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Website Guides

Website guides are links to websites compiled by librarians to help you find the most useful resources for your subject.

Art & Architecture
Architecture
archINFORM
Claims to be the largest database for international architecture. Strong focus on 20th Century buildings. Browse by architect, location or keyword, or search the text of each entry.
ArchiPages27
A directory of architectural firms, members, consultants, products and services in Illinois+ from AIA Illinois
Architecture @ About dot com
One of the most comprehensive sites on architecture on the Internet.
Boston College Digital Archives
Over 1500 scanned images for American architecture, over 700 for European architecture.
Chicago Architecture Foundation
Information about the foundation's tours, exhibits and lectures, as well as links to other architectural and design related websites.
Great Buildings Collection
3D models, photographic images and architectural drawings of 1000 buildings and commentaries, bibliographies, web links, and more, for famous designers and structures of all kinds.
Dance Heritage Coalition
The Dance Heritage Coalition is a national alliance of institutions holding significant collections of materials documenting the history of dance.
Web Gallery of Art
Over 8,000 digital reproductions of European paintings and sculptures created between 1150 and 1750.
Fine & Visual Arts
Art Institute of Chicago
Visit the Museum and the School, browse online collections and get information about past and current exhibitions.
Art on the Web
Over 1200 links collected by Dr. Jeffery Howe of Boston University. A comprehensive list of sites for fine arts and architecture studies.
AskART
The site is listed as "The Artist's Bluebook" with extensive information about more than 26,000 American artists, including biographies, auction prices and a directory that serves the collector. Particularly useful for information on artists currently working in America.
Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum - CVA
The Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum consists of a series of high-quality catalogues of mostly ancient Greek painted pottery in collections around the world.
Google Art Project
View thousands of works of art from museums around the world.
Louvre Museum Official Website
Website and database access in English including the Atlas: database of exhibits with information on all of the 35,000 works of art owned by the museum.
National Gallery of Art
Virtual tours of the collection and background essays on the works. Searchable by artist, title, or keywords.
SFMOMA - Rauschenberg Research Project
The Rauschenberg Research Project provides free worldwide access to a wealth of scholarly research and documentation relating to artworks by Robert Rauschenberg in SFMOMA's permanent collection.
Timeline of Art History
Chronological, geographical and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
UbuWeb
UbuWeb is an independent resource dedicated to all strains of the avant-garde, ethnopoetics, and outsider arts.
Union List of Artists Names by the J. Paul Getty Research Institute
The ULAN currently contains some 200,000 names representing approximately 100,000 individual artists (or "creators," including performance artists, decorative artists, etc.) and architects, cumulated from nine participating Getty documentation projects.
General Art
Art History Resources on the Web
This is one of the most comprehensive art history sites on the Internet. It covers all time periods and art forms. Created by Chris Witcombe.
Artcyclopedia
An online encyclopedia of information on art and artists.
Google Art Project
Google Art Project allows you to browse art collections from around the world.
Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS)
The online catalog of resources held by the Institution's libraries, archives, and other specialized research centers. Including Art Inventories, which provides information on over 335,000 artworks in public and private collections worldwide; a large photographic archive that documents the work of approximately 10,000 American artists in 127,000 black-and-white images; manuscripts and specialized bibliographies
Museums
Art Institute of Chicago

Diego Rivera Virtual Museum
In English and Spanish
Guggenheim
The official website of the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
J Paul Ghetty Museum
Browse collections at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, CA.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Search free full-text publications by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Museum Stuff
Locate museums worldwide, by region or collection.
Photography
Corbis: The Place for Pictures on the Internet
The Corbis Collection currently contains more than 25 million images, from professional photographers, museums, cultural institutions, and public and private collections in the world, including: the National Gallery - London, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the State Hermitage Museum and the Bettmann Collection.
George Eastman House: International Museum of Photography and Film
Timeline and history of photography. Telnet link to Eastman's database of photographic holdings.
Photo.net
Links to online photography exhibits, equipment reviews, and photography "how tos".
Automotive & Auto Safety
Auto Safety
Driving-Tests.org
Free DMV permit practice tests
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Car safety information.
safecar.gov
Direct link to crash test and rollover ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Automobiles
Auto-By-Tel
Buy, sell or lease new and used cars
DriveChicago
Listing of vehicles for sale in the Chicago area.
fueleconomy.gov
Compare fuel economy, stats and safety ratings for cars from 1984 on
Pricing Guides
Edmunds
Online information from the publisher of Edmund's Automobile Buyer's Guides.
Kelley Blue Book
Values for new and used cars
N.A.D.A. (National Automobile Dealers Association)

Books & Literature
Awards
BookPrizeInfo
Search by title or prize.
Book Clubs & Reading Groups
Love to Read. Finding Books and Book Clubs
Internet Public Library pathfinder and links to books and book clubs.
ReadingGroupGuides.com
Reading group guides, discussion, questions, advice and ideas.
Book News & Reviews
Barnes and Noble Review
An online publication with reviews and features from established critics, reviewers, and columnists.
Book Page
A monthly collection of general interest book reviews.
Genrefluent
Brief reviews of books by genre. Features items for teens.
LibraryThing
Create an account and make your own catalog of books you own or have read. Share book reviews and ratings with others, get reading recommendations from like-minded readers, or talk to other book lovers on this social book site.
New York Times Book Review

Overbooked
Specializes in literary and genre fiction information. Maintained by volunteers.
Books & Literature
Booklist
The Web site of the American Library Association's Booklist provides access to reviews of books for adults, young adults, and children, written by librarians. The overall ALA Web site is searchable, and you can browse the reviews by category (Adult, Youth, Nonfiction, etc.).
Cliffsnotes.com
180 literature guides online for free viewing. You may also purchase the titles for downloading or printing.
HathiTrust
HathiTrust is a partnership of academic & research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.
Modern English Collection
From the University of Virginia, this large collection contains fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, letters, newspapers, manuscripts and illustrations from 1500 to the present, arranged for browsing by author's last name or by category of interest.
Online Literary Criticism Collection
From the Internet Public Library, this site contains over 4745 critical and biographical Web sites about authors and their works that can be browsed by author, by title, by nationality, or by literary period.
PAL: Perspectives in American Literature
From a professor of English at California State University Stanislaus, an excellent source for information on specific authors by period of American history from the Colonial Period to the Present. Additional information including obituaries for some authors, introductory essays for each period (e.g., Early 19th Century Transcendentalism, The Harlem Renaissance) and bibliographies.
New, Used & Rare Books
Abebooks.com
Online marketplace for used, rare, and out-of-print books.
Alibris
"Comprehensive source of new, used, and hard- to- find books, music, and movies."
Amazon.com
Search the largest bookseller online for rare and other used books.
BookFinder.com
Free one-stop book search site to the collection of over 150 million books.
eBay Online Bookstore

Independent Bookstores in Illinois
Listing of bookstores.
Powell's Books
Web site of large independent bookstore which began in Chicago. In-print and out-of-print books. Includes author interviews and staff picks.
Citing Sources
Citing Sources
Duke University online guide to citations from four of the best known style manuals.
Online Writing Lab
Purdue University writing lab information on citations, grammar, spelling, etc.
Literary Resources
A.K.A.
Author pseudonyms, aliases, nicknames, etc.
Internet Public Library Literary Criticism Collection
Links to critical and biographical websites about authors and their works.
Online Books
Bartelby.com
Great books online. Searchable source for free online books.
HathiTrust
HathiTrust is a partnership of academic & research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.
Internet Public Library Online Texts
Links to recommended resources for online texts, including books, poetry, stories, and magazines.
Project Gutenberg
Offers over 60,000 free ebooks
Business & Investing
Advertising & Marketing
Marketing @ About.com
A wide variety of full-text articles in 25 subject areas written by marketing/advertising experts and teachers.
University of Texas Advertising World
Links to advertising and marketing information in nearly 80 subject categories such as Broadcast and Print Media, Direct Marketing, Hot Web Sites, and Promotional Products.
Associations
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is the largest independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States. FINFA's mission is to protect America's investors by making sure the securities industry operates fairly and honestly. Use the Broker Check® "to check the background of your investment professional."
Financial Planning Association of Illinois
FPA is the premier resource connecting consumers with financial planners that will deliver advice using and objective, client-centered, ethical process.
Securities and Exchange Commission

Bonds & Securities
Bonds Online
Details on the basics of bond investing and how to select a broker.
Investing in Bonds
Resource created by the Bond Market Association, educates investors about U.S. securities, municipal bonds, corporate bonds, and other bond types.
SmartMoney.com--Bonds
Guide to fixed-income investments from SmartMoney.com.
Business & Investing
CNNMoney
CNN, Fortune, and Money Magazine team up to offer business news and financial information.
Marketwatch.com
Dow Jones and Company's site for business news, personal finance advice, and investment information.
MSN Money
MSN site contains business news and commentary, investing information, and personal finance education. Rated as a top investment site by Barron's.
Yahoo! Finance
This site offers financial news, company and industry information, and personal finance education. Historical stock data.
Business & Investing Education
InvestorWords
Glossary of investment terms.
Motley Fool
Investor education, market data and charts, free daily email newsletter, and lively chat boards.
SEC Investor Information
SEC's Office of Investor Education and Assistance provides a variety of services to address the problems and questions you may face as an investor. We cannot tell you what investments to make, but we can tell you how to invest wisely and avoid fraud.
The Trading Coach
A resource developed by a former member of The Chicago Board of Trade for those who would like to learn how to use simple stock market charting techniques to manage their investments.
Calculators/Currency Exchange
Bankrate Calculators

Oanda.com
Historical currency exchange data.
Certificates of Deposit
Bank CD Rate Scanner
Rate comparisons from thousands of FDIC-insured U.S. banks.
Bankrate.com
Comparison shop for certificates of deposit and other interest rates.
Company Research & Investing
Thomas Register
Search the well-known manufacturers directory.
Mutual Funds
Mutual Fund Investor's Center
Mutual fund education from the Mutual Fund Education Alliance.
Mutual Funds, Financial Advice and Planning - CNNMoney.com
Articles, news, and mutual fund analysis.
Patents & Trademarks
State Trademark Agencies Links

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Search

Small Business Information
AllBusiness
Get small business advice and a wealth of resources from this D&B site.
BPlans.com
500+ Sample Business Plans.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Search for grants, training, guaranteed loans, and 12 other types of assistance.
eLaws - Employment Laws Assistance
This interactive site from the Department of Labor can help both employers and employees understand the federal employment law.
Findlaw's Small Business Center
Provides information and resources for small business owners, and help for entrepreneurs seeking to get a business idea off the ground.
Franchise Handbook Online
The Franchise Handbook offers articles, links to associations, a franchise directory and more.
FranchiseGator
Locate franchises and businesses for sale.
Illinois Department of Labor
Find laws, forms, and more from the State Department of Labor.
Illinois Small Business Development & International Trade Center
Find your path to success with CLC's small business expertise. Offering one-on-one consulting targeted to small businesses and entrepreneurs.
SCORE: Service Corps of Retired Executives
SCORE matches small business owners with retired executives willing to offer advice on business matters.
Small Business Administration

State of Illinois Small Business Portal
Discover how to start and run a business in Illinois.
Stocks
Big Charts
Discover how to start and run a business in Illinois.
Online Investor Stock Splits and Historical Stock Splits

Careers & Employment
Career Information
America's Career InfoNet
"Find wages and employment trends, occupational requirements, state by state labor market conditions, millions of employer contacts nationwide, and the most extensive career resources library online."
Career Guide to Industries
Bureau of Labor Statistics' companion to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. "The Career Guide to Industries provides information on available careers by industry, including the nature of the industry, working conditions, employment, occupations in the industry, training and advancement, earnings and benefits, employment outlook, and lists of organizations that can provide additional information."
Career Key
Take the Career Key, a professional test or quiz. It measures your skills, abilities, talents, values, interests, and personality. You will identify promising jobs and get accurate career information about these jobs.
Illinois Career Information System
Illinois Department of Employment Security's web site for career exploration.
Job Hunter's Bible
Supplement to Dick Bolles' What Color is My Parachute? Includes interactive tests, resume writing tips, and how to research companies. Also includes the Parachute Library, a selection of job hunting articles written by Mr. Bolles.
O*NET
"The O*NET database includes information on skills, abilities, knowledge, work activities, and interests associated with occupations. This information can be used to facilitate career exploration, vocational counseling, and a variety of human resource functions, such as developing job orders and position descriptions and aligning training with current workplace needs. Information in O*NET is available for over 950 occupations."
Occupational Outlook Handbook
"The Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations."
Company Research
Thomas Register
Search the well-known manufacturers directory.
Job Searching Sites
About.com's Job Searching
Guide to job searching which contains general job search information from how to write a resume to advice on using headhunters to tips for finding a job.
Getting Hired
Job search for professionals and veterans with disabilities.
Riley Guide
"The Riley Guide is a directory of employment and career information sources and services on the Internet." Unique A-Z Index with links to job search tips, career information, and job leads.
The Spectrum Careers
Job search designed for those on the autism spectrum. Register to access resume builders and to make your profile searchable by employers.
Local Employment Agencies
Illinois Employment and Training Centers
IETCs provide unemployment insurance, recruitment, counseling, outplacement, training and information services.
Illinois workNet
Great site filled with links to information and videos on finding and applying for jobs, building resumes. Offers a wide array of services for all job seekers, including laid off workers.
Jewish Vocational Services
Offers non-sectarian employment and training services for people in the Chicagoland area.
Resumes & Cover Letters
Career Lab
"200 letters for job hunters."
Electronic Career Reference Center
Tutorial, job searching resources, gallery of e-resumes.
Got Resume Builder
A feature-rich online resume building tool for library users.
Illinois workNet Tools
Excellent page on the Illinois workNet site, with how-to videos on finding a job and building a resume.
My Perfect Resume
Free online resume builder
Resume Genius
Free online resume builder
Resume.com
Create, edit and share your resume for free. Also has cover letter examples.
Salary Information
IDES Occupational Employment Statistics
Salary information for hundreds of occupations in Illinois.
Occupational Wage Tables
Published by the Department of Labors' Bureau of Labor Statistics, this guide has employment and wage estimates for over 700 occupations.
Salary Calculator
Calculates cost of living comparisons in hundreds of U.S. and international cities.
Colleges & Financial Aid
Finding a College
CollegeBoard.com
College search, career search, scholarship search, examination testing dates, and test preparation information.
CollegeNET
Guide to colleges and universities in the U.S. and selected other countries.
College Steps
Provides personalized college support for students with learning and social challenges
Common Application
The Common Application is the recommended form of 195 independent colleges and universities for admission to their undergraduate programs. Fill out the application online or download it to your computer.
North Suburban Education Consortium
Access to a directory of degrees and programs in the north suburban Chicago area.
Peterson's Education Center
From the publishers of the Peterson's Guides comes a web site with college information, a financial aid Q&A, how to write a college essay, and distance learning opportunities.
Princeton Review Online
Study for the SAT, LSAT, or GRE online.
Think College
Searchable college options for people with intellectual challenges
College Bound
Highland Park Public Library College Information Subject Guide
A list of resources for those considering attending college.
Outstanding Books for the College Bound
This list, divided into five sections: fiction, biography, nonfiction, drama, and poetry, is revised every five years by a committee of the Young Adult Library Services Association of the American Library Association.
College Rankings
College and University Rankings
From the Education and Social Services Library of the University of Illinois, this site provides annotated lists of online sources of information on the ranking of institutions of higher education, as well as a well-designed section titles "Caution and Controversy" on the validity and usefulness of such rankings.
U.S. News & World Report's Best Graduate Schools
Programs in business, law, medicine, engineering, and education are surveyed every year. Programs in other fields are surveyed on a rotating basis, usually every three years.
U.S. News.com
U.S. News & World Report's yearly college ranking.
Financial Aid and Student Loans
College Illinois!
Powered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC).
FAFSA--Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Look here for government loans and grants and to file the FAFSA electronically.
FastWEB
"The Internet's largest free scholarship search."
FinAid: The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid
Information on a wide array of grants and scholarships.
Sallie Mae
The nation's leading provider of education funding.
Computers & Technology
Cloud Computing
Canva
Create flyers, posters, resumes, presentations and more
Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides
Collaborate with co-workers in real time on documents, spreadsheets, and more.
Live.com
Office Online, file and photo storage and sharing, Messenger, Hotmail and more
Microsoft Cloud
The Microsoft Cloud helps businesses of all types scale to meet changing needs and drive productivity in a connected world.
Zoho Writer
Easy online word processor.
Computers
CNet
Product and software reviews for computers, cell phones, tablets, TVs and more.
Healthy Computing
An "office ergonomics" website with information on carpel tunnel syndrome and how to use your computer and avoid injuries.
Mac 101
From Apple. A guide to using a Mac effectively and efficiently.
PC World
Technology news and reviews of tech products including computers, camcorders, printers, mobile apps, servers, cameras, TVs and more.
SWALCO Electronics Collections
Where to dispose of unwanted computers, small appliances, televisions, and more.
Techboomers.com
Techboomers.com is an educational website that teaches older adults and others with limited computer skills how to use the most popular websites on the Internet.
Webopedia
Online dictionary of computer terms.
Windows Help & How-to
Help with all currently supported Microsoft Windows operating systems.
Graphics & Images
Digital Media Lab
The Digital Media Lab offers the space, equipment, and software for you to get creative with video, music, graphic design, and more.
Gale Courses: Graphic Design
Gale Courses offers a wide range of highly interactive, instructor led courses in computer based graphic design that you can take entirely online at no cost with a Highland Park library card.
Pixabay
Over 1 million free high quality stock images and videos
Internet
Internet Archive
A digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form.
W3Schools Online
Learn to create websites with free tutorials in all web development techniques.
Internet Safety
A Parents' Guide to Internet Safety
From the F.B.I.
APWG
Site for the Anti-Phishing Working Group where you can report a phishing attempt and learn about how to protect yourself.
Microsoft Safety and Security Center
Free PC safety scans, spyware removal, and antivirus/antispyware software plus tips for avoiding phishing scams, protecting your personal information, and more.
Scambusters.org
This site will help you identify the latest Internet Scams, Identity Theft, and Urban Legends.
Mobile Computing & Phones
Android 101; A Guide to Using Your Android Phone
Ready to get started with your Android phone? This walk-through will have you up and running in no time.
Blackberry Support & Services
Community forums, downloads, how-tos, and more.
Book-A-Librarian
Make an appointment for one-to-one technology assistance with a member of the Highland Park Public Library staff.
iPad Support
Answers to your questions about your iPad from Apple.
iPhone Support
From Apple. iPhone how-tos, manuals, support.
Think Free Online
A free web office suite with online storage that can be accessed online or from a mobile device.
Windows Phone
Getting Started, how-tos, updates, apps & games plus more.
Software & Games
Game Spot
Reviews, cheats, forums and more for computer games on PCs, gaming platforms, and phones.
Goodwill Community Foundation
Free technology tutorials
IN Pictures: Online Computer Tutorials
Online tutorials based on pictures for software including Microsoft Office, Open Office, web design and scripting languages.
Mac Update
Comprehensive site for Macintosh programs and software reviews.
Microsoft Office Training
Online tutorials for Office 2010 from Microsoft
Microsoft Office Videos
Microsoft Office 2010 instructional videos.
Microsoft Office Website
Everthing you need for Microsoft Office including templates for resumes, budgets, presentations, and more.
Tutorialized
Tutorials for Graphics programs, Web development programs, Business Applications, Databases, Operating Systems, Video Editing and more.
Consumer Resources
Charities
BBB Wise Giving Alliance
Charity evaluation reports on nationally soliciting charitable organizations. From the National Charities Information Bureau and the Council of Better Business Bureaus' Foundation and its Philanthropic Advisory Service.
Charity Navigator
Formerly in print, Charity Navigator is an independent source that evaluates the financial health of over 5400 American charities.
GuideStar
Using Internal Revenue Service data, GuideStar provides online reports detailing the finances and programs of more than 600,000 charities.
idealist.org
Highlight is a searchable database of IRS information on nonprofits. Good place to find smaller organizations.
Network for Good
Offers information on over 1,000,000 charities and not for profit organizations.
The Foundation Center Online
Clearinghouse for information on U.S. philanthropy.
General Consumer Resources
annualcreditreport.com
The only authorized source to obtain a free annual credit report from the three credit reporting companies.
BestReviews
Product reviews including furniture, clothing and outdoor gear
Better Business Bureau
Check out a business or charity, file a complaint, or find a BBB-accredited business.
Consumer Product Safety Commission
CPSC is "charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products". Find recalls and get safety information.
Consumer Search
Includes product reviews and lists of "top" products in categories such as electronics, sports, office, kitchen, health and automotive.
Consumer World
Links to more than 1500 consumer sites for shopping, bargins, product reviews, and financial information.
Federal Trade Commission for the Consumer
Online service of the Office of Consumer and Business Education of the Bureau of Consumer Protection offers publications and an online form for filing complaints.
financialprotection.usa.gov
This site has information about how to protect your financial information, money basics, and how to obtain a credit report.
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
Repository for information on privacy-related issues including tips on preventing and recovering from identity theft.
Top Ten Reviews
Product reviews and buying guides
Wirecutter
Product reviews including cars
Real Estate & Relocation
Chicago Tribune Homes Section
Real estate listings and community profiles for the Chicago area.
Homefair.com
Experiment with the Salary Calculator, Lifestyle Optimizer, Moving Calculator, Relocation Wizard, and Relocation Crime Lab.
Moving.com
Find movers and get cost estimates.
Trulia
Trulia shows homes for sale. Includes hi-res photo galleries and detailed neighborhood maps.
zillow.com
A home valuation tool that will provide an estimated value of any house.
eBooks & eJournals
eBooks
Hoopla
HOOPLA is an online service for Highland Park patrons that allows you to check out a selection of digital music, movies, and audio books.
Libby
Libby is the new app from OverDrive designed to simplify the process of checking out and downloading books from the library.
Digital Library of Illinois (OverDrive)
Download e-books, audiobooks and video. Play them on your computer or transfer to portable devices such as iPods, MP3 players, Sony readers, and more.
Tumblebooks
An online collection of talking books, puzzles, and games for kids.
Online Books
Internet Archive eBooks and Texts
The Internet Archive Text Archive contains a wide range of fiction, popular books, children's books, historical texts and academic books.
Project Gutenberg
The Internet's oldest producer of free electronic books. Free and searchable website for over 33, 000 texts, primarily published prior to 1923. Many can be transferred to your Kindle, iPad, Sony Reader, iPhone, Android or other portable device.
Education & Online Learning
eLearning
Babbel
Discover a new language experience.
BaseRails
Master Ruby on Rails and other web technologies.
Busuu
The free language learning community.
Code School
Learn to code by doing.
Code.org
Start learning today with easy tutorials.
Codeacdemy
Learn to code interactively, for free.
Coursera
Take the world’s best courses, online, for free.
Coursmos
Take a micro-course anytime you want, on any device.
CreativeLive
Take free creative classes from the world’s top experts.
Curious
Grow your skills with online video lessons.
Dash
Learn to make websites.
DataCamp
Online R tutorials and data science courses.
DataMonkey
Develop your analytical skills in a simple, yet fun way.
DataQuest
Learn data science in your browser.
Duolingo
Learn a language for free.
edX
Take online courses from the world’s best universities.
Free Learning Tools - Varsity Tutors
Free online practice for standardized tests such as Common Core, GED, AP, ACT, SAT, LSAT, MCAT and more.
Goodwill Community Foundation
125+ free technology, everyday living, and career planning tutorials
Guides.co
Search the largest collection of online guides.
Highbrow
Get bite-sized daily courses to your inbox.
Khan Academy
Access an extensive library of interactive content.
Learnable
The best way to learn web development.
Learnist
Learn from expertly curated web, print and video content.
Lingvist
Learn a language in 200 hours.
Memrise
Use flashcards to learn vocabulary.
Niche Academy
Short video tutorials for learning how to use eBooks, audio books, electronic magazines, databases, and more.
One Month
Learn to code and build web applications in one month.
Platzi
Live streaming classes on design, marketing and code.
Skillshare
Online classes and projects that unlock your creativity.
Spelling Training
Online spelling tests at various levels of difficulty. You can also create your own tests.
Squareknot
Browse beautiful, step-by-step guides.
Stuk.io
Learn how to code from scratch.
TED-Ed
Find carefully curated educational videos
Thinkful
Advance your career with 1-on-1 mentorship.
Udacity
Earn a Nanodegree recognized by industry leaders.
Udemy
Learn real world skills online.
Education
Free Learning Tools - Varsity Tutors
Free online practice for standardized tests such as Common Core, GED, AP, ACT, SAT, LSAT, MCAT and more.
Goodwill Community Foundation
125+ free technology, everyday living, and career planning tutorials
Library U
A series of classes designed for adults that are held at the library.
General
Child Care and Early Education Research
An enormous collection of data and research covering child care and early education; includes data sets, policy resources and select full text.
Chronicle of Higher Education

Educator's Reference Desk
A new name and new service from the creators of Ask Eric.
Internship Programs

Open Culture
Curated selection of free cultural & educational media.
Private Business and Vocational Schools Directory of Approved Schools
A pdf from the Illinois Board of Higher Education with a listing of private business and vocational schools with programs approved to operate in Illinois.
Learning Disabilities
Autism Games
Serious games for those with moderate to severe autism
National Center for Learning Disabilities
Resources for adults and children with learning disabilities
LD OnLine
Resource for parents and teachers of learning-disabled children.
Statistics
Child Care and Early Education Research Connections

National Center for Education Statistics
The latest education statistics, 1400 NCES publications, and the Encyclopedia of Education Statistics.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Assessments of the basic educational systems for over 180 countries.
Encyclopedias & Almanacs
Encyclopedias & Almanacs
Encyclopedia Mythica
Internet encyclopedia of mythology, folklore, and religion. Here you will find everything from A-gskw to Zveda Vechanyaya.
Encyclopedia.com
Get free articles drawn from the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, the Oxford Dictionaries, and millions of periodical articles.
Netlingo
An online dictionary of definitions that explain the online world of business, technology, and communication, including the largest list of text and chat acronyms.
Enlaces in Espanol
Enlaces en Espanol
Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes
Sitio cultural y literario: Organizaciones nacionales de cultura, connecciones a bibliotecas nacionales y universitarios, incluso obras completas de autores hispanoparlantes.
Cáncer en Español
National Cancer Institute in Spanish
CNN en Español

Enlaces en Español sobre la matemática
Spanish language math resources
Instituto Cervantes de Chicago
Institute Cervantes Chicago.
La academia Americana de niño y psiquiatría adolescente
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
La Raza

La Sala Hispañica de Lectura de la Biblioteca del Congreso
The Hispanic Reading Room at the Library of Congress.
Manual Merck
The Merck Manual of Medical Information for the Home in Spanish.
MedlinePlus en Español
Medline Plus in Spanish
Mi Pediatra

Prensa Ecrita

Recursos en Español
Spanish resources from the National Women's Health Information Center.
Univision
News, current events, information about Latin American countries.
Vistas del Sistema Solar

WhaleNet
All about Whales in Spanish
Entertainment & Broadcasting
Local Arts & Entertainment
Chicago Creative Directory
Chicagoland resource guide for the creative directory.
Local Arts, Culture and Entertainment
From the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce, a listing of art, movies, music, theatre and literature groups.
Movies
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Information on Oscar nominiees and winners, the history of the awards, voting, etc.
AllMovie.com
Get reviews and watch trailers.
Common Sense Media
Reviews geared towards parents of movies, tv shows, apps and games with suggested viewer age levels.
Does the Dog Die?
Crowdsourced emotional spoilers for movies, tv, books and more. You can filter by type such as unhappy endings, plane crashes and more.
IMDB
Comprehensive film and TV database featuring in-depth reveiws, biographies, episode listings, actor filmographies, and more.
MovieFone.com
Check local showtimes, watch interviews and trailers, and read reviews.
Kids-In-Mind
Movie reviews geared towards parents. Warning: Potential spoilers.
MovieSpoiler.com
Your guide to plot twists and surprise endings.
MRQE
The Internet's largest database of movie reviews for over 80,000 titles, including current releases.
New York Times Movie Reviews
Browse or search 28,000 New York Times movie reviews.
Roger Ebert's Movie Reviews
Reviews, interviews, and essays from Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Radio
National Public Radio (WBEZ): 91.5 FM

WBBM: 780 AM

WGN: 720 AM

WLS: 890 AM

Television
ABC (WLS): Channel 7

CBS (WBBM): Channel 2

CLTV: Channel 53

Encyclopedia of Television
Sponsored by the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. Includes over 1000 original essays describing programs and people, historical moments, policy disputes, and special topics. Use the A-Z index.
FOX (WFLD): Channel 32

IMDB
Comprehensive film and TV database featuring in-depth reviews, biographies, episode listings, actor filmographies, and more.
NBC (WMAQ): Channel 5

PBS (WTTW): Channel 11

TV Guide: Listings
Find local television listings.
WGN: Channel 9

Xfinity

Theater
American Variety Stage: Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment 1870 - 1928
"A multimedia anthology selected from various Library of Congress holdings. This collection illustrates the vibrant and diverse forms of popular entertainment, especially vaudeville, that thrived from 1870-1920. Included are 334 English- and Yiddish-language playscripts, 146 theater playbills and programs, 61 motion pictures, 10 sound recordings and 143 photographs and 29 memorabilia items documenting the life and career of Harry Houdini."
Chicago Plays
Website of the League of Chicago Theaters that includes a schedule of Chicago theaters and information about HotTix discount tickets.
Chicago Reader's Guide to Arts and Entertainment: Theater
Weekly recommendations and reviews from the Chicago Reader's Theater critics.
Dramatists Play Service
A play licensing agency, at this site you can browse or search the catalog by cast size, title, author, keyword or ISBN, order scripts and apply for performance rights online, and find out where plays from the catalog are being performed.
Internet Broadway Database
A comprehensive database of shows produced on Broadway dating from the 1700s to the present. This site includes all program information about each production as well as historical information about theaters and fun facts related to Broadway.
Morton Grove Public Library Play Index
Index to plays in collections at the Morton Grove Public Library.
Playbill
Press releases and information on plays in production throughout the country. Also includes feature stories on the theatre industry, as well as news and information about theatre awards.
Tony Awards
The official website for Broadway's highest honors.
Environment & Conservation
Biology
eNature.com

Endangered Species
Information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
WWF Living Planet Report
From the World Wildlife Federation, a report on the state of the world's ecosystems.
Environment & Conservation
eNature.com

Endangered Species
Information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Environmental Protection Agency

GreenerChoices
Consumer Reports' online resource for all things environmentally friendly.
NOAA Climate
Timely and authoritative scientific data on climate-related events.
Sierra Club
"Explore, enjoy and protect the planet."
The Great Lakes an Environmental Atlas and Resource Book
Searchable atlas contains maps, images, diagrams and a wealth of information on the Great Lakes.
The Green Guide
Articles and information about environmentally-friendly living.
WWF Living Planet Report
From the World Wildlife Federation, a report on the state of the world's ecosystems.
Fact-Checking Sites
Fact-Check Websites for Emails & Posts
Credder
Journalists and the public review articles, measuring trust in every article, author, and outlet.
Dead or Alive?
A list of famous people who have recently died or enter a name to check the person's status.
FactCheck.org
Monitoring the factual accuracy of what is said by U.S. political players in TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
Hoax-Slayer
The latest internet scams and hoaxes
Hoaxy
Track the spread of claims and fact checking visually.
How to Use Google's Reverse Image Search to Spot Fake News
Simple instructions and video
PolitiFact
Find out which politicians and pundits are telling the truth, which ones are stretching it, and which ones are making statements they rate as Pants on Fire.
Snopes.com
Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.
ThatsFake.com
Debunking fake news
ThatsNonsense.com
Fact checking viral web posts
Truth Or Fiction
Information about the latest and most popular e-rumors.
Urban Legends
The latest urban legends, viral photos and videos analyzed.
Washington Post Fact Checker
Checking the statements of political figures regarding issues of importance, be they national, international or local.
General Political Information
FactCheck.org
Monitoring the factual accuracy of what is said by U.S. political players in TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
PolitiFact
Find out which politicians and pundits are telling the truth, which ones are stretching it, and which ones are making statements they rate as Pants on Fire.
Washington Post Fact Checker
Checking the statements of political figures regarding issues of importance, be they national, international or local.
Food, Recipes & Wine
Food & Wine
Lake County Health Inspections
Searchable database of all county health inspection results
Local Food Directories
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture provides a directory that locates retail and wholesale local food outlets, including Farmers markets.
Recipes
Cooking Light
Cooking Light offers tips, links to recipes, nutritional information, illustrations and videos on how to create light, balanced meals. Includes information on places to eat when traveling.
Epicurious
Recipes from Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines, plus technique videos, kitchenware, holiday features, wine advice, and much more.
Food
The Youth Services Department's Pinterest board of easy recipies
Food Network

Joy of Baking
Tested baking and dessert recipes and videos.
RecipeSource
Formerly SOAR, the searchable online archive of over 70,000 recipes. Searchable by keyword or topic.
Genealogy
Genealogical Associations
Association of Professional Genealogists

Board of Certification of Genealogists
These directories of certified genealogists may be useful for patrons who want an expert's assistance
Genealogy
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
Index to very basic facts about servicemen who served on both sides during the Civil War.
Cook County (Illinois) Genealogy
Search birth, death, and marriage records from 1872 for Cook County, Illinois.
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
THE source for genealogical resources on the web. A subject index to over 180,000 links world-wide. A section for beginners & lots of free how-to information.
FamilySearch
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has compiled extensive genealogical resources. Searchable index of these resources, research assistance, subject guide to genealogy web sites, card catalog for the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Database
Index of soldiers with full-text transcription of regimental histories. The index provides name, rank, company, unit, and place of residence.
Illinois State Archives
Search military records, marriage and death record indexes, and court record indexes for your Illinois ancestors.
Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
Full-text transcription of over 5,000 ships passenger lists. Database of over 1/2 million names. Passenger lists from 1600s-1900s.
JewishGen
World-wide index of Jewish genealogy resources, forum for discussion groups, surname index and ShetlSeeker database.
Roots Web Genealogical Data Cooperative
"The Internet's oldest and largest genealogy resource." Excellent web site for beginners. Volunteer projects have created valuable local resources. The Social Security Death Index at this web site is highly recommended.
The Memory Project
Millions of documents containing details about victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution during World War II.
The National Archives' Genealogy Page
The National Archives and Records Administration web site. An index to census, immigration, land, military, naturalization, social security, vital records, and much more.
The Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.
Archive of 22 million people who passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924. You can search for passengers without registering, but free registration allows you to do more. Database provides a text version of the manifest information, and may provide a scanned image of the manifest page, and some ship pictures
USGenWeb Project
Genealogy sources arranged by state and county. Tombstone and map projects are just two of the many very useful resources at this web site.
Vital Records Information United States
Birth, death, marriage, and divorce records for states and U.S. territories, searchable by geographic location. A good site, but be aware that surname search boxes for commercial sites frequently appear on this web site's pages and may be confusing.
WorldGenWeb Project
World wide version of USGENWEB, with links to genealogy resources from countries around the world. Place name indexes, surname queries, mailing lists, maps.
Libraries & Genealogical Societies
Genealogical Research in the Illinois State Archive
An index to their genealogy resources, census, military, land sales, and vital records.
Illinois State Genealogical Society
Links to Illinois genealogy resources.
Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois
How-to information & links to resources.
Lake County (IL) Genealogical Society
Links to the resources, queries, list of area researchers, monthly society meeting schedule & topics.
Government & Politics
Federal Information
Congress.gov
Legislative information from the Library of Congress
Every CRS Report
Public database of Congressional Research Services (a division of the Library of Congress) Reports
FedStats
Provides access to statistics and information produced by more than 100 U.S. Federal Government agencies.
FedWorld
Index to Federal government sites, agencies, departments, etc.
GPO - U.S. Government Printing Office
Code of Federal Regulations, Compilation of Presidential Documents, Congressional Bills, Congressional Documents, Congressional Hearings, Congressional Record, Congressional Reports, Economic Indicators, Federal Register, Public and Private Laws, United States Code ...
Statistical Abstracts Series
The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.
The White House

Thomas (Library of Congress)
Full text of pending and passed legislation.
U.S. Senate

United States House of Representatives

USA.gov
Home page of the U.S. Government's Official Web Portal for all government transactions, services, and information.
Foreign & International Information
Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments
The CIA publishes and updates this online directory regularly and includes as many governments of the world as is considered practical, some of them not officially recognized by the United States.
Europa: Gateway to the European Union
The official web site of the European Union with access to information published by all EU institutions, agencies and bodies.
Foreign Consular Offices in the United States
A complete and official listing of the foreign consular offices in the United States, and recognized consular officers compiled by the U.S. Department of State.
Library of Congress Country Studies
A continuing series of books prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program sponsored by the Department of the Army. This online series presently contains studies of 101 countries and regions. Dates of studies vary.
The World Factbook
The CIA's World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities. It includes: maps of the major world regions, as well as Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map.
United Nations

Websites of U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and Diplomatic Missions
Find a U.S. Embassy or Consulate anywhere in the world.
General Polical Information
CSpan
Capitol Hill, The White House and National Politics
FactCheck.org
Monitoring the factual accuracy of what is said by U.S. political players in TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
Federal Election Commission
The duties of the FEC, which is an independent regulatory agency, are to disclose campaign finance information, to enforce the provisions of the law such as the limits and prohibitions on contributions, and to oversee the public funding of Presidential elections.
Illinois State Board of Elections
Information for voters, candidates, teachers, businesses, reporters
League of Women Voters of the U.S.
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
OpenSecrets.org: Money in Politics
A nonpartisan guide to money’s influence on U.S. elections and public policy.
PolitiFact
Find out which politicians and pundits are telling the truth, which ones are stretching it, and which ones are making statements they rate as Pants on Fire.
Project Vote Smart
Tracks the performance of over 13,000 political leaders.
Washington Post Fact Checker
Checking the statements of political figures regarding issues of importance, be they national, international or local.
Government & Politics
Council on Foreign Relations
The nonpartisan think tank provides information and analysis on national security and peace at a global level.
Every CRS Report
Public database of Congressional Research Services (a division of the Library of Congress) Reports
GobiernoUSA
USAGov en Espanol
Social Security Online
The official website of the Social Security Administration.
Highland Park & Lake County
City of Highland Park
City Council Meeting Agendas & Minutes, Municipal Code
Government Officials
Contact information for government officials.
Lake County

Local Government Information
From the City of Highland Park
Illinois
Find-It Illinois
Searchable State of Illinois government agency documents.
Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation
Searchable IDPR profession database offering information on professionals who hold a license in the State of Illinois and are regulated by this department.
Illinois General Assembly
Includes links to Public Acts, Bills and Illinois Compiled Statutes, house and senate members and more.
State of Illinois Home Page

Law Subject Guides, Search Engines & Documents
Thomas (Library of Congress)
Full text of pending and passed legislation.
Political Parties
Democratic Party

Democratic Party of Illinois

Green Party

Illinois Green Party

Illinois Republican Party

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party of Illinois

Republican Party

Health, Nutrition & Wellness
Alternative Medicine
Wholehealthmd.com
Dedicated to providing the best in complementary and alternative medicine. Includes a reference library, expert Q & A, and healthy recipe makeovers
Drugs
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)
Information on evaluation and approval of new drugs.
CenterWatch
The global source for clinical trials information.
Good RX
Compare pharmacy prices and print coupons for prescriptions
PDR Health (Physician's Desk Reference)
This consumer health guide covers prescription, non-prescription,and herbal medicines. Also contains information on specific diseases and conditions.
Poison Pill ID
From the Poison Control Centers identify a pill by shape, color , imprint or name.
Fitness
Activities at Your Forest Preserves

Park District of Highland Park -- Athletics

Sports & Fitness Meetups

Web MD - Fitness and Exercise

For Caregivers
AARP Resources for Caregivers
Checklists, a support line, tips and timesavers. Also in Spanish.
Family Caregiver Alliance
Provides information and support for caregivers providing long-term care at home.
National Alliance for Caregiving
Visit this site for caregiving tips and links to many other excellent sites
Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Provides a wealth of health and safety information in English and Spanish.
Consumer Health Information in Many Languages

Free Medical Journals
Over 430 medical journals with free access to articles.
HealthCare.gov
HealthCare.gov is a health insurance exchange website operated under the United States federal government under the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, often known as 'Obamacare'), designed to serve the residents of the United States
HealthFinder
Online heath resource from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Healthplanratings.org
Healthplanratings.org is a website available to all IL residents for free and allows users to compare all available federal marketplace health plans on cost, quality, risk, and doctor availability in about five minutes.
Healthy Living Features -- CDC

Healthy.net
Your home for wellness and healthy living.
MedlinePlus Spanish
Spanish-language edition of MedLinePlus.
Mayo Clinic

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Since its inception, the Lifeline has engaged in a variety of initiatives to improve crisis services and advance suicide prevention.
NIH Senior Health
Health and wellness information for older adults from the National Institutes of Health.
Nursing Home Compare from Medicare
Provides detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.
U.S. National AIDS Hotline & Resources

WebMD
A resource for online health information services.
Mental Health
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Mental Help Net
Comprehensive source of online mental health information, news and resources.
National Alliance on Mental Illness
The nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
National Institute of Mental Health
Transforming the understanding and treatment of mental illness through research.
National Mental Health Association
Fact sheets, pamphlets, discussion boards, and other resources on mental health.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Since its inception, the Lifeline has engaged in a variety of initiatives to improve crisis services and advance suicide prevention.
SAVE: Suicide Prevention, Information and Awareness
Information about depression and suicide and resources for survivors.
Nutrition
American Dietetic Association
Your link to nutrition and health.
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Consumer advocacy orgainzation for health and nutrition.
Lose It!
Track your food intake and exercise
Nutrition.gov
Easy access to the best food and nutrition information from across the federal government. Smart nutrition starts here!
Seniors
AARP Health
Information for seniors about healthy living, medicare, drugs, dementia and other topics
NIH Senior Health
Health and wellness information for older adults from the National Institutes of Health.
Nursing Home Compare from Medicare
Provides detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.
Teen Health
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Since its inception, the Lifeline has engaged in a variety of initiatives to improve crisis services and advance suicide prevention.
Teen Health: Medline Plus

The Trevor Project
Educational material, counceling, suicide prevention, and crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth via phone, chat, text and social networks
Women's Health
Office on Women's Health
A gateway to women's health information from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. In English and Spanish.
Women Fitness.net
Online guide to healthy weight loss and optimum fitness.
History & Biography
History & Biography
American Memory from the Library of Congress
Access to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. Collections include Advertising, African American History, Architecture, Landscape, Cities, Towns, Culture, Folklife, Environment, Conservation, Government, Law, Immigration, American Expansion, Literature, Maps, Native American History, Performing Arts, Music, Presidents, Religion, Sports, Recreation, Technology, Industry, War, Military, and Women's History.
The American Presidency Project
Documents (including audio and video links) relating to the American presidency.
Best of History Web Sites
An award-winning portal that contains annotated links to over 1200 history web sites as well as links to hundreds of quality K-12 history lesson plans, history teacher guides, history activities, history games, history quizzes, and more.
Chronicling America
Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
David Rumsey Map Collection
The historical map collection has over 48,000 maps and images online. The collection focuses on rare 18th and 19th century North American and South American maps and other cartographic materials. Historic maps of the world, Europe, Asia, and Africa are also represented.
Discovering American Women's History Online
Contains primary-source digital materials concerning women in American history.
Founders Online
Explore online the historical documents of the Founders of the United States of America. Sponsored by the US National Archives.
The History Makers
A digital biographical archive with oral histories and videos of notable African Americans from artists to scientists.
Making of America
A thematically-related digital library documenting American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction, this collection contains 109 monographs (267 volumes) and 22 journals (955 volumes) with imprints primarily between 1840 - 1900.
Smithsonian Online Virtual Archive
Personal papers, manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, films, works of art and organizational records documenting the cultural history of the United States.
Special Subjects
Black History Month - History.com
Black History resources from the History Channel.
Discovering American Women's History Online
Contains primary-source digital materials concerning women in American history.
Remembering the Triangle Factory Fire
Original documents and secondary sources on the Triangle Fire, held by the Cornell University Library.
The American Presidency Project
Documents (including audio and video links) relating to the American presidency.
Voices of the Holocaust
Some of the earliest known oral histories of the Holocaust, available through this online archive. Sponsored by the Illinois Institute of Technology.
State & Local History
Archives & Local History Collections

Chicago History Museum

Dunn Museum
The Lake County Forest Preserves' historical museum
Encyclopedia of Chicago

Illinois State Historical Society

Home & Gardening
Gardening
Better Homes and Gardens
Watch videos, draft your own garden plan, or peruse 39 pre-made plans.
Chicago Botanic Garden

Conserve Lake County
Learn to create eco-friendly landscaping
Home & Garden
Full of decorating and gardening ideas; includes over 60 how-to videos.
Hort Corner
Home gardening and lawn care ideas from the professionals at University of Illinois Extension.
Lake County Master Gardeners
"The task of the Extension Master Gardener is to share unbiased, reliable, research-based information with home landscapers, students and gardeners."
National Gardening Association
Get expert advice and watch how-to videos from the NGA.
Organic Gardening
Get all the information you need to start your organic garden.
Home
Art Sparx
Find plenty of free tutorials on art, home decorating, and renovating.
Better Homes and Gardens
Watch videos, draft your own garden plan, or peruse 39 pre-made plans.
Home & Garden
Full of decorating and gardening ideas; includes over 60 how-to videos.
Martha Stewart
Get decorating ideas, projects, and organizing advice.
Homework Helpers
Homework Helpers
A+ Research and Writing
From the Internet Public library, a step by step guide to researching and writing a paper for teens.
Brainfuse HelpNow
Live tutoring, virtual study rooms, diagnostic test center and more. Tutors are available every day from 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM CST.
Dictionary.com
Featuring a variety of tools including thesauri, translator, and writing resources.
Free Learning Tools - Varsity Tutors
Free online practice for standardized tests such as Common Core, GED, AP, ACT, SAT, LSAT, MCAT and more.
Homework Center
An Internet subject directory from the Multnomah County Public Library which consists of Web resources that specifically concentrate on homework-related subjects. Web resources included on this site are reviewed by reference staff from Multnomah County Library.
Homework Spot
HomeworkSpot is designed to be a "homework information portal," covering all curriculum areas and offering a breakdown of resources by grade level (elementary through high school). A highlighted site and special theme areas which vary with the season add a nice dimension to the permanent reference links.
Internet Public Library for Teens
A great resource with special sections for youth and teens. The IPL's pathfinders are research guides to a selected topics. If one matches your interest (or your homework assignment), you're in luck.
Math Calculators
Calculators for percentages, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, sequences and more.
Physics Calculators
Calculators for mechanics, motion, waves, optics, fluids, atmospheric, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, quantum mechannics, relativitiy, astrophysics, and more.
Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Recognize and Avoid It
This website from Indiana University explains what plagiarism is and how how to avoid it. When the temptation hits to "cut and paste" read this first.
ProQuest Homework Help
Offers research starters, info on study skills and more.
Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgement
This easy to use guide from Dartmouth College provides examples for citing a wide variety of different kinds of materials in several different formats and styles.
Writing
A+ Research and Writing
From the Internet Public library, a step by step guide to researching and writing a paper for teens.
Free Learning Tools - Varsity Tutors
Free online practice for standardized tests such as Common Core, GED, AP, ACT, SAT, LSAT, MCAT and more.
Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Recognize and Avoid It
This website from Indiana University explains what plagiarism is and how how to avoid it. When the temptation hits to "cut and paste" read this first.
Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgement
This easy to use guide from Dartmouth College provides examples for citing a wide variety of different kinds of materials in several different formats and styles.
Lake County & Local Resources
Chicagoland
Chicago Reader Guide to Arts & Entertainment

Explore More Ilinois
Passes to select museums and attractions in Illinois (Highland Park library cardholders only)
Official City of Chicago Home Page

Highland Park
City of Highland Park
Official website of the City of Highland Park
Highland Park News

Highland Park Senior Center
Location, contact information, activities and special services offered at this local center for area seniors.
Local Affordable Housing Opportunities
from the City of Highland Park website
Lake County
Lake County
Official web presence of Lake County
Lake County Forest Preserves

Lake County Maps Online
View and print a wide range of geographically based information. Viewing, reporting, and printing of geographically based information such as tax parcels, district boundaries, environmental data on wetlands and floodplain, roads, etc.
211 Lake County
Call or text 211 anywhere in Lake County and get access to 24/7 help. Available in both English and Spanish.

Provided by United Way of Lake County.
Language Resources
Learn a New Language
Basic ESL
Online English lessons with native language support in 19 languages. Learn more.
BBC Languages
Excellent interactive site for learning French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Greek, Italian and more.
Duolingo
Learn over 30 different languages. Can also be used for ESL.
Free Language Tutorials
Covers German, Swedish, Dutch, Norwegian, Brazilian Portuguese, French, and more.
Mango Languages Online Language Learning
Mango uses real-life situations and actual conversations to more effectively teach a new language.
LGBTQ+
Glossaries/General Information
It's Pronounced Metrosexual

The Legacy Project

The Sexualitree

We Are Family

Parents/Allies
PFLAG

PFLAG Northern Illinois Council

Safe Zone Project

The Trevor Project

We Are Family

Social Opportunities
About Face Youth Theatre
Theatre, activism, and leadership development program offered free of charge to LGBTQI+ and allied youth
Artemis Singers
Lesbian feminist chorus
Center on Addison
Social events for LGBTQ+ seniors
Center on Halsted
Provides LGBTQ+ social oportunities for the Chicagoland area
Chi-Town Squares
Chicago's LGBTQ+ square dance club
Chicago Annual Pride Parade
Information about the yearly event
Chicago Gay Men's Chorus

Chicago PrideCom
A guide to LGBTQ+ events in the Chicagoland area
Chicago Queer Contra
Contra dance to live music
Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles
Performance groups for members and friends of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community
Windy City Gay Chorus/Windy City Treble Quire

Youth at the Center of It
Youth events at the Center on Halsted
Suggested Fiction, Non-Fiction & Film
Transgender Fiction & Nonfiction, June 1, 2016

Stonewall Book Award
ALA's award for GLBT books began in 1971
Suggested Young Adult LGBTQ+ Books
Books suggestions for 7th and 8th grade readers
Support/Services
ACLU Illinois

Affinity Community Services
Works with and on behalf of Black LGBTQ communities, queer youth, and allies to identify emergent needs, create safe spaces, develop leaders, and bridge communities
ALMA
Fighting for the rights of the Latino Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning community
Broadway Youth Center (BYC) of Howard Brown Health
A haven for LGBTQ youth and young people experiencing homelessness or housing instability
Center on Halsted
Community center dedicated to advancing community and securing the health and well-being of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people of Chicagoland
Chi Chapter
Cross-Dressing/Transgendered support organization
Chicago Gender Society
A social, and educational organization for all members of the Transgender community, their supporters and for the benefit of the public
Crisis Text Line
Every texter is connected with a Crisis Counselor, a real-life human being trained to help
Equality Illinois
Secures, protects and defends the basic civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer and questioning transgender (LGBTQ) Illinoisans
Fight OUT Loud
Provides immediate resources, support, education, and assistance for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals who are faced with discrimination and hate
Gay, Lesbian and Supporting Sailors (GLASS)
Seeks to foster a naval base free of prejudice, bigotry, harassment, and violence
Gay Liberation Network
A Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Direct Action Organization
Illinois Safe Schools Alliance
Promote safety, support and healthy development for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, in Illinois schools and communities, through advocacy, education, youth organizing and research.
InTouch Hotline
A free telephone crisis intervention, counseling, and referral service offered to UIC students and members of the greater Chicagoland area.
Lambda Legal
A national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and everyone living with HIV
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) National Hotline
Provides telephone, online private one-to-one chat and email peer-support, as well as factual information and local resources for cities and towns across the United States
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Youth Talkline
Provides telephone, online private one-to-one chat and email peer-support, as well as factual information and local resources for cities and towns across the United States for those up to age 25
National Domestic Violence Hotline

National Runaway Safeline

National Sexual Assault Hotline

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

PFLAG--Myself
Support you and your family in your journey of discovery
Pride Institute
Provider of residential and outpatient treatment programs devoted to treating addiction and the mental health needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community
S.A.F.E. ALTERNATIVES®
Helping end self-injurious behavior
Trans Lifeline
A hotline staffed by transgender people for transgender people
TRANSATHLETE.com
A resource for students, athletes, coaches, and administrators to find information about trans inclusion in athletics at various levels of play
The Trevor Project
National organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25
True Colors Fund
Working to end homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth
Youth Empowerment Performance Project
A safe environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer youth experiencing homelessness through the process of developing a theatrical performance piece.
Theater & Music
About Face Theatre

Chicago's Gay Men's Chorus

GayCo Productions

Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles
Performance groups for members and friends of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community
Windy City Gay Chorus/Windy City Treble Quire

Local & Regional Library Catalogs
Library Catalogs
Deerfield Public Library
920 Waukegan Rd Deerfield, IL 847-945-3311
Highwood Public Library
102 Highwood Ave. Highwood, IL 847-432-5404
i-Share
Search 44 Illinois college and university library catalogs.
WorldCat
Catalog of books, web resources, and other materials worldwide.
Music
Classical
Alexander Street Classical Music
A streaming audio collection of choral works, symphonies, operas, and the avant-garde.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Website for the CSO.
Classical Net
A portal for information on classical music online, including a basic repertoire, a CD buying guide, recommended CDs, composer works & data, reviews & articles. This site now features reviews of more than 1800 CDs, as well as 5500 files and over 3800 links to a wide array of classical music sites.
Gramophone
The online site for Gramophone magazine contains news, awards, and Gramofile, the world's largest archive of CDs and reviews (over 23,000 reviews and over 30, 000 CDs), as well as free access to the Grove Concise Dictionary of Music.
Highland Park Strings
Free admission
Lake Forest Civic Orchestra
Professional and skilled amateur musicians welcome to try out.
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Website for the Lyric.
Music of the Baroque
Website for Music of the Baroque
The Northbrook Symphony

Pandora Internet Radio
Create your own radio station and listen to new music.
Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra
A community ochestra founded in the early 1960's. Highly skilled amatuers as well as professionals are welcome to audition.
The Wilmette Community Band
Open to all ages and skill levels. No auditions required.
Pop
Alexander Street: Jazz Music Library
The largest and most comprehensive collection of streaming jazz available online — with thousands of jazz artists, ensembles, albums, and genres.
Alexander Street: Popular Music Library
Hundreds of thousands of tracks from major genres in pop music, including alternative, country, Christian, electronic, hip-hop, metal, punk, new age, R&B, reggae, rock, soundtracks and many more.
Billboard
Read reviews and articles, see the charts, and get the latest from Billlboard.com.
Fluxblog
An MP3 blog created by Matthew Perpetua, you can find a free download every day of an eclectic mix of songs.
Live Music Archive
This is a collection of royalty-free, no-cost music available for downloading.
Pandora Internet Radio
Create your own radio station and listen to new music.
Pitchfork
Read reviews, interviews, listen to music and read their extensive collection of "best of the decade" lists in this well-known site, based out of Chicago.
Pollstar
Search by city or artist to find concerts and tour information for your favorite singer/group.
Soul Sides
An audioblog offering reviews and industry information, along with some hard-to-find downloads.
Ultimate Band List
Links to artist web sites.
Sheet Music and More
All Music Guide
A companion site to the popular book series, this website provides artist biographies, album reviews, and discographies for a variety of genres. Search by artist, album, song, style or label, or browse music styles, music maps, articles and more. Does not include clips that can be listened to.
Historic American Sheet Music
This collection from Duke University includes digital images of over 16,000 pages of sheet music from 3042 pieces published in the United States between 1850 and 1920.
IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
The International Music Score Library Project is a free, public domain sheet music library.
Morton Grove Public Library Song Index
An index to the contents of the song books collection at the Morton Grove Public Library. The index does not include actual lyrics or music, but rather references to books containing lyrics and music, some of which are also owned by the Highland Park Public Library.
National Jukebox
National Jukebox, from the Library of Congress, makes historical streaming sound recordings available to the public free of charge. Listen to Enrico Caruso, speeches by William Howard Taft and Teddy Roosevelt, early Tin Pan Alley recordings and lots more.
Sibley Music Library: Public Domain Score
The Sibley Music Library at the Eastman School of Music offers, for personal use, digital copies of scores from its collections that are in the public domain. See their page for more details.
World
African Music
Encyclopedia of African music and its diaspora.
Alexander Street: American Music
A history database of the music from America's past, including songs by and about American Indians, miners, immigrants, slaves, children, pioneers and cowboys. Included in the database are the songs of Civil Rights, political campaigns, Prohibition, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, anti-war protests and more.
Alexander Street: Contemporary World Music
A streaming audio collection of contemporary and traditional world music recordings.
Alexander Street: Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries
Stream Smithsonian Folkways recordings
Ceolas: Celtic Music
Master online source for Celtic music on the Internet.
Newspapers & Magazines
Local News
Chicago Reader

Chicago Tribune Website
This publication is also available in a subscription database.
Chicago Tribune Subscription Website

Chicago Sun-Times
This publication is also available in Lexis Nexis
Crain's Chicago Business
This publication is also available in Lexis Nexis
Daily Herald
This publication is also available in Lexis Nexis
Highland Park Newspaper Index
An index created by librarians beginning with the earliest edition of the Highland Park News in 1874. The index includes local news articles and obituaries from several newspapers published in Highland Park.
Highland Park News

Highland Park Patch

Trib Local

Newspapers & Magazines
Chicago Reader

Chicago Tribune Website
This publication is also available in a subscription database.
Chicago Tribune Subscription Website

Chicago Sun-Times
This publication is also available in NexisUni
Christian Science Monitor
This publication is also available in NexisUni
Crain's Chicago Business
This publication is also available in NexisUni
Daily Herald
This publication is also available in NexisUni
Free Medical Journals
Free availability of full-text medical journals.
Highland Park Newspaper Index
An index created by librarians beginning with the earliest edition of the Highland Park News in 1874. The index includes local news articles and obituaries from several newspapers published in Highland Park.
Jerusalem Post
This publication is also available in NexisUni
JSTOR
JStor contains thousands of articles. Most of the content is by subscription only, but JStor has recently made access to journal contentpublished prior to 1923 in the U.S. and prior to 1870 elsewhere, free to the public. To find freely available content, use the advanced search and check the box "Include only content I can access". There are nearly 500,000 articles from more than 200 journals included in this free content.
The London Times

Making of America
A thematically-related digital library documenting American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction, this collection contains 109 monographs (267 volumes) and 22 journals (955 volumes) with imprints primarily between 1840 - 1900.
New York Times Website
This publication is also available in NexisUni
NexisUni

RBDigital
Read digital editions of your favorite magazines with RBDigital. To check out magazines, log in with your library card number and then create a user name and password. To download checked out issues to mobile devices, get the RBDigital app.
Reuters
The international news agency
U.S.A. Today
This publication is also available in NexisUni
The Washington Post

Parenting & Family
Parenting & Family
American Academy of Pediatrics
Committed to the physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.
Chicago Parent
A free monthly news magazine offering information, inspiration, perspective and empathy to parents in the Chicago metropolitan area. Their website offers an activities calendar, classified ads, feature stories and other items of interest to parents.
Family.com
Family activities, education, and parenting information from Disney. Ideas for parties, recipes, crafts and travel advice.
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
Child protection, foster care, adoption, day care licensing and other services provided by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
KidsHealth
Health information from the Nemours Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to children's health. Links for parents, kids, and teens.
Parent-teen.org
"An online magazine for families with teens". Covers such issues as college planning, health, dating, driving, and work.
Pregnancy.org
An online community complete with auction of gently used baby items.
Safe Kids USA
A nationwide network of organizations dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury.
Whole Family Center
Family relationship help for teens, spouses, and seniors is the focus here.
Science & Weather
Astronomy & Space
Canadian Space Agency

Mars Exploration Rover
The Mars Exploration Rover mission is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red planet.
NASA Homepage
Gateway to the largest collection of space-related information on the Internet.
Windows to the Universe
Information on the planets, satellites, sun, and the rest of the Solar System.
World of Chemistry

Biology, Chemistry & Physics
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
All about birds with online bird identifier
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Conservation Projects

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology--Citizen Science
Join bird counts, nest watches and more
eNature.com

Endangered Species
Information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Genome Programs of the U.S. Department of Energy
Site of the U.S. Human Genome Project, Genomic Science Program, and Microbial Genome Program--all sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Genome Programs
WWF Living Planet Report
From the World Wildlife Federation, a report on the state of the world's ecosystems.
Science.gov
A directory of authoritative selected science information provided by U.S. Government agencies. The site can be searched and is divided into categories for easy browsing. Informational and educational sites from inside and outside government sources are provided. A very comprehensive and useful source for information from all scientific disciplines including agriculture, astronomy, computers, mathematics, oceanography, physics, and much more.
World of Physics

Zooniverse
Help scientists with their research projects
Weather
Coastwatch: Great Lakes Water Surface Temperatures
Locate surface temperatures on Lake Michigan along Chicago's shore.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Get weather data from NOAA.
Weather.com
Get weather information from all over the globe.
Weather Underground
Get weather information from all over the globe.
Seniors
Health
AARP -- Health

CDC Healthy Aging

Nursing Home Compare from Medicare
Provides detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.
NIH Senior Health
Health and wellness information for older adults from the National Institutes of Health.
Online Travel Agencies
Eldertreks

Road Scholar
Educational tours for adults over 50
Senior Resources
AARP (American Association of Retired People)
The nation's leading organization for people age 50 and over.
Administration on Aging
Provides a comprehensive overview of a wide variety of topics, programs and services related to aging.
Center on Addison
Social events for LGBTQ+ seniors
Executive Service Corps
Matches retired professionals with non-profits in need of consultants and business coaches
Highland Park Senior Center
Location, contact information, activities and special services offered at this local center for area seniors.
H.U.D. Housing Information for Senior Citizens
Housing options for yourself, an aging parent, relative, or friend.
Illinois Department on Aging
The MISSION of the Illinois Department on Aging is to serve and advocate for older Illinoisans and their caregivers by administering quality and culturally appropriate programs that promote partnerships and encourage independence, dignity, and quality of life.
Medicare
The official U.S. Government site for people with Medicare.
Nursing Home Compare from Medicare
Provides detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.
Senior Advocate Program
"a public outreach program for local seniors to become volunteer advocates acting as a liaison between Lake County seniors and law enforcement"
Social Security Online
The official website of the Social Security Administration.
Telephone & eMail Directories
Telephone & eMail Directories
AnyWho
Yellow pages, white pages, reverse lookup, zip code lookup, maps.
Go Toll Free, Internet 800 Directory
Search by Product, Service, Company Name or Toll Free Number
Infobel.com
Search for telephone numbers around the world.
Reverse Phone Lookup
Look up a phone number to see who owns it.
National Do Not Call Registry
The National Do Not Call Registry was created to stop unwanted sales calls. It’s free to register your home or mobile phone number.
The Ultimate White Pages
Search 25 services; white pages, yellow pages, email directory.
Yahoo! People Search
Phone and email directory.
Yellow Pages: Super Pages
Find local businesses, deals, coupons.
YP.com
Online Yellow Pages; Find a business, person, maps & directions.
Travel, Leisure & Maps
Accomodations
Airbnb

BedAndBreakfast.com
Information on more than 24,000 B&Bs throughout the world.
Go Camping America
National RV park & campgrounds directory & traveler's information.
Hosteling International
Hostels provide budget accommodations. This site allows you select hostels for individual, group, family, or special needs travelers
Hotel and Travel Index
Find hotels worldwide. Index lists basic information for each hotel including location, published room rates, date last renovated, and amenities.
Karen Brown's Guides
Travel writer Karen Brown's selection of inns by region.
National Trust Guide to Historic Hotels
Find historic hotels across the U.S. Locate hotels by name, by state, or by region.
Red Week
Rent a timeshare
RVshare
Rent an RV
Maps & Driving Directions
511 Wisconsin
Wisconsin road and weather alerts
AllTrails
Detailed U.S. trail maps with difficulty ratings, hiker reviews, and driving directions to trailheads
Bing Maps
Get driving and transit directions with local traffic and road conditions
gmap-pedometer
Draw a walking/running/hiking/biking path and mile markers and elevation changes will be calculated. Routes can be saved or printed.
Google Maps
Search for local businesses, directions, maps
IDOT Congestion Map
Check on Chicago traffic problems before you leave.
Lake County Passage
Real-time road condition and construction map for Lake County
Map Blast
Plot a driving route, receive directions, maps, and attractions.
MapQuest
Plot a driving route, receive directions, maps, and attractions.
Online Travel Agencies
Eldertreks

Expedia
Air, hotel, car rental, or package trips.
Hotwire
An auction-type travel site run by several airlines. Offers bargains, but may not show you all the details of the trip before you book.
Orbitz
Air, hotel, car rental, or package trips
Priceline
The name your own price site, can yield deals to the flexible traveler. Travel times and other trip details may not be shown until your offer is accepted and booked.
Road Scholar
Educational travel for adults 50 and older
Travelocity
Air, hotel, car rental, or package trips.
Travelzoo
Air, hotel, car rental, or package trips.
Seniors
Eldertreks

Road Scholar
Educational travel for adults.
Specialty Travel
Able Trek Tours
Daytrips and overnight tours for individuals with developmental disabilities, mental illness and other special needs
Access-Able Travel Source
Lots of links for physically challenged travelers.
IGLTA (International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association)

Travel with Kids
About.com's links to information on trip planning and traveling with kids.
PetsWelcome.com
List of hotels, campgrounds, and amusement parks that welcome pets
Tools & Contacts
ATM Finder - Master Card
Locate a MasterCard ATM anywhere in the world.
ATM Locator - Visa
Locate A Visa ATM
CDC Travelers' Health
Information to assist travelers and their health-care providers in deciding the vaccines, medications, and other measures necessary to prevent illness and injury during international travel.
Currency Converter

Department of State-Bureau of Consular Affairs Travel Advisories
U.S. State Department site lists travel warnings and advisories.
Deutsche Ban
Find rail schedule information for nearly all of Europe
Flight Tracking
Track arriving or departing flights, get flight maps, 3D seat maps, aircraft info, image gallery and more.
Free Translation
Type in your phrase in English and translate it into your choice of nine languages.
Google Translate
Type in a word or phrase and translate it into over 80 languages
Time Zone Converter
Find out what time it is anywhere in the world.
The Weather Channel
Check current weather, forecasts for next several days, or seasonal averages for a destination.
Weather Underground
Check current weather, forecasts for next 10 days, or seasonal averages for a destination or sign up for daily forecasts sent to your email.