Online Databases
Database Quick Links
* = License restricted to In-Library access
** = Home access limited to Acton residents
Databases Listed by Subject
Audiobooks | Automobile repair | Biography | Business and investing | Children's and Teen resources | Chinese materials | Community groups | Consumer information | E-books | Education | Employment | Encyclopedias | Genealogy | General reference | Health and medicine | History | Language | Library catalogs | Literature and books | Magazine and journal articles | Newspapers | Test preparation
Audiobooks
NetLibrary/Recorded Books Home access only. Access is limited to Acton residents.
Digital versions of audiobooks that are available to Acton residents for download to their own computers or portable players. Audiobooks are available in one of two formats: protected WMA (requires a compatible player) and MP3 (can be played on iPods and other devices that support playback of MP3 files). No reserves necessary--all titles are always available.
Overdrive. Home access only. Digital versions of audiobooks and eBooks that are available to Minuteman Library Network patrons for download to their own computers or portable devices.
Automobile repair
Auto Repair Reference Center (Ebsco) Library and home access Home access is limited to Acton residents. Automotive repair information for domestic and import vehicles, 1945 to present.
Biography
Biography Resource Center Library and home access
Biographical information from 300 periodical and reference titles, including Contemporary Authors, The Writer’s Directory, and the Marquis Who’s Who.Biography Resource Center, African Americans Library and home access
Business and investing
Barron's (Newsbank Electronic Image Editions)
Library and home access Home access is limited to Acton residents.
09/08/2008 - present. Full image edition of Barron's, the weekly publication for investors from the publisher of the Wall Street Journal. September 8, 2008 - present.General BusinessFile ASAP Library and home access
Morningstar Investment Research Center Library and home access Home access is limited to Acton residents
Indexes over 4,500 periodicals and includes the full text of articles from 3,600+ of the indexed titles. It also includes directory information, investment reports, and indexing of three major newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal. Use the “Advanced search” option to access Company ProFiles and investment reports by ticker symbol.
Comprehensive financial information on 7,000+ stocks, 23,000+ mutual funds and 600+ exchange-traded funds. The service includes up-to-date and historical financial data, analysts reports, stock and fund recommendations, a stock and fund screening tool, a portfolio analysis tool, industry information, and various investor learning tools. New users can learn more by logging in and clicking on the "Help and Education" tab.
ReferenceUSA Library and home access Home access is limited to Acton residents.
A directory of nearly 14 million U.S. businesses, searchable by name, yellow page heading, SIC code, zip code, estimate sales volume, and more. Downloads/prints limited to 25 per search.
Children’s and teen resources
Junior Edition Infotrac Library and home access
300 full-text magazines, newspapers and reference books for junior high and middle school students.KidsInfoBits Library and home access
For students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. Includes approx. 100 titles and features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface.Student Edition Infotrac Library and home access
Articles from 1,000+ periodicals and reference books for high school students.World Book Online Library and home access
Includes all of the articles form the print encyclopedia, plus periodical articles, pictures, and web links.
Chinese language materials
Minuteman Library Network Catalog with Chinese scripts. Library and home access. Click here for more information.
Community groups
Minuteman Community Information and Referral Database Library and home access
A directory of community groups located in the Minuteman Library Network’s service area. Provides profiles of over 2,200 organizations.
Consumer information
ConsumerReports.org Library and home access.
Home access is limited to Acton residents.
ConsumerReports.org is the sister product of the Consumer Reports print magazine--both are published by the independent nonprofit Consumers Union, one of the most trusted sources for information and advice on consumer products and services. ConsumerReports.org provides ratings and recommendations on cars, appliances, electronics, and thousands of other products under the categories of Home and Garden, Babies and Kids, Money, and Food.
Consumers' CHECKBOOK (Boston edition). Library access | No home access
Published by the Center for the Study of Services, an independent nonprofit consumer research and information organization. Evaluates the quality and prices of local service firms and stores in the Boston area, such as auto repair shops, plumbers, dentists, banks, and insurance companies.
E-books
Gale Virtual Reference Library Library and home access
Searchable database of 20+ reference book titles published by the Gale Group.NetLibrary Home access. Access is limited to Acton residents.
Digital versions of books that can be read online.Overdrive Home access only. Digital versions of audiobooks and eBooks that are available to Minuteman Library Network patrons for download to their own computers or portable devices.
Education
Educator’s Reference Complete Library and home access
A collection of 600 journals for the teacher and school administrator.LearningExpress Library Library and home access Home access limited to Acton residents.
Educational and career test preparation materials; also includes a computer skills training component.
Employment Resources
General BusinessFile ASAP Library and home access
Current information from over 4500 business periodicals. Use the “Advanced search” option to access Company ProFiles.LearningExpress Library Library and home access Home access limited to Acton residents.
Educational and career test preparation materials; also includes a computer skills training component.Morningstar Investment Research Center Library and home access Home access is limited to Acton residents
This database for investors includes a wealth of current, in-depth information on companies and industries.ReferenceUSA Library and home access Home access is limited to Acton residents.
A national business directory searchable by name, yellow page heading, SIC code, zip code, estimate sales volume, and more. Downloads/prints limited to 25 per search.
Encyclopedias
World Book Online Library and home access
Includes all of the articles form the print encyclopedia, plus periodical articles, pictures, and web links.
Genealogy
Ancestry Library Edition Library access | No home access
Thousands of family history databases, including vital records, census records, ship passenger lists, military records and lots more!HeritageQuest Online Library and home access Home access is limited to Acton residents.
25,000 family and local history books; 1790-1930 U.S. census records; PERSI, an index of over 1.6 million genealogy and local history articles; and more than 250 primary-source documents such as tax lists, city directories, and probate records.New England Ancestors (NEHGS) Library access | No home access
Dozens of genealogical databases from the New England Historic Genealogical Society, including full text of the New England Historical and Genealogical Record, The Search for Missing Friends, and Massachusetts Vital Records 1841-1910.
General reference
Academic Onefile Library and home access
Includes indexing from over 10,000+ scholarly periodicals, 4000+ full-text.Gale Virtual Reference Library Library and home access
Full content from 50+ reference book titles covering the arts, business, biography, history and social sciences, literature, law, medicine, and science. Search the full text of all titles, or a selection of titles.General Onefile Library and home access
Indexing of 11,400+ periodicals, with full text from 6,700+ of the indexed titles.General Reference Center Gold Library and home access
Provides indexing of 4,900+ general interest and academic periodicals, and full text from 3600+ of the indexed titles. Also included is full text from 15 reference books.Powersearch Library and home access
Search multiple Thomson Gale Infotrac databases simultaneously.World Book Online Library and home access
Includes all of the articles form the print encyclopedia, plus periodical articles, pictures, and web links.
Health and medicine
Health Reference Center Academic Library and home access
Indexes 1,100+ medical and health journals and provides full text from over 880 of those titles. Also included is the full text of 700 medical pamphlets and six medical reference books.
History
Acton Memorial Library Online Historical Collections. Library and home access. Full image and transcriptions of Acton's earliest town records (1735-1764); and military records for the Acton men who served during the Civil War.
Massachusetts History Online Library and home access
Indexing and full-text articles from approx. 50 sources that directly relate to Massachusetts history.
Language
Mango Languages. Library and home access. Home access is limited to Acton residents. Learn a language online! Foreign language courses include Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, German, Pashto, Urdu, Hebrew, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Irish, Italian, Greek, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Korean, Thai, Hindi, and Dari; English language courses include English for speakers of speakers of Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Arabic, Korean, Greek and Vietnamese).
Library catalogs
Minuteman Library Network Catalog The catalog of the Acton Memorial Library and 40 other libraries in the Metrowest area.
Minuteman Library Network Catalog with non-Roman (Chinese and Russian) scripts. Click here for more information.
Massachusetts Virtual Catalog
Simultaneously search 14 Massachusetts library catalogs. Request items not available in the Minuteman Catalog.Massachusetts library networks
A map of the nine Massachusetts public library networks and links to the catalogs.WorldCat (OCLC FirstSearch) Library access | No home access
For home access try the free version at http://www.worldcat.org
A catalog of library holdings worldwide.
Literature and books
Contemporary Literary Criticism Select Library and home access
An extensive collection of critical essays on contemporary authors and their works.Academic Onefile Library and home access
Includes indexing from over 10,000+ scholarly periodicals in all subject areas, including literary criticism. 4000+ titles are full-text.NoveList Library and home access
This database assists fiction readers in identifying new books to read. It includes best books lists, author read-alikes, feature articles, book reviews, author profiles, book discussion guides, and more.
Magazine and journal articles
Academic Onefile Library and home access
Includes indexing from over 10,000+ scholarly periodicals, 4000+ full-text.Electronic Journals, Magazines and Newspapers Finder Library and home access
Locate full text journals by title in our subscription databases.General BusinessFile ASAP Library and home access
Indexes over 4500 periodicals and includes the full text of articles from 3600+ of the indexed titles. It also includes directory information, investment reports, and indexing of three major newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal. Use the “Advanced search” option to access Company ProFiles and investment reports.General Onefile Library and home access
Indexing of 11,400+ periodicals, with full text from 6,700+ of the indexed titles.General Reference Center Gold Library and home access
Provides indexing of 4900+ general interest and academic periodicals, and full text from 3600+ of the indexed titles. Also included is full text from 15 reference books.Health Reference Center Academic Library and home access
Indexes 1100+ medical and health journals and provides full text from over 880 of those titles. Also included is the full text of 700 medical pamphlets and six medical reference books.Powersearch Library and home access
Search multiple Gale Infotrac databases simultaneously.
Newspapers
Access NewspaperARCHIVE Library and home access. Home access limited to Acton residents.
Over 4,000 newspaper titles from around the country, with tens of millions of searchable newspaper pages dating as far back as the 1700s. Includes newspapers from Acton, Mass. (1915-1975, incomplete).New! Acton Memorial Library Newspaper Archive. Library access only. For home access, please use Access NewspaperARCHIVE. Full image editions of The Acton Enterprise (1915-1921, 1931-1937) and Acton Beacon (Jan 2, 1945-Jan. 15, 1946; 1950-1953 scattered issues; 1957-1959; 1963-1975).
Barron's (Newsbank Electronic Image Editions)
Library and home access Home access is limited to Acton residents.
09/08/2008 - present. Full image edition of Barron's, the weekly publication for investors from the publisher of the Wall Street Journal. September 8, 2008 - present.The Beacon (community newspaper), via Newsbank. Library and Home Access.
Full text of the paper and web editions of The Beacon, Aug. 2005- present.Boston Globe, 2006 – today (Newsbank Electronic Image Editions)
Library and home access Home access is limited to Acton residents.
Full page images from the Boston Globe, Jan. 01, 2006 – present.Massachusetts Newsstand (Proquest) Library and home access
Includes Boston Globe (1980-Current), Boston Herald (1991-Current), Berkshire Eagle (2005-Current), BusinessWest (Chicopee) (1992-Current), North Adams Transcript (2005-Current), Patriot Ledger (Quincy) (1991-Current), Plymouth County Business Review (1991-Current), Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg) (2005-Current), The Sun (Lowell) (2004-Current), Telegram & Gazette (Worcester) (1989-Current), Gazette (Haverhill (12/31/92 - 8/9/97), Standard Times (New Bedford (1/4/92 - 8/19/97)New York Times, 1851-1922.
Articles from 1851 to 1922 are free on the Web through the New York Times Archives.New York Times, 1985 - present (Gale) Library access and Home access
Text-only (no images) access to the New York Times, 1985-.New York Times Image Edition (latest year only) (Newsbank)
Library and home access Home access is limited to Acton residents.
Full page images from the New York Times, Jan. 1, 2006 – present.Newsbank Special Reports Library access and Home access
NewsBank's Special Reports provides news and background information on topics of current interest, including people, politics, economics, health and science.
Test preparation
LearningExpress Library Library and home access Home access limited to Acton residents.
Educational and career test preparation materials; also includes a computer skills training component.
Funding for online databases is provided by: The Acton Memorial Library; Acton Memorial Library Foundation, Inc.; The Minuteman Library Network; The Massachusetts Library and Information Network and the Massachusetts Regional Library Systems; The Metrowest Massachusetts Regional Library System; and the Boston Public Library with funds provided through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.
Problems logging in? Please call the Reference Department at 978/264-9641, option 3, or email us at: actref@minlib.net. When e-mailing, please provide your Minuteman library card number.