Updated 02/04/10

REFERENCE INTERNET LINKS

TEXSHARE AND OTHER RESEARCH DATABASES
Need journal articles or other reliable information?  The Texshare Databases are available from your home or office if you have a current WFPL library card.  Contact the Information Desk at 767-0868, ext 234 to request Texshare passwords for remote access.

RESEARCH DATABASES | BOOKS AND READING LISTS | CONSUMER | EDUCATIONAL | EMPLOYMENT | FINANCIAL| HEALTH | HOBBIES | LAW & GOVERNMENT | LOCAL | NEWS | REFERENCE

Books and Reading Lists

• Reader Resources - Check out the BookNews for the latest book news and  bestsellers. Sign up to receive regular e-mails about new books!

• Amazon.com - Purchase books and CDs from the world's largest bookstore, or just search for the latest bestsellers and award winners.

• Alibris - to find the out-of print books you never thought you'd find

• Books & Authors Database - guides you to books that match your interests (log-in with your library card barcode)

• eBooks through NetLibrary - Create an account at the Library and then you may access the 28,000 eBooks  in the collection from home if you wish. You can search, browse, check out, or download onto your personal computer or palm pilot.

• Gale Literature Criticism Online - an extensive compilation of literary commentary that represents a wide range of modern and historical views on authors and their works across regions, eras & genres. Includes the Gale titles Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC) and Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism (TCLC) beginning with volumes published in 2008.

(log-in with your library card barcode)

• Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) - a database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources, including titles such as Novels for Students, Drama for Students, and Literary Themes for Students.

• My Audio Library - Cozy up with a best-selling audio book from the comfort of your home. Log in using your library card and your PIN and you can download audio books to your computer or MP3 player.

• Oprah's Book Club - See what book Oprah is reading now.

• Red River Romance Writers - meet on the 2nd Saturday of each month at the Wichita Falls Public Library.

• Wichita Falls Public Library Online Catalog

Consumer

• AutoZone - free online car repair manuals

• Better Business Bureau of Wichita Falls  - contact them for consumer alerts, and information about local businesses.

• Consumer Reports on-line - current articles are free, but you must subscribe to get ratings for cars, appliances, etc.

• Consumer World - contains excellent links to consumer-related sites, such as product ratings and car prices

• EBSCO Auto Repair Reference Center - includes automotive repair information on most manufacturers of imported and domestic vehicles from 1945- current. (Log-in with your library barcode)

• EBSCO Small Engine Repair Reference Center - contains thousands of accurate and concise step-by-step maintenance and repair instructions for hundreds of small engine machines and their supporting components. Engines types include: motorcycles, ATVs, personal water craft, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, tractors, snow blowers, generators, and more. (Log-in with your library barcode)

• Edmund's New Car Prices - Shopping for a new car?

• ePodunk - profiles more than 25,000 communities across America. Search for the town/city of your choice and you'll get a brief profile, followed by links to local events, genealogy, government, statistics, museums and colleges, festivals, historic sites and neighborhoods, moving guides, postcards, churches, politics, etc.

• Kelly Blue Book - get the blue book value of your car.

• NADA guides - find out the value of your car, motorcycle, boat, RV, or aircraft.

• Sperling's Best Places - Compare cities in housing, costs of living, crime, education, economy, health and climate.  Choose any two cities and see them displayed side-by-side.

• Texas Attorney General's Office - for consumer complaints, victims' rights, and child support information

• Thomas Register - the world’s leading resource for information on industrial products and services. Sign up for free membership.

Educational

• College Board Online - financial aid and information about the SAT and other admissions tests

• FAFSA on the Web - Apply for federal student financial aid.

• Home Educators Around Texoma (HEAT) - Wichita Falls' local home school association

• Midwestern State University - links to all academic programs offered

• Peterson's.com - comprehensive educational site with listings of colleges, distance education sites, summer camps, and ESL sites

• RWM Vocational School Database - provides information on business, trade, and technical schools in all 50 states

• Vernon College - with campuses in Vernon and Wichita Falls

• Wichita Falls Independent School District - includes information on the school district and links to area schools

Employment

• CareerOneStop - provides national, state and local career, labor market, and workforce information using online tools, videos, and maps to a range of local services. CareerOneStop is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.

• Indeed.com - a search engine for jobs. One search will provide job listings from all over the Internet.

• Occupational Outlook Handbook - Locate salary information and find out about qualifications and working conditions for thousands of jobs.

• Texas Workforce Commission - TWC Job Express includes public and private sector jobs listed with the Commission.

• USA Jobs - The U.S. Government's official site for jobs and employment information provided by the United States Office of Personnel Management.

Financial

• BigCharts - provides instant quoting for all currently traded stocks. This site can also provide daily and historical charting for designated stocks. Industry analysis, intraday stock screeners, and daily market news are also provided on this site. One of the largest and most respected free research sites on the Internet.

• Hoover's On-Line - company information

• Investor Guide - the leading guide to investing on the web - great for beginning investors

• Kiplinger Online - business forecasts and personal financial advice, with stock and mutual fund quotes

• Morningstar.com - data, analysis, and candid editorial commentary for mutual funds, stocks, and variable-insurance investments

• Motley Fool - investment advice for small investors

• Wall Street Research Net - resource for investors with research reports on companies, mutual funds and stocks

Health

• Dr. Koop's Community - great site for health information

• Health A to Z - another good health site with keyword index

• HealthFinder - "your guide to reliable health information" from the U.S. government

• IntelliHealth - from Johns Hopkins University

• MEDLINEplus - a service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health

• Merck Manual Online Medical Library - based on the world's most widely used textbook of medicine—The Merck Manual—but written in everyday language by 300 outstanding contributors.

• RxList - Internet Drug Index for prescription medicines

• Salem Health - online access to health reference books published by Salem Press (log-in with your library barcode)

• WebMD - comprehensive, one-stop source for all your health information needs

Hobbies

• Card Games Website - bringing you rules and information about card and tile games from all parts of the world

• Curioscape Directory for Antiquing and Collecting - hundreds of links to antique dealers and collectors

• Ebay - the world's online marketplace

Law and Government

• American Fact Finder from the US Census Bureau - your source for population, housing, economic, and geographic data

• Bureau of Labor Statistics - check the consumer price index and other useful statistics

• Chambers of Commerce - your gateway to a world of resources

• FedStats  - Access official statistics collected and published by more than 100 Federal agencies

• Findlaw Internet Legal Resources - includes many useful legal links, including the full-text of Supreme Court decisions

• Gale Legal Forms - Database containing hundreds of legal forms to download. (log-in with your library card barcode)

• GPOAccess.gov - The U.S. Government Printing Office disseminates official information from all three branches of the Federal Government. Includes links to the U.S. Code, Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register, and other official information

• State of Texas Government Page - includes links to all available state agencies, institutions of higher education, and legislative home pages

• Tax Forms from the IRS - print the forms you need

• TexasLawHelp.org - free online legal assistance for low-income Texans

• Texas Legislature Online - full-text of all Texas laws, bills, and the Constitution from the 74th Legislature to the present.  Also includes a search tool to find your incumbent

• USA.gov - the official site for U.S. Government information, services, transactions, and forms

• Westlaw (Standard Edition)- contains Texas case law and statutes, plus federal case law and statutes. (Available for use at the Library only)

• Wichita Appraisal District -responsible for the property tax appraisals on all real and business personal property for the taxing units in Wichita County.

• Wichita Falls Municipal Code online