24/7 Digital Library - Solano County Library

Borrow free eBooks and eAudiobooks or search our databases for up-to-date popular and scholarly articles on a wide range of subjects. The Library’s 24/7 Digital Library never closes and its content can be read or downloaded on your computer or portable device.

Databases A - Z

Cars + Trucks

Auto Repair Source (formerly Automate)
AutoMate provides the up-to-date service and repair information for thousands of domestic and imported vehicles. Includes step-by-step repair information, diagrams, maintenance schedules, parts and labor estimates, service bulletins and recalls.

Consumer Reports
Provides frequently updated resources of information and advice on consumer products for better purchasing decisions.

Driver’s Education Program
Study for a drivers permit using realistic practice tests. Resource provides learning materials based specifically on the permit manual from the California DMV. Includes tests for car, motorcycle and commercial driver’s license. Practice tests in Spanish also available.

eBooks

Hoopla Digital
Enjoy nearly half a million titles, from six different formats: movies, TV shows, music albums, audiobooks , e-books, and comics/graphic novels. All in one location, from your computer, tablet or Smartphone! FAQs

Libby by OverDrive
Find your next great read or listen in our largest eBook, audiobook, and magazine collection. Browse by genre or search for an author or title. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can filter search results to show titles to recommend for addition to our collection.
Mobile app:
Libby – The app is the easiest way to get started. The app offers a simplified browsing, checkout and reading experience.

LOTE4Kids
LOTE4Kids (Languages Other Than English) Digital picture books for kids to read out loud in more than 70+ languages! Download the LOTE4Kids App today!

NoveList Plus
Readers’ advisory resource which helps fiction, narrative non-fiction (including biography) readers and audiobook listeners find new authors and titles, keep track of series, and prepare for book group discussions.

ProQuest eLibrary
General reference collection of periodical and digital media content.

Tumblebook Library
E-books for kids! Tumblebooks has story books, audio books, puzzles and games. Great for parents and kids.

Genealogy

Ancestry.com (library access only)

A genealogy resource with access to historical records and family trees for discovering, preserving and sharing family history.

ProQuest Black Freedom
Primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history.

Vacaville Reporter Archives
Digitized archive of the Vacaville Reporter newspaper. Issues from 1883 – 1946 are currently available to search and read online thanks to the hard work of the Vacaville Heritage Council. This is a great resource to learn about local history or for genealogy research purposes.

Homework

BookFlix (Remote Access, Onsite Access)
Read, Watch, and Listen to Books and Book Videos
This fun Scholastic website reinforces reading skills for early readers, reluctant readers and English language learners for grades preK-3.

Books24x7 ITPro
Get on-demand access to recent unabridged content of thousands of IT and technology books and documents easily accessible from your desktop or mobile devices. FAQs

Brainfuse HelpNow
Solano Library card holders are able to access live, online tutoring and homework help in all K-12 subjects. Spanish language tutors are available. Live tutoring occurs everyday between the hours of 1PM – 10PM (FAFSA specialists are available Mon – Thurs 11AM – 8PM).

Britannica School
Learn more about any subject, for any grade and all reading abilities. Britannica School offers thousands of up-to-date, curated, and curriculum-relevant articles, images, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, research tools, recommended Web sites in three separate grade-level databases: Elementary, Middle, or High. Also available in Español.

EBSCO Explora
Combines Masterfile Complete and Newspaper Source Plus into one single search. Find articles from full-text journals, magazines, trade publications and newspaper articles from thousands of sources. Also, seek out Topic Overviews to begin your research on thousands of subjects.

ProQuest CultureGrams
Concise social, cultural, and political information on countries, U.S. states, and provinces around the world.

ProQuest SIRS Discoverer
A general reference database providing safe, reliable, curriculum-aligned content and features for use by students and educators.

ProQuest SIRS Issues Researcher
Pros and cons on complex social issues with relevant, credible information that tells the whole story on the major questions of the day.

Teaching Books
A comprehensive resource of youth book lists and guides to award-winning and diverse literature, literature lesson plans, literature-based vocabulary lists, meet-the-author videos and book readings, readers’ theatre scripts, and video book trailers.

Tutor.com
Free chat tutoring for grades K-12, college intro and adult learners. Every day, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. 24 hour access to Skills Center Resource Library with worksheets, tutorials, study guides, and more.

Job Help

Brainfuse JobNow
JobNow combines live help with online resources to guide you through the steps to get a job. Live online job coaching available every day 1PM-10PM.

Kids

ABCmouse
Over 10,000 Interactive books, educational games, puzzles, and other learning activities, for children (ages 2-8+) to help them practice reading, math, science, social studies, art, and music.

Kanopy
Film streaming service features classic and world cinema, indie films and top documentaries. Kanopy is available as a mobile app or can be streamcast with Chromecast, Alexa, Roku, Android TV, Fire TV or Apple TV. FAQs

LOTE4Kids
LOTE4Kids (Languages Other Than English) Digital picture books for kids to read out loud in more than 70+ languages! Download the LOTE4Kids App today!

Mango Languages
Learn a new language. Courses in over 70 languages available.

ProQuest Black Freedom
Primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history.

ProQuest CultureGrams
Concise social, cultural, and political information on countries, U.S. states, and provinces around the world.

ProQuest eLibrary
General reference collection of periodical and digital media content.

ProQuest SIRS Discoverer
A general reference database providing safe, reliable, curriculum-aligned content and features for use by students and educators.

ProQuest SIRS Issues Researcher
Pros and cons on complex social issues with relevant, credible information that tells the whole story on the major questions of the day.

Teaching Books Book and Author Resources

TeachingBooks Engage With Diverse Books

Tumblebook Library
E-books for kids! Tumblebooks has story books, audio books, puzzles and games. Great for parents and kids.

Learn A Language

LearningExpressLibrary®
Prepare for entrance exams and certification tests by taking practice tests and tutorials.

LOTE4Kids
LOTE4Kids (Languages Other Than English)Digital picture books for kids to read out loud in more than 70+ languages! Download the LOTE4Kids App today!

Mango Languages
Learn a new language. Courses in over 70 languages available.

Lifelong Learning

Ancestry.com(only accessible inside of the library.)
A genealogy resource with access to historical records and family trees for discovering, preserving and sharing family history.

Calm
Calm is an online service that provides guided meditations, courses, stories, music, and other helpful tools to manage stress and mental health. Calm is available both via the web or through a mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

To check out a Calm subscription, fill out the Calm Registration Form. Please note that you must have an email account to register. Also, receiving your subscription information can take up to 2 business days.
For more about using Calm, please see our FAQs

Discover & Go
Get free and discounted passes to local museums and cultural institutions through Discover & Go. Check out the Discover & Go FAQs.

Mango Languages
Learn a new language. Courses in over 70 languages available.

New York Times
Access the online version of New York Times, courtesy of the California State Library. Note: Some sections are only available to paid subscribers. FAQs

ProQuest CultureGrams
Concise social, cultural, and political information on countries, U.S. states, and provinces around the world.

ProQuest eLibrary
General reference collection of periodical and digital media content.

Magazines + Newspapers

New York Times
Access the online version of New York Times, courtesy of the California State Library. Note: Some sections are only available to paid subscribers. FAQs

New York Times The Athletic
Delivers in-depth sports coverage of your favorite teams and leagues. Access includes everything form breaking news and live commentary to long-form features, exclusive interviews, podcasts, and more.

New York Times Cooking
An inspiring cooking guide, innovative, and interactive kitchen tool, and diverse recipe collection that helps home cooks of every level discover, save, and organize the world’s best recipes, while also helping them become better, more competent cooks.

New York Times Games
Games you can feel good about- including the iconic Crossword.
Times Games have captivated solvers since the launch of the Crossword in 1942. Enjoy engaging word and visual games that stimulate and keep the mind sharp.

Directions for accessing the New York Times, The Athletic, Cooking, or Sports:

Use the links to access Newspaper, Cooking, Sports, or Games, and click “Redeem”.
Create a New York Times account*; if you already have one, click “Sign in” or sign into the NYT Crosswords app with your information.
Enjoy 24 hours of access. To continue after 24 hours is up, click on the link above in step 1 and sign in again with your NYTimes.com account (we recommend bookmarking this page).

Newsbank
Access to The Vacaville Reporter Collection- 1998 to Current, the Vallejo Times-Herald, America’s News, Hispanic Life in America, Asian Life in America and hundreds of newspapers throughout the U.S. Also features Hot Topics such as politics, business, health, sports, cultural activities and people. Its diverse source types include printed and online newspapers, blogs, journals, newswires, broadcast transcripts and videos.

ProQuest Historical Black Newspapers
Full historic content from ten major black newspapers: Chicago Defender, The Baltimore Afro-American, New York Amsterdam News, Pittsburgh Courier, Los Angeles Sentinel, Atlanta Daily World, The Norfolk Journal and Guide, The Philadelphia Tribune, Cleveland Call and Post, and Michigan Chronicle.

Movies + Music

ArtistWorks
ArtistWorks provides musical instrument players world-class instruction from Grammy Award-winning music professionals and offers users a guided path of video lessons containing everything they need to reach their musical goals. All levels of player can access hundreds of hours of high quality video instruction, studio quality play-along tracks, and downloadable written materials, tablature and sheet music. (Solano County Library has musical instruments you can check out!)
FAQs

Download Libby!

Freegal Music
Offers access to about 15 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of legendary artists, and over 40,000 music videos. Streaming is unlimited and you can download up to 5 songs each week.

Ancestry.com (library access only)
A genealogy resource with access to historical records and family trees for discovering, preserving and sharing family history.

Books24x7 ITPro
Get on-demand access to recent unabridged content of thousands of IT and technology books and documents easily accessible from your desktop or mobile devices. FAQs
Please note that Books24x7 ITPro will no longer be accessible starting in December, as our subscription is coming to an end.

Brainfuse CollegeNow
CollegeNow provides live help to students navigating all aspects of the college application process. (FAFSA specialists are available Mon – Thurs 11AM – 8PM)

Brainfuse HelpNow
Access live, online tutoring and homework help in all K-12 subjects. Spanish language tutors are available. Live tutoring occurs everyday between the hours of 1PM – 10PM.

Brainfuse JobNow
JobNow combines live help with online resources to guide you through the steps to get a job. Live online job coaching available every day 1PM-10PM.

Consumer Reports
Provides frequently updated resources of information and advice on consumer products for better purchasing decisions.

Creativebug
Over 1,000 art and craft video classes for adults and kids, taught by recognized design experts and artists. Topics include fiber and paper arts, jewelry making, sewing and quilting, food and home and more.

Discover & Go
Get free and discounted passes to local museums and cultural institutions through Discover & Go. Check out the Discover & Go!

**Physical library card required to access Discover & Go** FAQs.

GetSetUp
Provides hundreds of live online classes to keep you mentally, physically and socially active. Classes are interactive, easy to join, offered day and night and free for our community.

LearningExpress
Features nearly 1,000 online tutorials, practice tests, and eBooks to improve skills required for academic and career success. LearningExpress offers career certification and licensure exam prep, college and grad school entrance test prep, GED® test prep, and more.

Legal Information Reference Center
A resource of over 250 Nolo press legal reference titles in full-text, detailed how-to instructions, and thousands of forms on a wide range of legal issues.

LOTE4Kids
LOTE4Kids (Languages Other Than English) Digital picture books for kids to read out loud in more than 70+ languages! Download the LOTE4Kids App today!

Mango Languages
Learn a new language. Courses in over 70 languages available.

MasterFile Complete (EBSCO)
A comprehensive collection of full-text journals, magazines and trade publications of general interest topics including business, health, education, general science, and multicultural issues.

New York Times
Access the online version of New York Times, courtesy of the California State Library. Note: Some sections are only available to paid subscribers. *Please click the redeem button only once–the access process will take place after a few seconds. FAQs

Directions for accessing the New York Times, The Athletic, Cooking, or Sports:

Use the links to access Newspaper, Cooking, Sports, or Games, and click “Redeem”.
Create a New York Times account*; if you already have one, click “Sign in” or sign into the NYT Crosswords app with your information.
Enjoy 24 hours of access. To continue after 24 hours is up, click on the link above in step 1 and sign in again with your NYTimes.com account (we recommend bookmarking this page).

ProQuest Black Freedom
Primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history.

ProQuest CultureGrams
Concise social, cultural, and political information on countries, U.S. states, and provinces around the world.

ProQuest eLibrary
General reference collection of periodical and digital media content.

ProQuest SIRS Discoverer
A general reference database providing safe, reliable, curriculum-aligned content and features for use by students and educators.

ProQuest SIRS Issues Researcher
Pros and cons on complex social issues with relevant, credible information that tells the whole story on the major questions of the day.

Teaching Books Book and Author Resources
A comprehensive resource of youth book lists and guides to award-winning and diverse literature, literature lesson plans, literature-based vocabulary lists, meet-the-author videos and book readings, readers’ theatre scripts, and video book trailers. Access is provided by the California State Library.

Tumblebook Library
E-books for kids! Tumblebooks has story books, audio books, puzzles and games. Great for parents and kids.

Digital Media

Popular Databases

Help

If you need help finding information, please call us at 1-866-57-ASKUS (1-866-572-7587) or email us.

Databases vs. Web

A primary difference between databases and websites is that librarians review and select the databases which have book, magazine, journal, and even Web information that is considered reliable, authoritative, historically relevant, and valuable. Most information on the web does not go through a review process. Most of the information available through a database also is available in a paper format but by providing the information in an electronic format, the library can save money by buying one electronic subscription which can be shared by many people.

For your research, you will probably save yourself time and find more quality information if you begin with library resources and then move to the Web if you need more information or other points of view. Remember, when using remote access to get to the library’s databases, you are accessing the library’s collection via the Web, but are still using library resources which tend to be more reliable.

How to Cite

Why cite sources?

Whenever you quote or take ideas from another person’s work, you have to document the source you used, whether it’s a book, magazine, video, or website.

How to cite:

Try these links for good examples of citation style guides and plagiarism prevention:

lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/citations.html
Citing Your Sources guide from The University of California Berkeley Library

owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL)

xavier.edu/library/help/style_guides.cfm
Help: Citation Style Guides provided by Xavier University, McDonald Library