Welcome to the Baltimore County Public Library.

24/7 Live Help

There is help any time of the day or night when you use these 24 hour 7 day per week services.  You will need your BCPL library card and PIN to use these services.
 

• Maryland AskUsNow!
  You can talk to a real librarian or teacher any anytime!  24/7 live chat with a librarian who can help you find that answer or guide you in doing your research. Please note:  you will not necessarily be chatting with a librarian from Baltimore County Public Library or even from Maryland.  Here are some tips for Students on Using Maryland AskUsNow! [PDF]

• BrainFuse:
  An online tutoring service. Chat Live with a Tutor! (Spanish-speaking tutors available) from 2 p.m. – 11:55 p.m., 7 days a week. Kindergarten to Adult Learners welcome.  During the hours that tutors are not available, submit questions through the 24/7 Center.

  The Skills Building area can help you learning a specific skill or subject, such as mastering long division or improving reading comprehension, help beginning or organizing an essay or research paper.  It also includes a Test Center with practice tests for preparing for state tests and the SAT or ACT.

  The Writing Lab allows you to submit a file with your paragraph, essay, paper or resume/cover letter for review by a writing instructor. The paper is returned with comments on structure, grammar, style and content. The purpose of this service is not for the writing instructor to write or edit essays or resumes but to help you better organize and present their thoughts.

  Check out the Adult Learning Center for help and tutoring to prepare for the GED or U.S. Citizenship Tests.

24/7 Online Research Resources

BCPL offers print and online resources for use at a Baltimore County Public Library branch and for use 24/7 at home or school.

Our free online databases are very useful for school assignments. Many contain full-text articles from magazines, journals, current and historic newspapers, encyclopedias, and more. There are databases on automotive repair, with biographies, on literature, on science and history, for AP test and SAT practice tests, on health, business, and more.  Most of these electronic resources can be used in our branches or 24/7 from home, school, or work. All you need is a valid library card registered at the Baltimore County Public Library.  Click on this link if you have Trouble Accessing Our Databases from home, school, or work.
 

• Research Databases through BCPL

• Electronic Reference Books
  Through Gale Virtual Reference Library. These authoritative reference books are similar to databases in that the content can be searched online, download (in some cases to an mp3 device), emailed or printed and printed. These books do not have to be checked out or downloaded, and are always available for use either in the branch or 24/7 from home. Topics covered include biographies, environment, history, world religion, law, nations, multicultural America, literature, social sciences, and more. You can access Virtual Reference eBooks online at any branch or from home with a valid library card registered at the Baltimore County Public Library.

Our Kids' Page has websites to help elementary school students complete their homework as well.

• Kids' Page – Got Homework?

Browse our digital collection of local historic photographs. The collection contains almost 19,000 images covering all aspects of life, including photographs of people, buildings, sites, and events in the Baltimore County area, for the last 130 years. The images can be found and searched for through our catalog.

• Legacy Web: BCPL's Historic Photograph Collection

Access online reference books in Gale Virtual Libray at any branch or 24/7 from home with a valid library card registered at the Baltimore County Public Library.

The Legacy Web collection contains images covering all aspects of life, including photographs of people, buildings, sites, and events in the Baltimore County area, for the last 130 years. The images can be found and searched for through our catalog.

Biography

• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-present
  from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
   

• Biographies of Inventors
  from the African American Interest page by Baltimore County Public Library
  A variety of sites with biographical information
   

• Famous African Americans
  Inventor's Hall of Fame index of inventors by name, invention, decade, and more
   

• Inventors Biographies
  Search by time period or alphabetically.
   

• Mathematicians
  Biographical information on more than 700 scientists of this time period
   

• Scientific Community in the 16th and 17th Centuries

Women

• Biographies of Women Mathematicians
  Search by name or subject
   

• Distinguished Women of Past and Present
  Includes biographical information on over 200 notable American women
   

• National Women's Hall of Fame
  from The Women's International Center
   

• Women's Biographies
  Learn about the women who changed the world. Includes a timeline of women's role in history
   

• Women's History: Biographies
  Includes biographies of famous women from all over the world, provided by Scholastic
   

• Women Who Changed History

Click button below to enter the Biography in Context database.

Try also the History Reference Center, the Science Reference Center or our online encyclopedias.

Please note:  A library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library is needed to use these online resources.

Countries and Governments



Countries

• Background Notes
  Facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of other provided by the U.S. Department of State

• Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments
  Lists current heads of state and national government officials

• CIA World Factbook
  The most up-to-date information for quick country overviews including history, geography, people, government, transportation, economy and more

• Country Studies
  102 countries and regions are covered in this highly used source provided by the Library of Congress.

• Diplomacy in Action: United States Department of State
  Policy issues in general and for specific regions and countries

• Embassies - Foreign
  Foreign embassies located in Washington, D.C.

• Embassies - United States
  U.S. embassies in foreign countries
  One of the largest and most reliable sources of comparable statistics, economic, and social data. As well as collecting data, OECD monitors trends, analyses and forecasts economic developments and researches social changes or changing patterns in trade, environment, agriculture, technology, taxation, and more
   

• NationMaster.com
  A handy way to graphically compare nations. NationMaster is a compilation of statistics from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, United Nations, and Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development.

• Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

• Rulers
  Lists heads of state and heads of government  of all countries and territories, going back to about 1700 in most cases

United States

• USA.gov
  Official U.S. government portal for all government transactions, services, and information

• American Factfinder
  Main gateway by the U.S. Census Bureau to United States, state, county, city population, housing, economic statistics from the 2010 census and previous censuses

• FedStats
  Easy access to official statistics and information produced by more than 100 U.S. Federal Government agencies

• State and County QuickFacts
  Includes Census 2010 data from the U.S. Census Bureau for quick access to facts about people, business and geography

• StateMaster.com
  Compare states. Data from various primary sources such as the United States Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Center for Educational Statistics

• Statistical Abstract of the United States
  Published by U.S. Census, available in free Adobe Acrobat PDF Files. Links also to State and Metropolitan Area Data Book and County and City Data Book

Maryland

• Maryland.gov
  Official Maryland government portal for all government services and information

• Maryland Manual Online
  Official guide to information about Maryland government and how it operates

• Maryland State Data Center
  Main source for current population, social and economic figures for our state, its counties and local governments. Includes historical and future figures

• Maryland Statistical Handbook 2011 (Click on book. It opens in new window)
  A quick statistical overview of the counties and Baltimore City with accompanying charts and maps providing data from several federal and state agencies, including population change, density, international and domestic migration, births, deaths, crime, median household income, full and part-time jobs, average wage, school enrollment trends, federal government expenditures , retail sales and more.

Maps

• Maps of the United States
  Provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior
   

• National Geographic Society's MapMachine

• Worldmapper
  A collection of color-coded world theme maps showing the relative global distribution of natural resources, wealth, population, education, fuel, transportation, work, etc. Each map can be printed as a full-color poster, and has links to data tables.

Click the buttons below to search the World Book Online and the Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia

Please note:  A library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library is needed to use these online resources.

To find articles about current events, search our online magazine and newspaper databases

Health

• Medline Plus
  Free service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of HealthInformation on over 500 diseases and conditions. Lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and dictionaries, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials

• Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary
  From Intelihealth.com. Basic and advanced search engine.

• Nutrition Calculators
  Nutrient content of food, measure body mass, calorie calculators, and more

• Teens Health
  Information and advice about health, emotions, and life

MedlinePlus is available 24/7 to all without a library card...

Click button below to enter the Nursing Resource Center

Please note:  A library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library is needed to use the Nursing Resouce Center.

History and Social Issues

• AlternaTime
  Timelines in the areas of history and cultures, science and technology, arts and literature, popular culture and science fiction assembled by a college librarian from professional organizations, universities, governmental agencies, PBS, the History Channel, NASA and the Library of Congress

• American Cultural History: The Twentieth Century
  Provides information, links and bibliographies for every decade from 1900 through the 1990s

• Baltimore County and Maryland History
  by Baltimore County Public LibraryCommunity history, museums and historic sites, historical associations, and links to other sites with state and local historical information

• Baltimore County Legacy Web
  a project of Baltimore County Public LibrarySearchable archive of historic photos of Baltimore County and nearby areas. Also available through our catalog. Enter a keyword or proper name

• Best of History Websites
  Find information from prehistoric to modern times by browsing categories of history topics

• Catholic Encyclopedia
  Alphabetical index of information on Catholic interests and doctrine past and present. Includes biographical information

• Diplomacy in Action
  from the United States Department of State
  Information about the United States foreign policy and diplomacy throughout the world.

• Encyclopedias Online
  provided by Baltimore County Public LibraryFind articles about famous people, foreign countries, other states, historical events and hundreds of other topics for K-12. Available on public computers in BCPL libraries or elsewhere with a valid BCPL library card.  Click on this link if you have Trouble Accessing Our Databases from home, school, or work.

• Exploring Ancient Cultures
  Ancient Near East, India, Egypt, China, Greece and Rome; also, Early Islam and Medieval Europe

• History Channel
  Search for any topic, or find info on "This Day in History", exhibits, speeches, television programs

• History Resources
  by Fairfax County Public LibraryExcellent source of links on ancient history, middle ages, discoverers and explorers, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, 20th Century

• History Subject Guide: United States History
  A guide to Internet sites on United States history, from Enoch Pratt Free Library

• PBS History
  Links to favorite historical programming on the Public Broadcasting Service

• Resources by Subject: History
  from ipl2
  Links to history by era, region, topic as well as historical documents

• Teacher Oz's Kingdom of History
  Detailed coverage of world history from ancient to modern times, with sections devoted to topics as diverse as timelines, legends, religions, wars, fine arts, inventions, royalty, flags/maps, etc. Enter site by clicking on Table of Contents

• U.S. History
  by Shmoop.comQuick oveview of American history. Developed and written by Ph.D. and masters students from top universities

• World History Subject Guide
  created by Enoch Pratt Free LibraryCovers ancient and modern history and culture for 8 world regions / continents

Multicultural History and Heritage

• African American Interest
  by Baltimore County Public Library
  Resources for and about the history and heritage of our African American community

• Multicultural Connections Educational Resource Directory [PDF]
  by Baltimore County Public Schools
  Suggested web sites providing information on our diverse population.

• Multicultural Pavilion
  Links to websites with information about our diverse population, includes links to the history of African Americans, Native Americans, Japanese Internment

Current Social Issues

• Hot Topics
  by Fairfax County Public Library
  Useful for finding information on a number of controversial issue

• So Just: A Primary Source History of Social Justice
  Collection of historic speeches, songs, poetry, and essays on human rights and social justice

• Online Magazines and Newspapers
  provided by Baltimore County Public Library
  Full-text articles of current events and the social issues of our day. Historical coverage also available. Available on public computers in BCPL libraries or elsewhere with a valid BCPL library card.  If you have Trouble Accessing Our Databases from home, school, or work.

Women's History

• American Women
  A gateway to the Library of Congress Resources for the Study of Women's History and Culture in the United States
   

• American Women Through Time
  A chronological presentation including diaries, photographs, engravings, lecutres, historical newspapers, audio and video clips, and more
   

• Famous Firsts
  A comprehensive list of famous firsts by American Women. Search by keyword or browse by year
   

• National Museum of Women in the Arts
  "The only museum in the world that is dedicated exclusively to recognizing the contributions of women artists."
   

• Not For Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
  Interactive, multi-media presentation based on a film by Ken Burns, provided by PBS
   

• Women's Herstory
  Many links to sites about the role of women in history

Click button below to enter the History Reference Center database

Also check out our online encyclopedias and the magazines and historic and current newspaper databases.

Please note:  A library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library is needed to use these online resources.

Need information about American society throughout the decades or the history of clothing or fashion?  There are online reference books and encyclopedias, like the Encyclopedia of Multicultural America or the 10 volume American Decades series availab

Click on the button below and then the + before History or Multicultural Studies. Final click on the eTable of Contents to get to the information.

Access online reference books at any branch or 24/7 from home with a valid library card registered at the Baltimore County Public Library.

Click button below to enter the Opposing Viewpoints database for pro and con articles on controversial issues.

Also check out our online encyclopedias and the magazines and current newspaper databases.

Please note:  A library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library is needed to use these online resources.

The Legacy Web collection contains images covering all aspects of life, including photographs of people, buildings, sites, and events in the Baltimore County area, for the last 130 years. The images can be found and searched for through our catalog.

Languages

Dictionaries

Dictionaries and grammar resources for many languages

• Alpha Dictionary
• Your Dictionary

Translation Services

• Babel Fish Translation
  Free text translation to and from various European and Asian languages
• Foreign Language Translation
  Free text translation from English to Spanish or Spanish to English, and other European languages. Also includes Russian and Chinese

American Sign Language

• American Sign Language Browser
• American Sign Language-Fingerspelling
• Type a word or phrase and see how it is fingerspelled
• Self-study Course on American Sign Language
• Lessons include vidoes and photos to demonstrate worlds and concepts. Learn the 100 basic signs.

Want to learn or practice a new language?

Click button below to enter the Mango Languages database

Please note:  A library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library is needed to use these online resources.

Literature

• African American Literature

• Bartleby.com
  Search for full texts of 'great books' (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, reference).

• CliffsNotes
  Read literature notes online. Commercial site.

• Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
  Over 18,000 entries giving the derivation, source, or origin of common phrases, allusions, and words that have a tale to tell

• Glossary of Poetic Terms

• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  Contains texts of classic philosophers plus concepts, biographical and historical articles.

• Literary Criticism
  from ipl2
  Contains critical and biographical websites about authors and their works that can be browsed by author, by title, or by nationality and literary period

• Literary Resources on the Net
  A searchable collection of links to English, American and ethnic literature. May be searched by historical literary periods

• Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Winners
  awarded by Maryland Association of School Librarians
  Books honored are chosen by Maryland students. Winners from past years

• NoveList K-8 Plus
  Includes picture books, children's chapter books and young adult titles. Browse book lists, or search by theme or topic. Find stories that are set in a particular country, or about different cultures. Full-text book reviews are included. Available on public PCs in BCPL Libraries or elsewhere with a valid BCPL library card.

If you have Trouble Accessing Our Databases from home, school, or work

• NoveList Plus
  Complete resource for fiction and nonfiction pleasure reading. NoveList Plus offers bibliographic information on more than 200,000 titles, including over 50,000 nonfiction titles selected for their appeal to the general reader. Contains full text book reviews and book lists for all ages: children, teens and adults. Locate books to read by describing a plot or find similar titles or authors. Available on public PCs in BCPL Libraries or elsewhere with a valid BCPL library card.

If you have Trouble Accessing Our Databases from home, school, or work

• Poetry Forms and Literary Terms
  Explanations and examples of various poetry forms, along with links to glossaries of literary terms

• Poets' Corner
  Includes medieval ballads to early 20th century English and American poetry

• Smoop - Literature, Poetry, Shakespeare, Mythology
  Study guide to literature and poetry written by Ph.D. and masters students from top universities

• SparkNotes
  Summaries and critical analyses for English literature and Shakespeare. Literature study guides like CliffsNotes. Commercial site.

Click buttons below to enter these databases about the lives and works of novelists, poets, essayists ...

Please note:  A library card registered with Baltimore County Public Library is needed to use these online resources.

Mathematics

• AAA Math
  Excellent site for K-8 grades. Searchable by grade level or topic. Includes explanations and examples of everything from addition to algebra

• Algebra.Help
  Covers key algebra topics like equations, simplifying and factoring

• Calculus.org

• CliffsNotes
  Study guides for basic math, pre-algebra, algebra, calculus and more

• Dave's Short Course on Trigonometry
   

• Dr. Math Help
  Math resources by subject for K to 12, college, and advanced students at the Math Forum

• EquPlus
  Find the science and math equations you need and online conversion tools

• Frank Potter's Science Gems - Mathematics

• Homework Spot
  Useful links on math topics arranged for middle and high school students

• Khan Academy
  Math videos explaining topics such as basic math, algebra, geometry and calculus

• Math for Morons Like Us
  Subjects covered range from Pre-Algebra to Calculus

• MathWorld
  An online math encyclopedia. Great spot to answer the question "What is...?"

• Purplemath
  Covers all aspects of high-school algebra in detail

• S.O.S. Mathematics
  Math review material from algebra to differential equations

• SparkNotes
  Study guides covering math.

Online Calculators

• Algebra Calculators
  Shows you the right answer and a step-by-step solution so you can solve the next one

• Calculator.com
  Collection of on-line calculators for every purpose: scientific uses, currency conversion, time, unit conversion,  and lots more

• Mathway
  Automated tool for solving math problems including basic math, pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, precalculus, calculus and statistics. You can get solutions to your problems and save your problems with a free basic Mathway account. If you would also like step-by-step explanationn, you must upgrade to a premium account

• Martindale's Calculator's On- Line Center

• QuickMath
  Automatically answers the most common problems in algebra, equations and calculus

• WebMath
  Type in a math problem and this site shows the process of solving it. Includes division, geometry, algebra, trigonometry and calculus

Science and Technology

• BJ Pinchbeck's Homework Helper: Science
  Another excellent site organized by topic, including anatomy, botany, earth sciences, medicine, physics, space science, weather and zoology

• Chemguide
  Designed to help students understand concepts of chemistry. Topics include atomic structure and bonding, inorganic and organic chemistry, instrumental analysis, organic reaction mechanisms and chemistry calculations. Written by a chemistry teacher

• Chemical Elements
  An interactive periodic table of the elements

• Chemtutor
  Explanations and examples of chemistry fundamentals

• CliffsNotes
  Study guides on biology, chemistry, earth sciences, physics, psychology and more.

• Computer History Museum
  Online exhibits on a variety of topics related to the history of computing, microprocessers, the Internet. Timeline of computer history

• Encyclopedia Smithsonian
  Answers to many frequently asked questions at the popular museums. Topics from Aeronautics to Zoology

• EquPlus
  Find the science and math equations you need and online conversion tools

• Frank Potter's Science Gems
  Links to resources and tools on physcial sciences, life sciences, earth sciences and engineering

• Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 2oth Century

• How Stuff Works
  Collection of articles that explain the workings of everyday things in the world. Diagrams are provided to complement the simple and detailed essays.

• MadSci Library
  Excellent starting point for finding science resources

• Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Carter Library and Information Resource Center
  The Carter Library can assist with questions about state environmental protection programs, history of environmental protection in Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay, and ecology of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay. They can be contacted directly through their webform.

• National Agricultural Library
  Can help you find the agriculture related information you need. Staff members answer questions using authoritative, pertinent resources and produce online guides to many food and nutrition, farming, environment and agriculture topics. Let them help you by contacting them directly through their webform.

• Organic Chemistry Glossary
  Terms and definitions frequently used in organic chemistry

• Periodic Table of the Elements
  Information about elements, includes atomic number, symbol, weight, and electron configuration, brief history and uses. Designed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory's Chemistry Division for elementary through high school students.

• Resources for Science Homework
  This comprehensive site has dozens of links for anatomy, astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics and other sciences

• Science Resources for Teens
  from ipl2
  Links to homework help on a variety of science topics

• Science and Technology
  from ipl2
  Comprehensive subject guide for the sciences

• Science Fair Projects
  by Baltimore County Public Library
  Help getting started on your project with ideas, books, and resources on the Internet

• SparkNotes
  Study guide covering the sciences

Click button below to enter the Science Reference Center

Access online reference books at any branch or 24/7 from home with a valid library card registered at the Baltimore County Public Library.

Speeches and Quotations

• American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank
  Speeches including the top 100 political speeches of the 20th century, movie speeches and more
   

• Bible Gateway
  Offers several Bible versions for searching Bible passages or by keyword
   

• History and Politics Out Loud
  A collection of audio material that captures "significant political and historical events and personalities" primarily from the 1960s-1970s. Browse or search the collection by date, speaker or title. Many entries have transcripts in addition to the audio files.
   

• The History Place: Great Speeches Collection
  Selected speeches with brief introducion placing the speech in its historic context
   

• Quotations
  by Bartleby.com
  Find that famous quotation and search full texts of 'great books' (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, reference)

Writing

Citations and Bibliographic Formats

The following provide tip sheets for some of the common citations used in bibliographies:

• APA Style Guide

• APA Lite for College Papers

• APA Formatting and Style Guide

• Chicago Manual of Style

• MLA Formatting and Style Guide

• MLA Style Guide

• Turabian (condensed version of Chicago) Style Guide

Citation Help
Need to see examples of citations in APA, MLA, Turabian, Chicago style? These PDFs should help

Citation Machine
Web tool designed to help students create standard citations for MLA, APA, Turabian or Chicago citation styles

Citing Internet and Print Resources
Shows how to cite sources, including email and web sites, in a bibliography using APA, MLA, Turabian, and other styles.

Copyright

• Copyright Internet Resources
  Links to organizations granting permission to use copyrighted material

• United States Copyright Office
  Provides application forms and registration information

English Grammar and Usage

• Common Errors in English
  Explains common spelling and English usage errors

• Grammar Handbook
  Basic grammar rules concerning parts of speech, phrases, clauses, sentences and sentence elements, and common problems of usage

• Guide to Grammar and Writing
  Provides suggestions about writing in a hyperlinked format

• Punctuation

Writing Help

• A+ Research and Writing
  from ipl2
  Step by step guide, information and links for high school and college students on research and writing.

• Online Writing Lab, Purdue University
  Handouts and links to other writing-related sites intended to help authors meet a variety of writing demands including punctuation, grammar, writing the research paper and business writing, including English as a Second Language (ESL) materials.

• RhymeZone
  Type in a word to find its rhymes, synonyms, antonyms, homophones and more

   

• Writing Process
  from Purdue Online Writing Lab
  Helps you with the writing process: pre-writing (invention), developing research questions and outlines, composing thesis statements, and proofreading