Research & Learn

Bloomington Library offers a lot of databases, and it can become overwhelming trying to find the exact database you need. To generally search through a wider variety of databases visit Explora, a search engine that goes through all the EBSCO databases Bloomington Library offers. With your library card from Bloomington Library, you can access Explora for FREE. To login from outside the library, patrons will need to enter their library card number and PIN/password.

Educate Station offers learning plans and educational worksheets for students in Pre-K through Grade 5. This resource offers content which works well in a home-school environment or for parents wanting to give their young scholars extra help in specific subjects. With your library card from Bloomington Library, you can access this resource for FREE. To login from outside the library, patrons will need to enter their library card number.

This full-text database is a dedicated resource where patrons can find articles, books, journals and more about culture, traditions, social treatment and lived experiences of different ethnic groups in America. With your library card from Bloomington Library, you can access Ethnic Diversity Source for FREE. To login from outside the library, patrons will need to enter their library card number and PIN/password.

Find stories, photos, documents, and military records for the men and women who served our country using this military genealogy database. Fold3 helps you discover and share stories of the everyday heroes, forgotten soldiers, and the families who supported them. Online tutorials are available. 

Providing access to hundreds of years of obituaries and death notices from thousands of newspapers across the United States. This one-of-a-kind collection helps Patrons and family historians uncover new family members and understand family relationships on a deeper level than ever before. Online tutorials are available. 

This family history resource, HeritageQuest includes U.S. federal census information, family genealogies, local histories, tax lists, city directories, land and probate records, birth records, marriage records, death records, genealogical and local history serials, and more. Online tutorials are available. 

The McLean County Museum of History recently digitized all five-volumes of "Home town in the Corn Belt" which debuted in late December of 1950. The volumes contain 171 articles with 39 biographical sketches and 52 poems relating to local history. With 132 authors contributing to the 1,740 pages, these collections offer a wealth of primary and secondary source material to support local history research. 

Instantly borrow eAudiobooks, eBooks, comics, graphic novels, movies, TV shows, and music. Patrons can check out up to 7 Hoopla titles per month. All titles are always available; you never have to place a hold. Hoopla can be accessed on multiple devices including smart phones, tablets, Roku, FireTV, AndroidTV, Chromecast, AppleTV, and more. Online tutorials are available.

Access nearly 7,000 eBooks with information about computer science, business, technology, and programming through Information technology Collection (eBook Central). Books can be read in a browser or downloaded to be read offline. 

This suite of resources -- available to anyone living in the State of Illinois at no charge -- supports local authors with online creation and publishing tools. Inkie also allows readers to access locally-produced content.

Access this collection of free eBooks for Illinois residents published by Illinois authors. Titles are always available, and there are no limits on checkouts. With Inkie.org Library, formerly known as Biblioboard, there's no waiting, just reading! NO LIBRARY CARD NEEDED! 

Stream thousands of films, documentaries, and television shows with Kanopy. Included are selections from The Criterion Collection, The Great Courses, film festival winners, independent directors, and more. Patrons will receive 30 tickets each month. Each item borrowed will result in 0-5 tickets being subtracted from the patron’s monthly allotment. All titles are always available; you never have to place a hold. Kanopy can now also be accessed through Libby. Online tutorials are available.

Access practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard which empowers learners to study at their own pace both inside and outside the classroom. Tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more with Khan Academy! NO LIBRARY CARD REQUIRED!

This resource is jam packed with test prep, tutorials, and lessons to teach skills in fundamental areas. Through LearningExpress, basic computer and internet skill guides are available. Job seekers can find tools needed to explore careers, build professional resumes, and even find job listings. College and high school students can access PrepSTEP to complete practice tests in some of the most common exams like GED, ACT, SAT and more. With your library card from Bloomington Library, you can access this resource for FREE. To login from outside the library, patrons will need to enter their library card number and PIN/password. You will need to set up an account once you get to the LearningExpress website.

This resource offers thousands of legal forms by topic including Bankruptcy, Divorce, Name Changes, Wills & Estate Planning, and more. Legal Guides and full-text articles are also available to assist attorneys, educators, paralegals, and students. With your library card from Bloomington Library, you can access Legal Information Source for FREE. To login from outside the library, patrons will need to enter their library card number and PIN/password.

This definitive database for LGBTQ+ studies provides scholarly and popular LGBTQ+ publications in full text. Historically important primary sources, including monographs, magazines, newspapers, videos, and a specialized LGBTQ+ thesaurus containing thousands of terms is also available. With your library card from Bloomington Library, you can access LGBTQ+ Source for FREE. To login from outside the library, patrons will need to enter their library card number and PIN/password.

Access thousands of popular and bestselling ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines for all ages as well as popular kids movies, TV shows, and more at the Digital Library of Illinois or through the Libby app. An online Instruction Guide is available.

Offering in-demand skills training via more than 16,000 online courses (some available in multiple languages), LinkedIn Learning is a great resource taught by real-world professionals (formerly called Lynda.com). Online tutorial are available.