Richardson, TX
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A valid Richardson Public Library Card with no fees is required for access
to most of these resources.
Access Richardson Public Library from your device! The myRPL app makes it easy to discover library materials, place holds, view your account, and keep up with all the events at RPL!
myRPL is available in the Apple App Store and through Google Play for Android.
eBooks & Digital Media
PressReader: Free access to 7,000+ local and international magazines and newspapers, including The Dallas Morning News, from over 100 countries in 60+ languages. Titles are available upon publication and appear just as they do in print. Searchable; narration and instant translation available.- Click on the link to visit PressReader, click "sign in" and select the "Library or Group" option.
- Select "Richardson Public Library" and sign in with your library card number and PIN
- Check the box to allow PressReader to verify your information.
- Optionally, download the PressReader app for Apple iOS or Android for use on mobile devices.
- Sign in to your account every few days to keep your app account active.
OverDrive: Popular eBook and eAudio titles that can be downloaded to your PC, mobile device, or eBook reader. DOWNLOAD the Libby app to make using OverDrive easy! Is Libby/Overdrive asking for your PIN number? It is the last four digits of your phone number. Call us at 972-744-4350 if you need any assistance.
Watch this short video to learn more about the app: "Meet Libby"
- hoopla: Richardson residents — Instantly borrow free digital movies, music, magazines, eBooks, eAudiobooks, comics, and more, 24/7, with your Library card—up to 5 items per month! Choose from an extensive catalog of educational materials, children’s titles, foreign films, and hard-to-find content. Watch this 3-minute video for an introduction to hoopla.
- Kanopy: Richardson residents - Instantly stream movies from Kanopy’s collection of over 30,000 popular videos, TV series, independent films, documentaries and more! Featuring titles from Warner Bros., MGM, BBC, Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, The History Channel, A&E, The Criterion Collection, Kino Lorber, The Great Courses, among others, this vast and diverse collection has something for everyone.
- Gale Presents: Udemy: An online learning platform where you can upgrade your skills in business, tech, design, personal development, and more than 70 other categories. Includes 10,000+ on-demand and up-to-date video courses in multiple languages.
- Gale OneFile: News: Access major U.S. and international newspapers online to search articles instantly by title, headline, date, or other fields.
Online Databases
GENERAL INFORMATION
- All Gale Resources
- Gale in Context: OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS — a rich resource for debaters and research-paper writers: covers current events, news & commentary, environmental issues, and much more with pro/con viewpoints.
- Gale eBooks — Explore this database of encyclopedias and reference sources within the Gale eBooks platform. For multidisciplinary research.
- Gale General OneFile — Access general interest magazines and key serials in a single resource. Best for general research.
- Gale OneFile: Popular Magazines — Access general interest magazines and key serials in a single resource. Best for general research
- Gale Power Search: Cross-search content from a wide selection of Gale products . . . one-stop searching!
- NewspaperArchive - Texas Collection (Access from WITHIN the LIBRARY)
NewspaperArchive - Texas Collection (Access from OUTSIDE the LIBRARY)
Search nearly 700 Texas newspapers for family history, business notices, news, community events, legal information, and more.
- TexShare Databases
Access to more than 60 research resources.
Call 972-744-4357 for password.
AUTO REPAIR
- Gale: Chilton Library: Search the most authoritative automotive repair information available to car owners. Information you need to tackle vehicle maintenance and repairs at home. Includes vacuum and wiring diagrams, specifications, and step-by-step repair procedures supported by close-up graphics.
BOOKS AND LITERATURE
- Gale Books and Authors
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Answer the age-old question, 'What do I read next?' Search and match reading interests to books, authors, genres, or topics.
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Gale eBooks
Explore this database of encyclopedias and reference sources within the Gale eBooks platform. For multidisciplinary research.
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Gale Literature
Gale Literary Sources integrates full-text literary content with metadata and subject indexing and provides workflow tools to analyze information. You can research authors and their works, literary movements and genres. Search across your library's Literature databases to find full text of literary works, journal articles, literature criticism, reviews, biographical information and overviews. -
Gale Literature: Litfinder
Access literary works and authors throughout history, including full-text poems, plays, short stories, speeches, and more.
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Gale Literature Resource Center
Find up-to-date biographies, overviews, full-text criticisms, audio interviews, and reviews on writers from all eras.
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Gale Literature: Scribner Writer Series
Browse original scholarly essays on authors from around the world. Places authors and their works in personal and historical context.
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Gale Literature: Twayne's Author Series
Find in-depth critical introductions to the lives and works of major writers. Includes influences of literary movements. - Project Gutenberg- Over 60,000 free eBooks, including classics useful for student reading assignments.
- WorldCat - Search the world's library catalogs for materials in all formats.
BUSINESS
- AtoZdatabases includes information on 30 million U.S. businesses & executives, and over 220 million residents. Detailed data includes Industry Specifics, Employee Size, Sales Volume, Competitor Information, Executive Titles, Email Addresses, Historical Data, etc. Residential data includes Name, Phone Numbers, Address, Length of Residency, Gender, Household Income, Home Market Value, Link to Neighbors, and more. Search the residential database by Geography, Name, Phone Number, Household Information, Interests/Hobbies/Lifestyle, and several others.
- Business Collection
Coverage of all business disciplines, including accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management and strategy, as well as business theory and practice. Users will understand the activities of companies and industries worldwide through business and trade publications, complemented by a selection of international, U.S., and regional news publications.
- Gale Business: Entrepreneurship
Learn how to start, finance, or manage your small business. Includes sample business plans, how to guides, articles, and more.
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Gale Business: Insights
Research global companies and industries with in-depth analysis through current news, statistical data, and comprehensive reports.
Weiss Financial Ratings lets you take charge of your personal financial future with information on budgeting, managing debt, and stock investing.
- Independent, unbiased financial strength ratings of banks, credit unions & insurance companies
- Conservative Buy-Hold-Sell ratings of thousands of stocks, mutual funds & exchange traded funds
- Create your own personal account to make a watchlist, get upgrade/downgrade notifications, and log in from anywhere
- MEDICARE Supplement Insurance - Helps you understand which plan to choose and how much it will cost; allows you to compare rates & plan benefits
CAREER ADVANCEMENT
- LearningExpress Library is an interactive online database providing the most comprehensive selection of career-oriented and academic resources available to help with job preparation, career advancement, career changes, and re-entry into the workforce. Includes practice tests and tutorials for professional certification and licensing, college admissions, GED preparation, and for refreshing basic reading, writing and math skills.
GENEALOGY AND HISTORY
- African American Heritage - Search essential historical records for African Americans, including census, marriage, and military records.
- Ancestry Library Edition - Available inside the Library only
Coverage of the United States and the United Kingdom, including census, vital, church, court, and immigration records; record collections from Canada and other areas, as well.
- fold3 Library Edition
Military records for genealogical research, including stories, photos, and personal documents.
- Handbook of Texas
A multidisciplinary encyclopedia of Texas history, geography, and culture sponsored by the Texas State Historical Association.
- HeritageQuest Online: Search census records, books, serials, maps, and other historical records to trace your genealogy.
- NewspaperArchive - Texas Collection (Access from WITHIN the LIBRARY)
NewspaperArchive - Texas Collection (Access from OUTSIDE the LIBRARY)
Search nearly 700 Texas newspapers for family history, business notices, news, community events, legal information, and more.
- Portal to Texas History
A gateway to rare, historical, and primary source materials from or about Texas.
- Richardson Daily News: July 1983 through June 1992 - Available inside the Library only
Full-text articles to search Richardson community events, family history, obituaries, ads, and more. For 1963-1983 articles, see the NewspaperArchive – Texas Collection database.
Richardson’s Past: Digitized courtesy of a Richardson Rotary Club grant.
- Texas Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970: Large-scale historical maps of selected towns and cities. Sanborn maps are valuable historical tools for urban specialists, social historians, architects, geographers, genealogists, local historians, planners, environmentalists and anyone who wants to learn about the history, growth, and development of American cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Includes information about buildings, including their sizes, shapes, construction materials, heights, and functions. The maps give street names, street and sidewalk widths, property boundaries, building use, and house and block numbers.
GRANTS
- GrantStation: Obtain up-to-date information on private and government grantmakers, as well as resources for writing and securing grant awards.
Available INSIDE the LIBRARY ONLY
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
- Gale Health and Wellness
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Search a full range of health-related issues, from current disease and disorder information to alternative medical practices.
HOMEWORK AND EDUCATION
- Gale in Context: Biography
Discover the world's most influential people by searching narrative biographies, news, magazine, and multimedia content.
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Gale in Context: Elementary
Introduce elementary students to database searching with resources featuring age-appropriate, curriculum-related content.
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Gale in Context: Middle School
Explore the most-studied topics including cultures, government, people, history, literature, and more.
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Gale in Context: High School
Explore thousands of topics across subjects including literature, science, history, and social issues using different sources.
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Gale in Context: College
An engaging online experience for those seeking contextual information on a wide array of subjects.
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Miss Humblebee's Academy
Discover an interactive learning program for children ages three to six. Aligned with preschool and elementary standards.
- Gale Presents: Udemy: An online learning platform where you can upgrade your skills in business, tech, design, personal development, and more than 70 other categories. Includes 10,000+ on-demand and up-to-date video courses in multiple languages.
- LearningExpress Library helps you study for tests—including the Texas STAAR test—and improve skills in math, reading, and writing; study preparation for the GED, or to become a U.S. citizen, also.
- National Geographic for Kids
Explore amazing adventures in science, nature, culture, archaeology, and space. Best for children aged 6–14.
- TeachingBooks provides original, in-studio movies of authors and illustrators, and a wealth of multimedia resources on K-12 books to support reading and library activities for all grades/content areas.
LANGUAGE LEARNING
- Pronunciator: A fun way to learn any of 160+ languages! Includes comprehensive course modules (with videos and pronunciation feedback) for children, healthcare providers, travelers, and students.
LAW
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Gale LegalForms is a comprehensive resource of legal documents, continuously updated to reflect the latest state laws. Features include personalized forms, comprehensive descriptions of each form and its use, and state-specific legal information.
- Gale OneFile: Criminal Justice
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Comprehensive periodical content for researchers studying law, law enforcement, forensic science, terrorism, and more.
- procitizen: preparing you for U.S. Citizenship; reviews and practice tests.
- Texas State Law Library This research guide has information about different free and low-cost options for finding legal assistance or contacting an attorney in Texas.
LIBRARIAN'S REFERENCE SHELF
- Directory of Open Access Journals
Provides indexing, abstracting, and free full-text access for selected international scholarly journals in many subject areas, including agriculture and food science, biology, chemistry, health science, languages and literature, mathematics, physics, engineering, the arts, business, environmental science, history, law, political science, philosophy, religion, and social science.
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World Cat: Search the world's library catalogs from one place.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- Gale in Context: Environmental Studies
Understand environmental issues that affect people globally through topic overviews, journals, news, and multimedia content.
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Gale in Context: Science
Understand context for hundreds of science topics through overviews, journals, news, interactive experiments, and more.
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Gale Interactive Science
Manipulate 3D interactive models to visualize and understand concepts in biology, chemistry, earth, and space science.
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Gale OneFile: Computer Science
Access leading business and technical publications in the computer, telecommunications, and electronics industries.
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Gale OneFile: Psychology
Find authoritative periodical content supporting research in all fields of psychology.
en Español
- Gale OneFile: Informe Académico: Busque revistas académicas y periódicos a texto completo en español y portugués, así como revistas de y sobre América Latina.
- procitizen: Preparación para obtener la ciudadanía estadounidense.
Alphabetical Listing by Title
- African American Heritage
- Ancestry Library Edition - Available INSIDE the LIBRARY ONLY
- AtoZdatabases
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- fold3 Library Edition
- All Gale Resources
- Gale Books and Authors
- Gale Business: Entrepreneurship
- Gale Business: Insights
- Gale Chilton Library
- Gale eBooks
- Gale General OneFile
- Gale Health and Wellness
- Gale in Context: Biography
- Gale in Context: College
- Gale in Context: Elementary
- Gale in Context: Environmental Studies
- Gale in Context: High School
- Gale in Context: Middle School
- Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints
- Gale in Context: Science
- Gale Interactive Science
- Gale LegalForms
- Gale Literature
- Gale Literature: Litfinder
- Gale Literature Resource Center
- Gale Literature: Scribner Writer Series
- Gale Literature: Twayne's Author Series
- Gale OneFile: Computer Science
- Gale OneFile: Criminal Justice
- Gale OneFile: Informe Académico
- Gale OneFile: News
- Gale OneFile: Popular Magazines
- Gale OneFile: Psychology
- Gale Power Search
- Gale Presents: Udemy
- GrantStation - Available INSIDE the LIBRARY ONLY
- Handbook of Texas
- LearningExpress Library
- Miss Humblebee's Academy
- National Geographic for Kids
- NewspaperArchive - Texas Collection (Access from WITHIN the LIBRARY)
NewspaperArchive - Texas Collection (Access from OUTSIDE the LIBRARY)
- Portal to Texas History
- PressReader
- Procitizen
- Pronunciator
- SciTech Collection Premium
- TeachingBooks
- Texas Digital Sanborn Maps
- Texas State Law Library
- TexShare Databases - call 972-744-4357 for PASSWORD