Reference Links: Home
This list began as a collection of reference works in our print collection that are available online.
A to Z WEBSITES
- Index of Library of Congress Research Guides Research guides to the Library's general collections of books and periodicals, as well as general subject guides prepared by Library of Congress reference librarians, are listed below. More online guides covering other Library of Congress collections are available via the LC Bibliographies, Research Guides and Finding Aids page.
- New York Public Library's Best of the Web Lists Websites selected by New York Public Library staff in a wide variety of subject categories.
- Pearl River Public Library Useful Links This LibGuide archives the links from the "Websites to Try” column in the Pearl River Public Library newsletter over the past ten years. New links will be added regularly.
- Ready Reference Center Collection of websites organized by subjects from Abbreviations to Zoos, created by staff of the Middletown Thrall Library.
- Virtual Reference Shelf Selected online resources for research prepared by the Library of Congress.
CENSUS & STATISTICS
- American FactfinderGoing offline March 31, 2020. Data will now be released at Data.Census.gov.
- Statistical Abstract of the United States (ending 2012 ed.) This work is the standard summary of statistics (with sources given) on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. The site offers access to most of the volumes from 1878 to the final 2012 volume.
CIVIL SERVICE
- Test Guides for Local Exams (NYS) NYS Department of Civil Service test guides are usually targeted to civil service exams for specific, entry-level titles. Published examination announcements will indicate if a test guide is available. Test guides are posted on this web page 60 days prior to the date of the written test.
COUNTRIES
- CIA World Factbook The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. The Reference tab includes: maps of the major world regions, as well as Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, a World Oceans map, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map.
- Country Studies These profiles offer brief, summarized information on a country’s historical background, geography, society, economy, transportation and telecommunications, government and politics, and national security.
CRIME
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports : Crime in the United States CIUS is a comprehensive annual publication in which the FBI compiles volume and rate of crime offenses for the nation, the states, and individual agencies. This report also includes arrest, clearance, and law enforcement employee data. Other reports also provided are Hate Crime Statistics and Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted.
GRANTS
- Find Grant Opportunities This page of the Grafts.gov website offers the ability to search for discretionary grant opportunites offered by the 26 federal grant-making agencies.
JOBS
- PRPL Career and Job Hunting ResourcesWe have collected links to websites to assist our patrons in exploring career options or in searching for a new job. See also our link there to Gale Career Transitions!
- Occupational Outlook Handbook The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. The Handbook is revised every two years.
- DigitalLiteracy.gov Learn Job Skills Use this section of the DigitalLiteracy site to connect to resources to build digital skills and find jobs for new economic opportunities.
LAW
- Free Legal Answers -- New York See if you qualify : Answer a few questions to see if you qualify to use this service. Ask a question : Ask our volunteer attorneys a specific question about your civil legal issue. Check your email : You'll receive an email telling you when your question receives a response. Log back in : See the response to your question; ask more questions.
- Law Help NY Learn more about your issue, your rights and where to find legal services near you.
- Martindale.com Find Lawyers Our directory contains listings for more than one millon lawyers and law firms. No matter where you are located or what legal issue you are facing, you will find the right attorney in the Martindale-Hubbell legal directory.
- New York State Unified Court System Offers Topics A-Z including ADA, Court Locations, Divorce, Family Court, Forms, Name Change, Rules, and Small Claims as well as FAQs, a Search box and much more.
- New York State's CourtHelp CourtHelp can help you when you don’t have a lawyer.
AUTOMOBILES
- Edmunds Offers information on new cars and used cars by body type or make, car reviews, tips on buying or leasing a car, financing and insuring one, and articles on car maintenance.
- Kelley Blue Book Both KBB and NADA offer tools to calculate retail or trade-in values of used cars and new car reviews and prices. KBB focuses on automobiles while NADA also includes similar information on classic cars, motorcycles, boats, and RVs.
- NADA Guides Both KBB and NADA offer tools to calculate retail or trade-in values of used cars and new car reviews and prices. KBB focuses on automobiles while NADA also includes similar information on classic cars, motorcycles, boats, and RVs.
- Fuel Economy Guide Learn about and compare the fuel efficiency of different models of cars using the Find and Compare function.
- AARP Driver Safety Program Search for classes nearby.
- Reduce Your Automobile’s Impact on the Environment Tips and links with information on reducing the harmful emissions from your car.
Driving Directions and Maps
Mapquest Google Maps Here.com
Rand McNally Maps
CHARITIES
- Charity Navigator Find a charity you can trust by using Charity Navigator, America's premiere independent charity evaluator.
- Charity Watch CharityWatch—founded more than 20 years ago as the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP)—is America's most independent, assertive charity watchdog. CharityWatch does not merely repeat what a charity reports using simplistic or automated formulas. We dive deep to let you know how efficiently a charity will use your donation to fund the programs you want to support. CharityWatch exposes nonprofit abuses and advocates for your interests as a donor.
- IRS Search for Charities: Exempt Organizations Exempt Organizations Select Check is an on-line search tool that allows users to select an exempt organization and check certain information about its federal tax status.
- Pennies for Charities This Web site contains financial reports of charities active in NY, offering guidance for those considering donating to charity and links to other resources.
COMPUTER SKILLS
- DigitalLiteracy.gov This site acts as a gateway to materials, research, online learning tools and more to help librarians and educators access and share materials to use when training learners of all ages on topics such as information literacy, computer skills, digital literacies and more. Individuals are welcome to visit the site to find resources, upload their own and/or connect with others who are offering training on these topics.
- TechBoomers Techboomers.com is a free educational website that teaches older adults and other inexperienced Internet users with basic computer skills about websites that can help improve their quality of life.
- Digital Learn Use a computer to do almost anything! Choose a course to start learning or search courses. If you are new to computers, haven't used them for a while, are a little unsure and uncomfortable, or just need a bit of a refresher, we have the tools to help you tackle technology at your own pace and gain the confidence you need to succeed.
EDUCATION
- College Affordability Guide OUR MISSION: to provide clear, correct info and advice on the many options students have to reduce the cost of their degree, and to offer a fresh analysis of which colleges are doing the most to make high-quality education affordable. We analyzed 10,000,000+ data points from 5,000+ degree-granting colleges and universities across the US, looking for the most affordable colleges and degrees. Less than 10% of those schools made it into our rankings.
- The Condition of Education The COE is an annual report that summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available statistics.
- EduTrek.com EduTrek.com was created to provide all of the information students need about post-secondary educational opportunities that best match their needs and their situation.
- Higher Education Disability Services Directory This directory provides information about services available to students with disabilities at public institutions of higher education - SUNY and CUNY - and independent colleges and universities throughout NYS.
- Peterson's College Search Search for the perfect college for you and learn about the entire college application process.
- Peterson's Online & Distance Learning Using distance learning tools, you can receive a degree online from an accredited distance learning program.
HEALTH
- HealthCare.gov The Health Insurance Marketplace is coming soon. A new way to get affordable coverage launches October 1.
- NORD Rare Disease Information The National Organization for Rare Diseases offers free, although limited, access to its online databases of rare diseases and patient organizations.
- The Merck Manuals Free online access to several Merck Manuals for healthcare professionals and the general public.
- New York Health Benefit Exchange Affordable Care Act: Consumer Information and Enrollment
- Mental and Emotional Wellness Resources The Albert Wisner Public Library in Warwick, NY has gathered in one place a special collection of materials on the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness and - equally important - on strategies to promote and sustain mental and emotional wellness. This guide includes hotline information, links to mental health organizations in Orange and Rockland Counties and New York State as well as national organizations, and to advocacy and education resources.
SENIORS
- AARP Learn@50+ Get ready for what's next with AARP's no-cost, online educational programs including job search skills, family caregiving and new technology.
- New York State Office of the Aging The New York State Office of the Aging offers the Senior Citizen's Resource Guide to services and information on topics such as healthcare, housing, crime, recreation, and volunteering. The guide is also available in Spanish.
- RCLS 55+ Resources Guide The 2014 Guide is focused on providing information, guidance and assistance regarding local, state and federal resources for persons aged 55 and older. This is not intended to be a comprehensive resource but rather one of many resource tools available to older adults. A print edition is also available and may be downloaded and saved to your computer.
- AARP Driver Safety Program Search for classes nearby. Also check http://guides.rcls.org/c.php?g=128525&p=841490 for postings.
BOOKS AND READING
- Bookpage BookPage is a monthly book review publication distributed through subscribing bookstores and public libraries. The website includes all of the content of the print edition.
- KDL What's Next: Books in Series This database shows you lists of an author's series books in order. Search by author, book title, or series title.
If You Like...Lists on the Web
Visit this PRPL Libguide to find Readalike booklists created on the web as well as here at PRPL,
CITIES & TOWNS
- CityTownInfo.com CityTownInfo provides details on 20,000 US cities and towns, including population, property, schools, colleges, hotels, ancestry, political contributions, climate, zip codes, area codes, counties, airports, and much more.
- City-Data.com Stats about US citiesand towns - real estate, relocation info, house prices, home value estimator, recent sales, maps, race, income, photos, education, crime, weather, houses, etc."
CONSUMER
- Compare Nursing Homes Select nursing homes to compare by distance from zip code or city, by county, or by state. View overall ratings or ratings of health inspections, staffing, or quality measures.
- NYS Division of Consumer Protection This NY Department of State division serves as the state’s top watchdog and think tank on a wide range of issues. Whether resolving consumer complaints, educating the public about product recalls, or representing consumers before public utilities, the Division is committed to providing the public with information to make informed decisions.
GOVERNMENT, USA
- FDsys: Federal Digital System Through the Government Printing Office's FDsys free online access, you are able to search or browse for and then download official documents and publications from all three branches of the Federal Government.
- Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 A two-part compendium updating and expanding the second edition, Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1957. This bicentennial edition, includes more than 12,500 time series, mostly annual, providing a statistical history of U.S. social, economic, political, and geographic development during periods from 1610 to 1970.
- State and Local Government on the Net The State and Local Government Internet directory provides convenient one-stop access to the websites of thousands of state agencies and city and county governments.
- Statistical Abstracts Series The U.S. Census Bureau terminated the collection of data for the Statistical Compendia program effective October 1, 2011. The Statistical Compendia program is comprised of the Statistical Abstract of the United States and its supplemental products—the State and Metropolitan Area Data Book and the County and City Data Book. To access the most current data, please refer to the organizations cited in the source notes for each table of the Statistical Abstract. Statistical Abstract data present here ranges from our most recent edition to the historical abstracts compiled throughout the decades. Some of the data were scanned as an effort to make historical abstract information available to the public. The display of data will continue as historical records become available. For access to volumes not available through this project, please contact your local Federal Depository Library.
- USA.gov As the U.S. government's official web portal, USA.gov makes it easy for the public to get U.S. government information and services on the web.
HEALTH, DRUGS
- Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs Best Buy Drugs is a public education project of Consumer Reports which gives free, unbiased analysis of prescription drugs you take each day, detailed reports to help you and your doctor discuss what medicines are right for you, and recommended Best Buys that could save you money every year.
HEALTH, DOCTORS
- AMA DoctorFinder This online physician locator provides comprehensive information on more than 814,000 AMA member and non-member doctors of medicine (MD) and doctors of osteopathy or osteopathic medicine (DO).
- NYS Office of the Professions Verify a medical practitioner's professional license here. You may also do the same for other professions requiring a license or permit in New York State.
SYMBOLS
- Symbols: Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms This online reference work, provided by Symbols.com, contains more than 1,600 articles about 2,500 Western signs, arranged into 54 groups according to their graphic characteristics. Search the Graphic Index or the Word Index. (Find the print version in our reference collection, R 704.946 LIU.)
WEATHER
- BBC Weather Search by location for weather forecasts around the world.