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Most databases will ask for your library card number and your pin. our pin will be the last four digits of the phone number we have in your account.
If using Student ID to log in BEN should be in ALL CAPS.
General Resources
ARCHIVES UNBOUND
History: includes Primary Sources on U.S. foreign policy; U.S. civil rights; global affairs and colonial studies; and modern history. Broad topic clusters include: African American studies; American Indian studies; Asian studies; British history; Holocaust studies; LGBT studies; Latin American and Caribbean studies; Middle East studies; political science; religious studies; and women’s studies. The Archives Unbound program consists of more than 290,000 documents totaling 12 million pages. Tutorials
AUTO REPAIR SOURCE
Automotive Repair: Powered by the automotive experts at MOTOR, Auto Repair Source provides the most accurate, authoritative and up-to-date service and repair information for thousands of domestic and imported vehicles. All content comes from the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and includes step-by-step repair information, diagrams, maintenance schedules, parts and labor estimates, service bulletins and recalls, and more. Auto Repair Source Tutorial by Niche Academy. Tutorials
BLACK FREEDOM STRUGGLE
Black Freedom Struggle website, featuring expertly selected open primary source documents. Visitors will find historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more from specific time periods in U.S. history marked by the opposition African Americans have faced on the road to freedom. This resource supports a wide range of students, from middle and high school to college, as well independent researchers and anyone interested in learning more about the ongoing Black Freedom Struggle. These reliable, easily discoverable materials may be used for homework assignments, personal inquiry, and research papers.
BRITANNICA SCHOOL
Britannica School is the go-to site for learning more about any subject—for all grades and all reading abilities—offering thousands of up-to-date, curated, and curriculum-relevant articles, images, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, research tools, recommended Web sites, and three separate databases—Elementary, Middle, or High. Also in Espanol. Tutorials
Tutorial through Niche Academy
CULTUREGRAMS
State, Country, and Provence Cultural Information: CultureGrams provides country reports that go beyond mere facts and figures to deliver a one-of-a-kind perspective on daily life and culture, including the background, customs, and lifestyles of the world's people. The reports are written and reviewed by in-country experts and are updated as new information becomes available, so you can be sure you are offering only the very best, most current information to staff and students. Users link to the reports via an engaging, map-based interface that can be accessed anywhere, anytime. Access World Edition, Kids Edition, States Edition, or Provence Edition. If using Student ID to log in BEN should be in ALL CAPS. Tutorial through Niche Academy Overview. Tutorials
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Looking for up-to-date information on the environment? Learn about diverse subjects, such as climate change, food security, and soil ecology. Gale In Context: Environmental Studies provides detailed information on current environmental issues and processes from both a scientific and a social standpoint suitable for high school, undergrad, and graduate students. Reference works, case studies, multimedia materials, newspapers, and magazines provide a wide range of content to support all learners. This session explores the content, tools, and features of this valuable resource. Access is courtesy of the California State Library. The last day to use is December 31, 2026. Training Videos
DISCOVER & GO
Museum Passes: Discover & Go allows you to reserve and print out free museum passes to many of the local museums in the Bay Area without the need to come to the Library. A full access library card is required to use Discover & Go. eCards will not provide access to passes.
GALE INTERACTIVE: SCIENCE
Science provides engaging, interactive models that bring science to life. While supporting high school curricula and university coursework, Gale Interactive: Science helps students better visualize and understand concepts in biology, chemistry, earth and space science. Students and instructors can manipulate and explore 3D models that are paired with reference and periodical content for further understanding. Training Videos
LEGAL INFORMATION REFERENCE CENTER
Legal Information Reference Center
Legal Help: Legal Information Reference Center provides online full text for many of the top consumer legal reference books and thousands of legal forms. Includes NOLO legal books. Tutorial through Niche Academy Help Tutorial.
MASTERFILE
Magazine and Journal Articles: Search magazines, newspapers, and journal articles covering virtually every subject area of general interest; search and access reference books, primary source documents, photos, maps and flags. Tutorials
NOVELIST PLUS
Book Help: NoveList Plus has reading recommendations for both fiction and narrative nonfiction, for all ages. Find read-alike titles, authors, and series. Find the next book in a series. Limit audio book searches by length of time. Offers appeal factors so you can find a book that fits “your style.” Find book reviews. Find reading lists and award winners. Plus reading levels for kids. Tutorials
TEACHINGBOOKS
TeachingBooks
TeachingBooks.net is an online book database, assisting teachers, parents, students, and librarians with finding multimedia resources, lesson plans, and links to extend curriculum in the classroom around books. Introduction Video
To access, you will need a Benicia Library card.
World Politics Review
World Politics Review
World Politics Review is a database providing uncompromising analysis of critical global trends to give academics, policymakers and business people the context they need to have the confidence they want. Written by leading experts and on-the-ground influencers, World Politics Review's substantive content offers comprehensive and detailed perspectives. Available through June 30, 2024.
Job & Career Resources
REFERENCE SOLUTION (FORMERLY REFERENCE USA)
REFERENCE SOLUTION (FORMERLY REFERENCE USA)
Formerly known as Reference USA, Data Axle Reference Solutions is the go-to resource for comprehensive data on both businesses and individuals, tailored to the needs of small business owners, marketing professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, and job seekers. It empowers users to create marketing plans, conduct competitive analysis, secure funding, and locate individuals. This platform offers detailed profiles of over 50 million U.S. businesses, 150 million U.S. residents, 2 million job postings, internships, historical business data, and healthcare listings, making it an invaluable tool for job seekers, businesses, and researchers. Benicia Library Card required.
GOT RESUME BUILDER
Customizable resume templates, assisted resume writing, manage multiple resumes, organize resume sections, multiple download formats, share resume online, FAQs and tutorials.
JOB AND CAREER ACCELERATOR
This database will help you create a resume and cover letter; learn which occupations are great matches for you based on your skills and interests; offset the cost of graduate school tuition with scholarships; help you transition as a veteran into a civilian occupation. Available through funding and administered from the California State Library until September 30, 2024.
Consumer Resources
Auto Repair Source
Automotive Repair: Powered by the automotive experts at MOTOR, Auto Repair Source provides the most accurate, authoritative and up-to-date service and repair information for thousands of domestic and imported vehicles. All content comes from the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and includes step-by-step repair information, diagrams, maintenance schedules, parts and labor estimates, service bulletins and recalls, and more. Auto Repair Source Tutorial by Niche Academy. Tutorials
BOOKS 24X7
Technology Books and Videos: Books 24x7 ITPro provides on-demand access to recent unabridged content of thousands of IT and technology books and documents plus videos. The fully searchable, web-based environment is easily accessible from your desktop or mobile devices. The books are not downloadable but you can read them on your computer or tablet. You will need your library card number with no spaces to log in. Tutorial
LEGAL INFORMATION REFERENCE CENTER
Legal Information Reference Center
Legal Help: Legal Information Reference Center provides online full text for many of the top consumer legal reference books and thousands of legal forms. Includes NOLO legal books. Tutorial through Niche Academy Help Tutorial.
Learning and Test Prep
DRIVING-TESTS.ORG
Driving Test Prep: Practice tests plus access to the California Driver Manuals for vehicle, motorcycle, and commercial driving plus FAQs on the process.
LEARNING EXPRESS
Tests Help, Job Help: Test preparation materials for elementary through adult level. Includes the ACT, ASVAB, Civil Service, Cosmetology, EMS, GED, GMAT, GRE, Law Enforcement, Real Estate, SAT, U.S. Citizenship and more. Learning Express provides practice tests designed to help patrons succeed on academic or licensing tests they must pass. Available through funding and administered from the California State Library until September 30, 2024. Tutorials. LearningExpress en Espanol
MANGO
Languages: Access 60 foreign language courses (basic and complete) and 17 English courses taught completely in the user’s native language. Aprendizaje de idiomas, incluye ingles para hispano hablantes. Benicia Library full use library card required. eCards will not provide access to Mango Languages. Help Page. If you have a Solano County Library Card, use this link.
TECHLIFEUNITY
TechLifeUnity has over 100 free courses with thousands of step-by-step tutorials and informational articles that can help you learn anything and everything about the Internet's most popular websites and apps. Check out our full range of courses, or jump down to any category that interests you: Social Media, Online Shopping, Online Entertainment, Userful Websites and Apps, and Technology Basics. Video Tutorial
Newspapers, Magazines & Digital Content
HELPNOW
HelpNow offers live tutor access for homework help, skills building, and test preparation. Connect directly with live tutors 24/7 in English and Spanish. Available through funding from the California State Library.
California Digital Newspaper Collection
This collection contains 170,829 issues comprising 1,686,371 pages and 16,861,779 articles dating back to August 1846.
ELIBRARY
Articles, Maps, Audio and Video Clips—the user-friendly general reference tool—delivers one of the largest general reference collections of periodical and digital media content designed to support every range of users, including middle and high school students, college-prep and college-level researchers, and professional educators. Educators can even search for resources that correlate to state and national standards, including Common Core State Standards. Researchers will find the answers they need from more than 2,090 full-text magazines, newspapers, books, and transcript titles, plus a collection of over 7 million maps, pictures, weblinks, and audio/video files.
Foreign Language News and Newspapers
Chinese, French, German, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish. These news sites are selected especially for language students, but all are invited to peruse these pages at their leisure.
Great Courses
The Great Courses offers learning videos designed to help people to learn new skills at their own pace. All are taught from expert professors! Once you press play on any title in a series, you have access to the entire series for a 21-day window. Access Great Courses through Kanopy.
KANOPY
Kanopy is a video streaming service for quality, thoughtful entertainment. Find movies, documentaries, foreign films, classic cinema, independent films, Great Courses, educational videos, and films for kids that inspire, enrich and entertain that can be enjoyed on your TV, mobile phone, tablets and online. Must have a Benicia library card.
To create an account:
- Benicia.kanopy.com
- Scroll down the page to click Add a Library Card the first time.
- Create Your Account.
- Fill out the form.
- Select Benicia Public Library.
- Click on Kanopy at top of the page to get to the homepage.
- You will receive 15 tickets per month to use for viewing videos. Each video is labeled with how many tickets needed and how long you have to view. TV series tickets are usually for the whole season. Kanopy Kids requires no tickets.
Library to Go -- OverDrive popular magazines
Over 3000 titles you can read from any device!
MASTERFILE
Magazine and Journal Articles: Search magazines, newspapers, and journal articles covering virtually every subject area of general interest; search and access reference books, primary source documents, photos, maps and flags. Tutorials
NEW YORK TIMES
Genealogy: Census data, genealogy records and family history resources. In California State Library is providing the New York Times Online from 1851 to the present, including:
- All regular newspaper content (articles, editorials, etc.)
- All multimedia, including video, photography, VR features and all new multimedia to come
- Spanish and Mandarin Chinese versions of nytimes.com
- Personalized access, including e-mail newsletters such as California Today, mobile apps for phones and tablets, with customizable news feeds, and article recommendations based on topics you most commonly read about.
Use your library card to log in and create an account. You will then receive a 24-hour pass to access the newspaper. Access as much as you want. Starting August 22, 2022, the pass will be a 72-hour pass.
Help Videos
SCHOOLS AND EDUCATORS COMPLETE / EBOOK CENTRAL
Schools and Educators Complete
eBooks for Research: All ages. Find scholarly ebooks in multiple subjects from world-renowned publishers. Create highlights, notes, and bookmarks for later, and share research with others. Log in with your Benicia Library Card or Student ID. Training Videos FAQs
Genealogical Research
ANCESTRY.COM LIBRARY EDITION
Genealogy: Census data, genealogy records and family history resources. In Library Use only. Help Tutorials. The difference between Ancestry.com and Ancestry.com Library Edition. Ancestry.com Library Edition Help Tutorial by Niche Academy
HERITAGEQUEST
Genealogy: Search the U.S. census 1790-1940, family histories, genealogical serials, and local histories. Resources on towns and families from all 50 states as well as Canada and the British Isles. Help Aides. Access ends June 30, 2024.
Performing Arts
Audio Drama: The L.A. Theatre Works Collections
Audio Drama: The L.A. Theatre Works Collections delivers some of the most significant dramatic literature of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries by leading actors from around the world, all from the curated archive of the nation’s premiere radio theatre company and recorded specifically for online listening.
Music Online: Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries
Music Online: Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries provides an extensive virtual encyclopedia of unique American folk, blues, soul, jazz, and protest songs, as well as a broad range of world music through partnership with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
Music Online: The Qwest TV Collection
Music Online: The Qwest TV Collection, co-created by Quincy Jones & Reza Ackbaraly, offers valuable materials for music history and cultural studies through the preservation of diverse live performances, spanning the evolution of jazz and beyond — representing funk, soul, hip-hop, folk, indie, electronic, blues, and other eclectic world genres.
Dance Online: Dance in Video
Dance Online: Dance in Video presents an extensive collection of performances, instructional materials, documentaries, and interviews, showcasing high-caliber performances from the greatest dance companies and performers worldwide, spanning from traditional ballet to hip hop, street dance, and modern dance, offering a unique opportunity for to study and analyze the fusion between styles.
The Broadway On Demand Collection
The Broadway On Demand Collection takes viewers from behind the stage to the bright lights of Broadway through masterful plays, musicals, and dance performances, but it also provides a diverse range of unique behind-the-scenes series, documentaries, instructional videos, and more.
National Theatre Collections
National Theatre Collections provides contemporary video productions, modern reinterpretations of classic all featuring acclaimed actors and directors of the highest caliber along with exclusive behind-the-scenes archival content.
The Royal Shakespeare Company Collection
The Royal Shakespeare Company Collection with high-definition recordings of The Bard's dramatic canon, featuring the world's finest Shakespearean actors and directors, along with supplementary teaching materials, the Royal Shakespeare Company Collection helps bring Shakespeare to life in the modern age.
Theatre in Video
Theatre in Video offers access to hundreds of the world's most important plays, documentaries, and instructional materials, as well as interviews with prominent directors, designers, writers, and actors, providing an authentic behind-the-scenes look at various productions.
Classical Music in Video
Classical Music in Video provide an extensive collection of influential performances and documentaries demonstrating the continuous development of classical music, spanning eras from canonical masters to modern composers.
Opera in Video
Opera in Video offers a curated selection of the world's most significant opera performances, featuring top artists, conductors, and venues, providing a valuable resource for studying opera's rich canon.
