep course containing 100 instructional videos with interactive exercises to prepare new Americans for the Naturalization Test.
Pronunciator Learn a new language using interactive online drills and audio lessons. Over 70 languages to choose from. Register using your library card number.
ProQuest
Hundreds of collections available to researchers. Products include Research Library and Historical Newspapers.
ProQuest Ebook Central
Thousands of eBooks available to read in your browser or download after creating a free account. Intended for students of all ages.
ProQuest eLibrary
Contains magazine and digital media content designed for beginning and intermediate researchers.
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Referencia Latina Este recurso electrónico incluye periódicos de varios países de Latinoamérica, una variedad de revistas, diccionarios español-inglés, una enciclopedia, reportajes de salud, y libros de referencia. Es fácil de usar, incluso si no tiene mucha experiencia con recursos electrónicos.
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Science Reference Center Contains articles from science encyclopedias, reference books, and periodicals covering a variety of science topics.
SIRS Discoverer
A general reference database providing reliable, curriculum-aligned content and features for use by students in grades 3-9 and educators.
SIRS Issues Researcher
Pros and cons on hundreds of social issues with relevant, credible information. For grades 6+.
Skillshare Offers thousands of creative courses and classes taught by experts to help you learn new skills. This membership will be available on a first come first serve basis for 3 months at a time. The California State Library is pleased to offer this resource until September 2022 to help communities recover from the pandemic.
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Teacher Resources For professional educators, this database provides articles from education journals and reports.
TeachingBooks Find multimedia resources, book guides, lesson plans, author interviews, and more for fiction and nonfiction books for the K-12 reader. Provided by the California State Library.
Value Line
Provides investment research on companies, industries, markets and economies. Includes coverage of stocks in The Value Line Investment Survey Plus as well as stocks in The Small and Mid-Cap edition. Additional services include the Value Line Fund Advisor and the new ETF Service.
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Yewno Discover
A discovery and learning tool that augments library databases and keyword searching. Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence Yewno allows users to browse for information and ideas through a visual map called a Knowledge Map, suggesting other related concepts.
Database Restrictions
Some databases are accessible to everyone, however, in some cases there are restrictions on the availability of the information. The icons below represent the various accessibility levels.
San Mateo Library Card Required This means you must hold a San Mateo library card in order to access this information.
Only Accessible at a Library This means the information is only available through a computer at one of the San Mateo libraries. You will not be able to access this information from home/work.
Any PLS Library Card Accepted This means you must hold ANY Peninsula Library System library card in order to access this information.
No Library Card Required
This means the information is open to the public. You do not need a library card nor do you need to be at a library.