Databases, Search Engines, Digital Downloads, and More!

Page Index: Ancestry.com | Ask?Away | Auto Repair | BadgerLink | BookNews | Book Page | Central WI Digital Project | EBSCOhost | Foundations in WI | Genealogy & Local History | HeritageQuest | Hobbies & Crafts | Home Improvement | Internet Public Library² | Learning Express | Literary Reference Center | LitFinder | Local/State Govenment | Marathon Co. Land Records | NetLibrary | Newspaper Archive | NoveList | Opposing Viewpoints | OverDrive | ReferenceUSA | Small Engine Repair | SoundzAbound | Student Research Center | State of WI Digital Collections | Tax Forms | Teaching Books | USA.gov | Wausau Daily Herald Archive | WI Heritage Online | WI Newspapers

Please Note: The following resources may be accessed online, but certain resources will only work on computers at an MCPL location. These are labeled "Access in Library Only." Other resources require two separate links, depending on if you are at the library or at home. Be sure to click the appropriate link for access. You may be asked for your library card barcode.

Ancestry: Library Edition -- (Access in Library Only) -- With over 1.2 billion records in over 3,000 databases, this is a comprehensive online source of information available for conducting genealogical and local history research.

Ask?Away -- Get help with your research from a librarian 24 hours a day, seven days a week -- including holidays! (Please note that the librarians available via this service are not Marathon County Public Library staff members. To contact us directly, see our Ask a Librarian webpage.)

Auto Repair Reference Center -- Service bulletins, electrical diagrams, and other service and repair information for many vehicles 1945 through the present.

BadgerLink -- Access to various databases, courtesy of the state of Wisconsin. (For access from outside the library, click here, select your library, and enter your library card number.)

BookNews -- Monthly newsletters featuring a wide variety of books for all ages and in all genres. View these newsletters online, or sign up to receive any or all of them via email! Also includes links to current book award and bestseller lists.

Central Wisconsin Digital Project (CWDP) -- The CWDP is a consortium of libraries, historical societies, genealogical societies and museums committed to preserving the history of Marathon and Lincoln Co. by the digitization of original sources and artifacts, and publishing them online.

EBSCOhost (Periodical Database) (Access from Home) (Access in Library) -- Provides access to 22 databases of magazines, journals, newspapers, images and reference resources covering education, health, business and general areas of interest.

Genealogy & Local History Resources -- Links to genealogy and local history databases and websites, compiled by Library staff.

Foundations in Wisconsin -- Searchable profiles of active grant-making foundations in Wisconsin, for use by local grant-writers. Please ask a Library staff-member for access; they will need to log you in. (Staff-Assisted Access in Library Only)

HeritageQuest -- Provides you with a connection for tracing family history and American culture. Images of original documents are provided.

Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center -- Provides how-to information for many popular hobbies and crafts, including arts & crafts; collecting; games & electronics; model building; home & leisure; needlework; outdoors & nature; and scrapbooking & papercraft.

Home Improvement Reference Center -- An online tool for home improvement assistance, including: maintenance, remodeling, electrical work, plumbing, wood projects, outdoor improvements, decorating home & garden, etc.

Internet Public Library ² -- Find authoritative information using these librarian-selected websites, arranged by subject, format, and audience. Plus, you can ask questions of IPL² librarians and receive answers.

Learning Express Library -- Offers practice tests, skill-building exercises, and information to help you succeed at work, school, or while searching for a job. Please use your library card number as your username at registration! Otherwise, your account will not work outside of the Library.

Literary Reference Center -- Information on thousands of authors and their works, including summaries, literary criticism, biographies, reviews, interviews, classic and contemporary poems and short stories, full-text access to classic works of literature, and much more.

LitFinder -- Contains a wealth of primary literature content, including citations and full text of hundreds of thousands of poems, short stories, essays, speeches and plays.

Local/State Government Info. -- A collection of links to both local/regional and state government resources and departments, compiled by Library staff and stored at Delicious.com.

Marathon County Land Records -- Access government records and view online maps of land and lots throughout Marathon County.

NetLibrary -- Access online, full-text versions of books, journals, and database content. You will need to create a free NetLibrary account to use this service; click here for details.

Newspaper Archive -- Contains millions of searchable newspaper pages, dating as far back as the 1700s, presented in a PDF format that preserves the original context and format of content.

NoveList^Plus! -- A comprehensive online readers’ advisory tool. Do you need help finding that perfect book? Perhaps you’re looking for a book in a specific genre, or maybe you need to know the next book in your favorite series. Search among hundreds of thousands of fiction and nonfiction titles, plus retrieve read-alikes, book lists, discussion guides, and more.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center -- A complete source for information on a variety of social issues in modern culture, including many diverse perspectives.

OverDrive: Digital Media Downloads -- Download audiobooks, music, and videos to your computer, burn them to a CD or transfer them to a digital audio player or other portable device.

ReferenceUSA (Phone & Address Directory) -- Find current business and residential phone numbers and addresses, as well as neighborhood information, business profiles, and additional corporate information.

Small Engine Repair -- Maintenance and repair documentation for ATVs, commercial mowers, lawn tractors, generators, motorcycles, boats, outdoor power equipment, personal watercraft/jet skis, snowblowers, snowmobiles, tillers and other small engines.

SoundzAbound -- A large and current collection of royalty-free music and sound effects for use by students and educators, brought to you by BadgerLink. Ensures copyright compliance without the hassle of verifying licensing or paying for access.

Student Research Center -- An easy resource for students to search by keyword or by topic to find useful search results. Results can be easily sorted by source type—magazines, reference books, photos, flags, etc.

Tax Forms -- A selection of free state and federal tax forms are available January - April at all MCPL locations. Forms are also accessible for printing online: Federal Tax Forms | State Tax Forms

TeachingBooks -- Provides original, in-studio movies of authors and illustrators, audio excerpts of book readings, guides to thousands of titles and multimedia resources on children's and young adult literature.

USA.gov -- The official portal for the U.S. government, featuring military info., federal grant sources, government jobs, tax and social security resources, voting info., national history, resources for families, job opportunities, immigration reports, government statistics, technology, and more!

Wausau Daily Herald | Archives (ProQuest) -- Complete full-text content of the Wausau Daily Herald starting in 1999. Excludes paid advertisements.

Wisconsin Digital Collections - Brings together, in digital form, two categories of primary and secondary materials: writings about the State of Wisconsin and unique or valuable materials that relate to its history and ongoing development.

Wisconsin Heritage Online -- An expanding digital collection, featuring documentary sources and material culture from libraries, archives, and museums throughout Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Newspapers -- Access to 235 daily and weekly Wisconsin newspapers from April 2005 until 60 days ago. Each addition is covered cover to cover in a PDF, searchable format.