Authors and Literature
Resources in literature, poems, language and authors.

Chemical Elements
Resources on chemical elements, their structure, properties, sources and use.

Researching the Decades
Library and internet resources on researching the decades...

Finals Time!
Feeling stressed about finals? Relax! Use the resources listed.

Health/Diseases
Covers health, diseases, substance abuse, public health issues.

Hot Topics/Current Events
Everything you need for essays or reports on frequently assigned topics: Women's History Month, Iraq, Natural Disasters Around the World, Presidential Campaign 2008, Film and Filmmaking Around the World, Science & Health in the News, World Environment, World Health.

Inventors & Inventions
Resources on inventors and inventions.

Money/Investing
A resource list of St. Charles Library and Internet sources of investment information.

Multicultural Fiction
Recommended reading booklist prepared by our Reader's Advisory staff.

Physics of Sports
Resources explaining the physics involved in various sports and activities.

Primary Source Materials
A primary source is the raw material of history, such as a diary, letter, speech, photograph, newspaper article, memoir, interview, map, artifact, or government record. This research guide will lead students to primary sources at the St. Charles Public Library and on the Internet.

St. Charles Historic Buildings
Brief descriptions and backgrounds of various historically significant buildings in St. Charles and the surrounding area.

Subject Guides
These links have been selected by the Reference Librarians to steer you to reliable, substantive, frequently requested information. Article databases, catalog, reference books, web sites - organized by topic.

• Colleges
• Countries
• Entertainment
• Environmental Issues
• Health
• Local History
• Music
• Quotations

Also available on this site:

Premium Search Databases
Choose the database or choose the topic that you want, enter your St. Charles Library card number (the barcode number on the back of card) and PIN number. Do not use any spaces or dashes. From within the Library, the databases are available at the ELR computers.
Questions? See Database FAQs

Super Search
Up to 35 of our most popular databases at one time. (Need help?)

eBooks
Research, reference, reading materials online. 16,000 electronic versions of printed books. Includes Cliff Notes.

FirstSearch collection
Don't have your library card? Illinois residents can access a smaller collection of databases that will give you the answers you're looking for. All you need is an authorization and password. Call the Information Services desk at 630-584-0076 ext. 1, or after hours, call our Nite Owl Service at 630-584-4564.

Still not finding what you need?

Internet Detective - a free online tutorial that will help you develop Internet research skills for your school work. The tutorial looks at the critical thinking required when using the Internet for research and offers practical advice on evaluating the quality of web sites.

Spark Notes
Free study guides on literature, math, science, history, health and many more subjects.

Note: Although we have tried to provide sites that are current, the Internet is a constantly evolving resource. Therefore, there are no guarantees for the types of materials accessible via these sites.