Research Tools A – Z

ChiltonLibrary
Includes repair and maintenance information for many popular vehicles.

Civil War Newspapers – A collection of historical newspapers containing extensive local and national coverage of American culture, politics, and society from the Antebellum through the Reconstruction periods. Due to license restrictions, this research tool is available only to patrons when visiting a CALS location.

Consumer Reports
Find ratings and reviews on products from household goods to electronics to cars with this free access to ConsumerReports.org.

Creativebug
Thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists. Enter your library card number to log in. Register for a Creativebug account by entering your work email and making up a password. Check your email inbox for a message to complete registration. If you have already registered, look for this message: “Success! Please create an account to proceed or log in now,” and proceed to log in.

CultureGrams
CultureGrams provide concise, reliable, and up-to-date cultural information on countries, US states, and Canadian provinces.

Cypress Resume

Cypress Resume is perfect for people who do not have a typewriter or word processor but do just need to type and print or save decent basic resumes and cover letters. No user account is mandatory, but one can be created optionally for saving resumes, cover letters and references inside Cypress Express easily for future use.

Resumes and letters can be exported as Microsoft Word or PDF.

Data Axle Reference Solutions (formerly Reference USA)
Includes directory listings for over 12 million businesses and 120 million households in the United States.

Driving-tests.org
The Central Arkansas Library System has partnered with Driving-Tests.org to provide access to manuals and practice tests for the Arkansas Driver’s Test. The site includes practice tests for car and motorcycle licenses, as well as for the CDL.

Encyclopedia of Arkansas
A free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. The Encyclopedia contains more than 6,000 entries and pieces of media related to Arkansas with new material being added weekly.

ERIC
The Educational Resources Information Center database is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education to provide extensive access to education-related literature.

Fiero Code

Fiero Code is an award winning learn-to-code platform that’s designed to be used in after-school programs at libraries, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, community non-profits as well as public, private, charter, and home school settings. You don’t have to know how to code to use Fiero in your after-school or in-class program.

The platform has video courses covering drag-and-drop coding, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and more. Students log in, do the lessons, and learn how to code.

CALS has decided to subscribe to Fiero Code which means anyone in your community has access to use it for free.

If you participated in the free trial CALS had in November, the login in credentials you created at that time should still work. If you didn’t sample the free trial, it’s easy to sign up whenever you want to by clicking here. Scroll down to “Don’t have an account? Sign up.” Pick your library branch from the middle box and fill out the sign up form.

Unlike most electronic resources CALS subscribes to, Fiero Code content is not à la carte. Meaning, you will be asked to complete certain lower levels before being allowed to move up to medium and higher levels. (I know this could seem frustrating to some).

For Youth and Adult Programmers:

Learn how to get started incorporating Fiero into your after-school program or classroom. (2-minute video). (4-minute video).

Fiero has trained thousands of people, and they confidently state that the method works.

Please take two to four hours to go through the four Training Center modules which will prep you on how to run or help local teachers run a code club or code class with Fiero Code, no coding expertise required!

This is a soft launch of Fiero Code to give interested staff time to imagine how they will fit this new resource into their activities throughout the year.

Fire Insurance Maps online (FIMo)
An online digital collection of color fire insurance maps, real estate atlases, and similar land use maps for the state of Arkansas. Includes publications by Sanborn, Perris, Hexamer, Whipple, Baist, Bromley, Hopkins, and others.

Fold3 (formerly Footnote.com)
A collection of over 60 million pages of historical documents and personal histories, including millions of records available from the National Archives and other institutions. Please note: certain features of Fold3 require the use of an Adobe Flash plugin unavailable on some mobile and tablet browsers.

Foundation Directory Professional
As a Funding Information Network Partner of the Foundation Center in New York, CALS provides access to a powerful database of over 120,000 grantmakers & grant recipients. Find the information your nonprofit organization needs to make an impact. Due to license restrictions, this research tool is available only to patrons when visiting a CALS location.

Gale Business: Plan Builder
Gale Business: Plan Builder is a step-by-step online planning tool for starting, managing and optimizing a business or nonprofit. The program’s intuitive dashboard walks users through five areas of exploration to develop a business plan focused on long-term success.

Gale eBooks
Gale eBooks is a database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. These reference materials once were available only in the library, but now you can access them online from the library or remotely 24/7.

GetSetUp
GetSetUp is a powerful learning platform designed specifically for older adults. It offers thousands of live and on-demand classes that promote digital literacy, wellness, creativity, and social connection taught by older adults, for older adults. Classes are paced and designed specifically for learners 55+.

Topics like using smartphones, Zoom, online safety, and even watercolor painting or cooking for one are covered. All sessions are moderated, ad-free, and built for interaction, not just passive viewing.

Click Sign Up tab and enter your email address. Make up a password. Fill in name and date of birth to access peer-led instruction with a wide range of classes like digital literacy, mental and physical well-being and everyday know-how.

GuideStar
GuideStar is a searchable directory that provides detailed information on more than 850,000 nonprofit organizations. The database covers IRS-registered 501 nonprofit organizations that accept tax-deductible contributions. Profiles cover mission statements, programs, financials, leaders, and PDFs of IRS 990 filings. Due to license restrictions, this research tool is available only to patrons when visiting a CALS location.

HeritageHub
Explore your family history with a collection of U.S. obituaries and funeral home notices for genealogical research from 1704-present. HeritageHub helps you identify relatives and uncover new information about your family tree. Includes deep coverage from all 50 U.S. states; hard-to-find content from the mid 1900’s, and original obituary images. Access is available 24/7 on any device.

Heritage Quest
Includes searchable images of U.S. Federal Census records, digitized family and local history books, an index to genealogical and local history periodicals, and other genealogy resources.

Hiveclass
A browser-based resource for movement, mindfulness, fitness and keeping active for all ages. Includes over 2000 two-minute videos covering details of many sports and physical activities. Avoid gym memberships. Use for homeschooling. Indoors/outdoors. Link your children’s body literacy with their mind literacy with the Reading Hive. Learn about proper nutrition, too. Includes Español.

Interlibrary Loan: Search Mobius
CALS is part of a consortium that shares materials. MOBIUS libraries loan materials back and forth for patron use. CALS cardholders can borrow materials not available in the CALS catalog from other MOBIUS libraries at no charge.

Interlibrary Loan: Tipasa Login
CALS is part of a system known as Tipasa. This is a system similar to but distinct from MOBIUS. Charges or longer delays may be involved. Requests for materials may be submitted through Tipasa. The first time you use Tipasa, you will need to click the “Set/reset password” link below the “Sign In” button. On the next page you will enter your barcode number, found on the back of your library card. A link to set your password will be sent to the email address recorded in your circulation account.

Interlibrary Loan: WorldCat
Extend your catalog search for library materials beyond your immediate region to hundreds of collections around the country to find books, music and movies not locally available. Submit interlibrary loan requests using the item detail data found in WorldCat.

iVOX, Books That Move!
iVOX Books is a children’s book app which uses storytelling technology to delight and engage curious young minds. Ages 3 through 8 can follow along with a story while interacting with its characters and scenes, immersing them in narrative like never before. Residents of Pulaski and Perry Counties can access these exciting new “books that move!” for free. Enter your ZIP code and click Central Arkansas Library System to continue. Then enter your library card number and PIN. The collection consists of 24 animated titles with color-changing captions. Every three months six new titles will be added and six old titles will be removed. Check out up to twelve at a time. Use your browser in full-screen mode or install the free Android or iOS app on your mobile device.

Learning Express Library
An interactive database with practice tests and tutorials for many standardized academic and licensing tests, such as the GED, SAT, Nursing, Real Estate, etc. To access, sign in as new user and create personal account using your library card number as your user name; thereafter sign in as a returning user.

LinkedIn Learning
Choose from thousands of online courses to learn in-demand skills from real-world industry experts. Get started with your library card.

Gale Literature Criticism Online
The complete collections of Contemporary Literary Criticism, Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, and Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism in one easily searchable resource.

ProQuest Literature Online
Primary and critical text database for literary research at all levels. The collection includes full text of more than 350,000 works of poetry, drama, and prose stretching back to the 8th century through the present day.

The Log Cabin Democrat
A daily newspaper serving Conway and Faulkner County and some surrounding areas.

Medical Database

Medline

Miss Humblebee’s Academy
Go beyond the ABCs when preparing for kindergarten proficiency with 100s of guided lessons using videos, music, eBooks, tutorials, and more. Online/offline curriculum is balanced 60/40 to help make the move from gross to fine motor skills (e.g., using scissors).

Morningstar Investing Center
Discover the daily state of the markets at the Morningstar Investing Center home page. Move on to their research tools and screeners to locate and compare various stocks, mutual funds, ETFs and 529 College Savings Plans. Need to know more? Utilize their topical articles, newsletters, videos and classroom of self-study courses on investing and retirement. Click the circled question mark to view the introductory tutorials and guides.

Note: number users who can access simultaneously is limited

Use of Morningstar Investing Center through the CALS web site is not intended to be an endorsement by CALS of any advice or recommendations provided by its research. Investments are volatile and may lose value.

Newspapers.com
New subscription link: CALS provides access to digital page images from the Arkansas Gazette and the Arkansas Democrat and other regional newspapers from the mid-1800s up through the mid-1900s at Newspapers.com. Available at your preferred CALS branch. (For remote use go to cals.org/research-tools/newspapers-com.)

NewspaperARCHIVE
Find newspaper articles, births, deaths, and more. Powerful search tools to help you find exactly who or what you are looking for.

New York Times
Public library access to The New York Times offers many key features including breaking news coverage, video and multimedia access, international news coverage, mobile phone and tablet apps and of course the book review that you can access any day of the week without waiting until Sunday for the print copy. Access requires an active account with the New York Times.

• New York Times Inside the Library
  Create your account by choosing an option provided or entering your email. If you already have an account, choose “log in” at the bottom of the page.
• New York Times at Home
  After clicking the link, click “redeem” for your 24-hour access code. Register for an account by choosing one of the options or entering your email. If you already have an account, choose “log in” at the bottom of the page.

Novelist Plus
Includes subject headings, reviews, summaries and more for over 135,000 fiction titles. Use Novelist to find other books by a favorite author, or similar books to a title you’ve already read.

Novelist Plus K-8
Includes information on many titles popular with students in grades K-8, arranged by instructional unit, theme or topic. Teachers can find appropriate fiction to complement classroom instruction.

Utilize each electronic reference book below individually by clicking on the resource name and typing keywords in the sidebar on the left that says “Search Within Work.” Or simply browse all entries using the tabbed alphabetical list in the center.

To search all 37 books at once, click on “Reference Type” in the blue bar at the top and pick “Browse All.” In the sidebar on the left, check By Availability Unlocked and Free, then submit. Type keywords in the large search box at the top of the page.

Black Women in America
(2nd ed. / 2005)

Dictionary of American Family Names
(1st ed. / 2003)

Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895
(2006)

Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present
(2009)

Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment
(2002)

Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages
(2002)

Garner’s Modern English Usage
(5th ed. / 2022)

Grove Encyclopedia of Classical Art and Architecture
(2007)

Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts
(2006)

International Encyclopedia of Dance
(1998)

International Encyclopedia of Linguistics
(2nd ed. / 2003)

Oxford Companion to Beer
(1st ed. / 2011)

Oxford Companion to Cheese
(1st ed. / 2016)

Oxford Companion to Food
(3rd ed. / 2014)

Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails
(1st ed. / 2021)

Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets
(1st ed. / 2015)

Oxford Companion to Wine
(5th ed. / 2023)

Oxford Companion to World Exploration
(2007)

Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
(1991)

Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance
(2003)

Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature
(2004)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt
(2001)

Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature
(2006)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature
(2006)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History
(2003)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Evolution
(2002)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America
(1st ed. / 2004)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Global Change
(2001)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States
(2005)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History
(2007)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures
(2001)

Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern World
(2008)

Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation
(1996)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Rhetoric
(2001)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance
(2003)

Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History
(2008)

Oxford Essential Quotations
(6th ed. / 2018)

Pronunciator
Pronunciator provides language learning experiences with step-by-step lesson plans for 163 languages, ESL courses for 146 native languages, American Sign Language courses, and classes for children. First time users are encouraged to create a profile in order to best use this resource.

Accompanying mobile app Bluebird requires code word TRAV to activate for Arkansas users.

Bluebird by Pronunciator at iOS App Store / Bluebird by Pronunciator at Android Google Play Store

ProQuest Central
A general research database featuring a diverse mix of content including scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, books, newspapers, reports and videos.

ProQuest One Business
This newly upgraded platform combines several ProQuest products, such as Entrepreneurship and Business Market Research collections, and adds JPMORGAN, Business eBooks, and Business Video. One Business is designed to support the unique needs of business professionals including entrepreneurs, accountants, tax professionals, and academic faculty and students.

ProQuest Research Companion
Developed to help students do more effective research and to assist educators in teaching the basics of the core information literacy principles of finding, evaluating, and using information.

Scholastic Teachables
30,000 printable educational materials for grades pre-K through 8 (ages 4-13). Supplement any subject or skill. Learning activities, quizzes, and more. Build skills at home or in school with printable activity sheets for kids, parents and teachers.

Scholastic Watch and Learn Library
The Watch and Learn Library is an early literacy program in English and Spanish for ages 4 to 8. It includes over 230 videos with real-world footage. It features science and social studies with closed captioning to support beginning readers and ELL. There are also short, fun quizzes to gauge comprehension and a vocabulary builder too.

SIRS Discoverer
General reference database for elementary and middle school learners, researchers, and educators covering curriculum areas and content sets such as reading, language arts, current events, science, social studies, history, health, and technology. SIRS Discoverer provides editorially-selected, indexed, and curated materials from over 2,100 newspapers, magazines, and websites offering guided research for young researchers.

Science Online

SIRS Issues Researcher
Background and analysis on 350+ leading issues, providing pros and cons on social, scientific, health, historic, economic, political, and global issues.

Something About the Author Online
The complete run of Gale’s Something About the Author reference set, including thousands of illustrated biographical profiles of children’s authors and illustrators.

Today’s Science
Science news database for K–12 schools, colleges and universities, and public libraries that gives in-depth explanations of important advances.

Tripulantes de la Lectura (The Reading Crew)
¡Disfruta este gran viaje por el mundo de la imaginación!

Universal Class (Register | Login)
access more than 500 lifelong learning courses in over 30 subject areas, many of which offer continuing education units (CEUs). All classes are designed and led by professional instructors and include videos, assignments, quizzes, tests, and options for social media interaction with other learners. Patrons may take multiple classes and learn at their own pace.

Value Line Library Elite
Value Line Library Elite is a research tool with searchable stocks, investment research, and investment education. Reports are updated weekly. This research tool is limited to 5 simultaneous users. Please log out when you are finished.

Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal delivers breaking business news, investment insight, and original market analysis that people rely on to make smarter professional and personal financial decisions.

Access The Wall Street Journal from anywhere! Simply click the link above and login with your library card number and PIN. You will then be prompted to create an account, and you can start using wsj.com immediately. Your access will be available for the next 3 days. After 3 days, simply come back and click the below link again and login as an existing user with the same username and password you originally created.

NOTE: You are are not permitted to share the sign-on credentials with any other person. Any violation of this clause will result in Dow Jones terminating access for the Central Arkansas Library  System.

World Book
Portal into all of the World Book products available through the Arkansas State Library Traveler program. Or use the individual product links below.

Banco de Contenidos aulaPlaneta (classroomPlanet Content Bank)
World Book’s new comprehensive Spanish database with more than 170,000 articles, images, and videos designed for native Spanish-speaking researchers and advanced bilingual and ESL students.

Eniclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos (Student Discoveries Encyclopedia)
A Spanish language encyclopedia for kids.

World Book Advanced
(grade 9+)

World Book Discover
(grade 5+)

World Book Early Learning
(grade preK+)

World Book eBooks
(all ages)

World Book Kids
(grade K+)

World Book Student
(grade 5+)

World Book Timelines
(grade 5+)