Topics
Explore a range of free online resources to help you with your learning, research and information needs, as well as curated guides linking you to materials in our collection and relevant websites on topics like genealogy, elections, health, business, investing and employment.
Indicates an off-site resource available for free with your library card.
Articles & Newspapers
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. This scholarly collection provides full-text journal articles for most academic areas, including social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language, arts & literature and more.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Read full-text articles and image archives from the Columbia Daily Tribune. The text editions cover 1998-present and the image editions cover Feb. 1, 2024-present.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Provides full text for nearly 1,750 general reference publications, 500 full-text reference books, 86,017 biographies, 105,786 primary source documents, and an image collection of 341,655 photos, maps and flags.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search decades of Missouri history with the Kansas City Star Collection. Coverage from 1991-current, including full-text, web-only content and full-color image edition.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. This scholarly resource includes full-text articles and abstracts for journals covering librarianship, classification, cataloging and information management.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. The New York Times Recent includes full-text articles of this digital newspaper. Coverage: 2008-current. US Major Dailies provides access to article text from The New York Times (1980-current), The Wall Street Journal (1984-current), The Washington Post (1987-current) Los Angeles Times (1985-current), Chicago Tribune (1985-current).
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Full text articles and archives from the Columbia Daily Tribune, Boone County Journal and Fulton Sun, as well as The Kansas City Star, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and USA Today collections.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Cover-to-cover full-text articles for more than 40 national and international newspapers, as well as selective full text for more than 370 regional papers.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search archives of New York Times (1851-2013), Chicago Tribune (1849-1993), St. Louis Post Dispatch (1874-2003), Wall Street Journal (1889-2000), and Washington Post (1877-2000). Includes ability to view articles on a specific date or range of dates.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search decades of Missouri history with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Collection. Coverage from 1988-current, including full-text and full-color image editions.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Stay current with national news, events, and people with the USA Today Collection. Search decades of archived issues (1987-current) with full-color pages, full-text articles and content only published online.
Arts, Hobbies & Recreation
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Creativebug offers streaming video tutorials on a wide variety of arts and crafts, including knitting, paper art, cake decorating and more. Get unlimited access to thousands of classes for all skill levels, and learn a craft at your own pace. New content is added weekly.
EXPLORE THIS RESOURCE. Lerner Maker Lab offers a variety of crafts, recipes and other kid-friendly projects for hands-on fun.
Books & Reading
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Find a new author or a whole new series tailored to your reading tastes.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Online collection of 22,500 (non-downloadable) eBooks to read in your web browser.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Critical essays and biographical/bibliographical information on more than 120,000 authors.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Find your next great read. Search for books by a favorite author, read-alikes and book discussion guides.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search titles, authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults, and find resources to engage readers, including short movies, audiobook readings, book discussion guides and more.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search for books and other materials in libraries worldwide.
Business
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Provides both entrepreneurs and established business owners how-to information on growing and improving their business. Topics include: demographics, consumer patterns, emerging trends, utilizing the media environment, leadership and organizational skills.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search for and download a wide selection of Missouri legal forms by category or title. Provides an attorney directory and a dictionary of legal definitions.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Get information on millions of US businesses, searchable by a variety of criteria including business type, employee size, sales figures and geographic location. Formerly Reference USA.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Includes information on starting and operating a business, including accounting, finance, human resources, management, marketing, taxes, business plans and more.
Cars & Driving
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Step-by-step service and repair procedures, maintenance and specification tables, photographs, diagrams and illustrations. Includes a labor estimating tool and ASE test prep quizzes.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Free practice tests for Missouri Department of Revenue written examinations. Includes car, motorcycle and commercial driver license tests.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Find assistance with maintaining and repairing motorcycles, boats, mowers, tractors, tillers, generators and other small engines with the help of more than 410 reference texts with original photos and illustrations.
Consumer Information
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Get unbiased ratings and recommendations on thousands of products and services like appliances, cars, electronics, healthcare, food, travel, products for children and more. Read selections from the latest issue of the magazine or search through four years of archives.
Education & Online Learning
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Offers lessons in over 160 languages with a large selection of native language settings so you can learn in your native tongue. Also available via app on Apple and Android devices after creating a personal account in a web browser.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Follow along with interactive activities using digital tools to create podcasts, multimedia presentations, social media campaigns and more; explore articles on digital citizenship and research skills; and learn the skills to navigate today’s virtual landscape.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. The Education Resource Information Center provides bibliographic records of education-related journal articles and materials from other sources such as scholarly organizations, professional associations, research centers, and state and federal agencies.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Fiero Code is a fun and engaging way for patrons of all ages to learn web design and how to code in multiple languages at your own pace.
New user? Sign up for a free account using your library card number and PIN (your birthdate [MMDDYYYY] as the default).
To use this free service, you need to live in Boone or Callaway County and have a current Daniel Boone Regional Library card.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Access a breadth of academic and career preparatory tools, including résumé and cover letter builders, as well as test preparation materials for elementary through adult level. Includes the ACT, ASVAB, civil service, EMS, firefighter, GED, GMAT, GRE, law enforcement, paramedic, PPST, real estate, SAT, United States citizenship and more.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. LinkedIn Learning offers video tutorials on technology skills, creative techniques, business strategies and other subject areas. Classes are taught by top experts and are set up so you can learn at your own pace.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. LOTE4Kids (Languages Other Than English) offers hundreds of animated stories in various languages. Listen to and read along with over 4,500 stories in over 70 languages, including various sign languages.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Explore learning tools to help you prepare for realistic conversations in over 70 world languages.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. View online video tutorials on how to use digital collections and services such as OverDrive, Hoopla, Consumer Reports, Morningstar and Universal Class.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Designed for middle and high school students and English Language Learners that need background knowledge in a variety of subjects. Topics covered include: history, civics & culture, life skills, literature and science. Each article is short and includes photos, diagrams and maps. A “Listen” feature highlights words as they are read. A “Translate” feature offers translation into 34 different languages.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Offers over 600 free online continuing education courses taught by real instructors with remote, 24/7 access so you can study on your schedule.
Electronic Books for Kids
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. LOTE4Kids (Languages Other Than English) offers hundreds of animated stories in various languages. Listen to and read along with over 4,500 stories in over 70 languages, including various sign languages.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. TumbleBooks are animated, talking picture books that add sound, music and narration to existing picture books in order to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you.
Encyclopedias, Directories & General Research
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Comprehensive source of information of over 23,000 nonprofit American membership organizations.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Contains over 25,000 records on an array of topics. It also contains various images and brief biographies.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Contains listings for print media, radio and television stations and cable companies.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Every article from the print encyclopedia enhanced with state-of-the-art multimedia, maps, editor-reviewed web sites and more. Includes Spanish Student Discovery Encyclopedia, World Book Kids and World Book Reference Center.
Gale Presents: Excel Adult High School
The Daniel Boone Regional Library offers adults the opportunity to earn a nationally accredited high school diploma online through the Excel Adult High School (EAHS) program, presented by Gale.
The library provides a limited number of EAHS scholarships and Chromebooks to qualified adult learners who are looking to expand their career opportunities, prepare for workforce entry or continue their education. Applicants who successfully complete the online self-assessment, the prerequisite course and an in-person interview will be considered for free enrollment.
To be considered for the program, applicants must be at least 18 years old, live in the DBRL service area, and have a DBRL library card.
If you are interested in sponsoring a student learner, please contact the DBRL Foundation.
Please email us at EAHS@dbrl.org for more information.
FAQs
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- What is EAHS?Excel Adult High School is not a GED program, but is an accredited high school that offers a fully online high school diploma program, available through your local public library. A high school diploma is universally accepted at colleges and universities and may be preferable to a GED for students wanting to work toward attending college or certain careers. This program offers free enrollment to a limited number of qualified adult students.
- Who can apply?Adults 18 and older residing within the DBRL service area (Boone County, outside of Centralia, and Callaway County) who have successfully completed 8th grade and wish to earn their high school diploma. Program applicants must have a library card or be willing to apply for a library card. You can apply for a library card at any branch library or online.Applicants should have a willingness and ability to dedicate ten hours a week to coursework.
- How long will it take for students to complete the program?Students will be given up to 24 months to complete the online high school program, which will consist of 21.5 credits. Students accepted into the program may transfer up to 16 credits from previous accredited high school, home school or state equivalency exams.Depending on how many credits the student can transfer, the program can be completed in as few as three to six months. The average time to complete it is 12 months. Online courses are self-paced. On average, it takes about three to six months for adult students to complete a grade level.
- How do I get started?Visit the How to Get Started page to learn more about the program and how it works.
Genealogy
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Billions of genealogy records, including census, SSDI and military service data. (Due to license restrictions, this resource is only available for use within the library using library computers or your device connected to the library wireless network.)
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search the US census 1790-1940, selected Revolutionary War records, a variety of local and family histories plus articles of interest to genealogy researchers.
Government & Law
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search for and download a wide selection of Missouri legal forms by category or title. Provides an attorney directory and a dictionary of legal definitions.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Presents in-depth information on the structure and function of the U.S. government and its everyday role in the lives of citizens.
Health & Medicine
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Provides information to patients from periodicals, pamphlets and reference works covering all areas of health and wellness from mainstream medicine to the many perspectives of complementary, holistic and integrated medicine.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Provides authoritative citations from over 4,800 journals on medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system and much more.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. This award-winning resource provides middle and high school students with up-to-date, nonjudgmental self-help support. Topics covered include diseases, drugs, alcohol, nutrition, safety, mental health, suicide, bullying and LGBTQ+ information.
History & Geography
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Information about each state and U.S. territory, including history, climate, weather, demographics, geography, history and historical images.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Provides expansive and in-depth information on the people, events, and topics important to the study of African American history.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Spans more than 500 years of political, military, social and cultural history, highlighting the important people and events of the American experience.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Offers thorough access to more than 15,000 years of American culture, history and heritage. Includes texts, images and primary sources.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Covers the important people, events, legislation, and issues relevant to the study of women’s history in the United States.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Explores the pre-modern world with in-depth focus on Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Biographies of more than 340,000 people from key reference sources plus full-text articles from magazines and newspapers.
VISIT THIS RESOURCE. Discover primary source documents including historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more related to critical people and events in African American history.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Builds a deeper understanding of how historical events have shaped our world by exploring key players and the battles they fought.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Covers the people, places and events in the broad expanse of history from the mid-15th century to the present.
Investing, Finance & Taxes
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Follow along with interactive activities and easy-to-understand articles to learn how to manage credit and debt, save and invest with confidence, plan for college and retirement and avoid fraud and other scams. This resource is designed for students in grades 7-12 but also applies to adult learners.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Analyst reports and ratings for over 40,000 investments including stocks, mutual funds and ETFs. Articles and videos on investing and personal finance. (Due to license restrictions, there is a limit of four simultaneous library users.)
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. See full-page reports, analyst commentaries and Value Line’s trademark rankings of all stocks covered by the print edition.
Jobs & Career
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Explore different occupations, search local and national job postings, create professional resumes and cover letters, improve interviewing skills and conveniently organize and track your job-search progress.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Access a breadth of academic and career preparatory tools, including résumé and cover letter builders, as well as test preparation materials for elementary through adult level. Includes the ACT, ASVAB, civil service, EMS, firefighter, GED, GMAT, GRE, law enforcement, paramedic, PPST, real estate, SAT, United States citizenship and more.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. LinkedIn Learning offers video tutorials on technology skills, creative techniques, business strategies and other subject areas. Classes are taught by top experts and are set up so you can learn at your own pace.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Includes full text for nearly 520 high-quality education journals.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Offers over 600 free online continuing education courses taught by real instructors with remote, 24/7 access so you can study on your schedule.
Language
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Offers lessons in over 160 languages with a large selection of native language settings so you can learn in your native tongue. Also available via app on Apple and Android devices after creating a personal account in a web browser.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. LOTE4Kids (Languages Other Than English) offers hundreds of animated stories in various languages. Listen to and read along with over 4,500 stories in over 70 languages, including various sign languages.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Explore learning tools to help you prepare for realistic conversations in over 70 world languages.
Parenting
Religion
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Covers several world religions, including their sacred texts, their traditions and their influence on people and cultures across the world.
Resources for Kids
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search the full text of more than 1,300 popular nonfiction books for elementary school students on subjects like animals, weather, holidays, sports, Native Americans and more.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. CultureGrams Online offers World, Kids, Canadian Provinces and U.S. States editions in which you’ll find maps, statistics, photos, famous people and recipe collections. Plus, you can create customizable data tables to help put dozens of facts into perspective.
EXPLORE THIS RESOURCE. Lerner Maker Lab offers a variety of crafts, recipes and other kid-friendly projects for hands-on fun.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. LOTE4Kids (Languages Other Than English) offers hundreds of animated stories in various languages. Listen to and read along with over 4,500 stories in over 70 languages, including various sign languages.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. TumbleBooks are animated, talking picture books that add sound, music and narration to existing picture books in order to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Through narrated stories with word-by-word highlighting, interactive games and reference material, young learners can build vocabulary, comprehension, phonics and reading fluency. (Formerly Early World of Learning)
Resources for Teens
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Find a new author or a whole new series tailored to your reading tastes.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Creativebug offers streaming video tutorials on a wide variety of arts and crafts, including knitting, paper art, cake decorating and more. Get unlimited access to thousands of classes for all skill levels, and learn a craft at your own pace. New content is added weekly.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Follow along with interactive activities using digital tools to create podcasts, multimedia presentations, social media campaigns and more; explore articles on digital citizenship and research skills; and learn the skills to navigate today’s virtual landscape.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Follow along with interactive activities and easy-to-understand articles to learn how to manage credit and debt, save and invest with confidence, plan for college and retirement and avoid fraud and other scams. This resource is designed for students in grades 7-12 but also applies to adult learners.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Access a breadth of academic and career preparatory tools, including résumé and cover letter builders, as well as test preparation materials for elementary through adult level. Includes the ACT, ASVAB, civil service, EMS, firefighter, GED, GMAT, GRE, law enforcement, paramedic, PPST, real estate, SAT, United States citizenship and more.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Explore learning tools to help you prepare for realistic conversations in over 70 world languages.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Find your next great read. Search for books by a favorite author, read-alikes and book discussion guides.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Offers over 600 free online continuing education courses taught by real instructors with remote, 24/7 access so you can study on your schedule.
Science
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Contains full-text content from encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals and other sources on topics from biology and chemistry to environmental science and technology.
Social Justice Resources
JOURNEY TOWARD INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE
In 2018, under the umbrella of the Inclusive Impact Institute, the Matters of Social Justice Committee established a program inviting our community to participate in eight months of experiences designed to help individuals cultivate an inclusive mindset. Then, in 2019, the committee launched the annual State of Inclusivity Conference to provide opportunities for learning how to use this mindset to develop inclusive practices in our personal lives, organizations and workplaces.
In 2022, the journey continues, now in partnership with Heart of Missouri United Way. The objectives of this journey are to:
- Develop self-awareness of our biases and their roles in both personal and professional settings.
- Recognize privilege and oppression and their impact on our community.
- Learn how to create a community where all feel valued and can thrive.
- Commit to impacting the systems that oppress others personally and professionally.
Information about how to participate in this Journey Toward Inclusive Excellence, upcoming events and more can be found at https://www.jtie.org/ or www.facebook.com/inclusivejourney. We recommend the following library resources to further explore issues surrounding diversity, inclusion and social justice.
READING LISTS: ADULTS
READING LISTS: KIDS
Student Resources
VISIT THIS RESOURCE. Discover primary source documents including historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more related to critical people and events in African American history.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search the full text of more than 1,300 popular nonfiction books for elementary school students on subjects like animals, weather, holidays, sports, Native Americans and more.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search the full text of more than 2,450 popular nonfiction books for high school students on subjects like careers, health, life skills, ethnicity, sports, technology, history, science and more.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Search the full text of more than 3,100 popular nonfiction books for middle school students on subjects like health, life skills, ethnicity, sports, adventure, technology, history, science and more.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. CultureGrams Online offers World, Kids, Canadian Provinces and U.S. States editions in which you’ll find maps, statistics, photos, famous people and recipe collections. Plus, you can create customizable data tables to help put dozens of facts into perspective.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Find articles and facts for research papers, class projects, or homework from the world’s leading magazines and reference books.
EXPLORE THIS RESOURCE. Lerner Maker Lab offers a variety of crafts, recipes and other kid-friendly projects for hands-on fun.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Designed for high school students, this database contains full-text articles, biographies, primary source documents, reference books and images on topics ranging from science, history and literature to political science and more.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Designed for middle and high school students and English Language Learners that need background knowledge in a variety of subjects. Topics covered include: history, civics & culture, life skills, literature and science. Each article is short and includes photos, diagrams and maps. A “Listen” feature highlights words as they are read. A “Translate” feature offers translation into 34 different languages.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. General reference database containing thousands of full-text articles exploring social, scientific, health, historic, business, economic, political and global issues.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Through narrated stories with word-by-word highlighting, interactive games and reference material, young learners can build vocabulary, comprehension, phonics and reading fluency. (Formerly Early World of Learning)
Topic Guides
Our librarians have compiled these topic guides with recommended websites, reference databases and materials from our collection.
- Adoption Guide
- Adult Education Guide
- Alternate Meeting Room Guide
- April 8, 2025 Municipal Election Guide
- Automotive Guide
- Black Culture & History Guide
- Business Information Guide
- Consumer Information Guide
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guide
- Elections & Voting Guide
- Employment Guide
- Events & Festivals Guide
- Genealogy Guide
- Government Guide
- Health & Medicine Guide
- Health Insurance Marketplace Guide
- Historic Yearbooks & Directories Guide
- Homeschooling Guide
- Homework Help Guide
- Immigration and Refugee Services Guide
- Law & Legal Information Guide
- Local & Historic Newspapers Guide
- Local Arts Guide
- Mental Health Guide
- Nonprofit Organizations Guide
- Parenting Resources Guide
- Personal Finance and Investing Guide
- Recycling & Reusing Guide
- Shelters & Emergency Services Guide
- Taxpayer Assistance and Information Guide
- Test Prep Guide
- Volunteering Guide
- Utility Bill Assistance & Energy Saving Guide
- Women’s History Guide
Travel
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Travel guides and resources for over 200 cities around the world.
LOG IN TO THIS RESOURCE. Offers maps, photos and information about 175 nations and territories, primarily intended for travelers and students.