Research & Learning
Your Library Card gives you access to great information. Connect via the links below, and when asked, enter the ID number on the back of your library card. Note: Some ebooks and other online resources are available to BAPL’s home library patrons only. Access PA may borrow these items through their home library.
Need a book not in our collection? Request it through inter-library loan.
America's News
Explore and stay informed on local and national topics, people and events in areas such as business, health, education, jobs and careers, political and social issues and more. Features a wide variety of credible, vetted news sources spanning the U.S., including local newspapers. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
Ancestry.com Library Edition
Ancestry Library Edition delivers billions of records in census data, vital records, directories, photos, and more from countries all over the world. It’s resources cover the United States and the United Kingdom, including census, vital, church, court, and immigration records, as well as record collections from Canada, Europe, Australia and other areas of the world.
Note: this database can only be accessed at the library. Remote access is not available.
AtoZdatabases
Search Businesses, People, Mailing Lists and Sales Leads, Jobs, and more.
A to Z - World Food
A bountiful food database with recipes, how-to videos, glossaries, and more!
Explora
Explore reliable information for research, homework, and everyday life. Access full-text articles, magazines, books, and images on thousands of topics with a user-friendly interface. Access digital copies of Consumer Reports, Time Magazine, Rolling Stone, People Magazine, Sports Illustrated and more through this database.
Flipster: Digital Magazines
Gale Resources
Gale Resources – Book recommendations, reference eBooks, literature commentary, and more.
Genealogy Resources
Researching your family tree? Find useful genealogy links and library subscriptions here.
HeritageQuest
A comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources with primary sources, local and family histories, convenient research guides, interactive census maps, and more.
JSTOR
JSTOR provides access to millions of journal articles in 75 disciplines. *Available at BAPL locations only.
Kanopy Films
Stream documentaries on many subjects as well as foreign, classic, and feature films. Free with your BAPL library card.
Life in America Series
The Life in America Series is comprised of Black Life in America, Asian Life in America, Hispanic Life in America, Indigenous Life in America, Immigrant Life in America, and LGBTQ+ Life in America.
Explore U.S. history through the news media that documented it. Drawn from decades of news media coverage, these digital resources bring history to life. Built in suggested searches make it easy to explore content by era, theme, or event.
Linkedin Learning
This online platform provides access to a wide range of expert-led courses designed to help you develop skills for work, school, or personal growth. Earn Professional Certificates in a variety of topics, set goals or challenges for yourself, or seek out one of the many well-being tools.
Mango
Learn 60+ languages online and on-the-go.
Masterplots
Masterplots analyzes the most important works in all genres—long fiction, short fiction, poetry, drama, and nonfiction—throughout history and around the world, helping to define and critique the literary canon.
POWER Library
POWER Library provides access to educational resources such as e-resources, eBooks, primary source digitized materials, and the statewide union catalog.
Reference Shelf (Salem Press)
A collection of reference works from Salem Press including titles on literature, history, and careers.
WorldCat
Search the collections of over 72,000 libraries in 170 countries to find an item in a library near you.