E Resources
The Westbank Library District is delighted to provide you with a full range of electronic resources! These resources are so good because they are professionally compiled and edited for the very best, most up-to-date information. Naturally we have to pay for them so the link will send you to log-in on the Library's catalog page.
To get you started with some of these resources, we have created video tutorials to explain the great features these databases have.
However, if you're interested in Genealogy, our librarians have put together a pathfinder to help you navigate all the Library's resources on the subject. If Genealogy's your thing, take a look!
- Current Events
CQ Researcher, the Congressional Quarterly, offers up to date, in-depth, non-biased coverage of political and social issues. It dates back to 1991. - Genealogy Bank
Includes thousands of historical newspapers, govt. books & documents, Social Security Death Index and more. Some entries back as far as 1650. Texas is included. - Gutenberg
Video Tutorial
The place where you can download over 30,000 books in a variety of formats to read on your PC, iPhone, Kindle, Sony Reader or other portable device. Most of the books available from Gutenberg are no longer covered by copyright. - Hobbies and Crafts
Want to try a new craft or learn more about your current hobby? Weaving to parasailing- dig in! - LibriVox
Video Tutorials
Public domain recordings of public domain literature. Downloads to anything! - Mango
Video Tutorial
Mango Languages is a language learning program teaching practical conversation and cultural awareness for the world’s most popular languages. It’s the fun, easy and incredibly effective way for travelers of all kinds to learn to speak a foreign language. Go mobile with Mango Mobile Library Edition, the language learning app available for your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
| - New York Times- Historical
This collection includes digital reproductions of every page from every issue it contains in downloadable PDF files. Currently covers 1851-2003. - NoveList
Need help figuring out what fiction you may like? This database contains read-alike lists, information about authors, and even book discussion guides. Find a novel you may like based on your own parameters! - Overdrive
Video Tutorial
Download digital books and audio books. Choose from hundreds of popular titles. - Reference USA
ReferenceUSA Guide
Think of this as everything you'd want a national business phone book to provide- contact numbers, executive names, sales figures, product lines and more for more than 13 million U.S. businesses and 683,000 U.S. healthcare providers and much more. - Resume Maker
Need a bit of help in the job market? Resume Maker will help you present your skills, experience, and accomplishments in a strong, impressive resume. It also provides job search tips, salary comparisons, and practice interview questions. A one-time registration will create your own private password and log-in.
| - Texas and US Statistics
RAND Texas offers fabulous, accessible statistics about our state and nation. It throws in public policy analysis as an extra benefit. - Testing and Education Resource Center
Video Tutorial
Find current information on colleges and universities, available scholarships and financial aid. Also, eBooks on test preparation and preparatory online entrance tests and study aids and more. - TexShare Resources
Video Tutorial - Search Consumer Reports
Video Tutorial - Search Journals and Magazines
Video Tutorial - Search Newspapers
Think of this site as a bag of assorted candy bars. It includes lots of separately wrapped, fabulously flavored resources- newspapers, homework help, business links, medical and consumer advice. To open the bag, click on the TexShare Resources icon on the catalog page. Learn more about how to use the individual candy bars (we call them databases). - Tumble Books
Video Tutorial
TumbleBookLibrary is an online collection of animated, talking picture books which teach young children the joys of reading. - Value Line Online
Value Line guide
On-line access to Value Line's leading publications covering stocks, mutual funds, options and convertible securities. (1 user at a time)
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In-Library Only
As hard as we try to get Library resources to be available to you at home as well as in the Library, there are a few we simply can't push out to you. Here is the list of those, along with some ideas that might help with flexibility.
- Ancestry Plus
The genealogy service for libraries with over 10 million images of US Census forms. This is available on all our public computers- right on the desktop. - Austin American Statesman Archives
The Library has two months worth of the Statesman on its shelves. If you need articles older than that, ask the Reference Librarian for a password. - Consumer Reports
Want to know what the ratings are on that item you're about to buy? Consumer Reports is the place! Ask the Reference Librarian for a password.
Consumer Reports is also one of the magazines available in the TexShare Resources (see above) which you can access from home with your library card number. Log-in, click on the Tex Share icon, scroll down that confusing page that follows (the icons are not under our control!) and click on All EBSCO Databases at the top of the beige column on the left. Publications on the blue bar at the top will take you to all sorts of interesting digitized magazines, including Consumer Reports!
Interested in learning how to make good use of these resources? We'll be happy to help! Email Sharon Temple to sign up for a 15 minute training session.
