Online Resources

VPL subscribes to a number of databases that can provide you with authoritative, helpful articles and information on different topics.

Have your library card and PIN ready. Many of these resources require you to log in.


  • Ancient and Medieval History Online

    Through a rich selection of articles, images, videos, timelines and more, discover ancient and medieval civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia.


  • Canadian Literary Centre

    Contains book reviews, essays, author biographies, literary criticism and books from Essays on Canadian Writing Press (ECW Press). Subjects can be international, but the sources will be Canadian.


  • Canadian Reference Centre

    Provides access to full-text articles from Canadian magazines, newspapers, newswires (including La Presse Canadienne) and reference books (Canadian Global Almanac, Gage Canadian Dictionary, Gage Canadian Thesaurus), as well as US and UK periodicals and international publications.
    This resource will be available until August 21, 2010.


  • Career Cruising

    A comprehensive Canadian career guide providing detailed listings of 450 occupations, including education and training information. Features online Career Matchmaker Survey.


  • Contemporary Authors

    Provides biographical and bibliographical information on modern authors. Includes authors from around the world whose works have been translated into English or published in the United States. Information provided for each author includes personal data, career details, awards, works in progress, and more.
    Tutorial | Sample Searches


  • CultureGrams

    Provides current information on daily life and culture of over 200 countries, Canada’s provinces and territories, and each U.S. state. Includes a worldwide photo gallery, maps, charts and an interactive interface.


  • Encyclopaedia Britannica Online

    In addition to world-renowned entries, this multimedia encyclopedia offers country comparisons and reports, a world atlas, timelines, the year in review, quotations and more.


  • Encyclopedia of British Columbia

    Contains thousands of articles about British Columbia. Includes historic photographs, statistics, maps, diagrams, and audio/video clips.
    This resource will be available until August 1, 2010.


  • Fiction Connection

    A readers' advisory resource to find book suggestions based on books you have already read, authors you like, or topics of interest.
    Tutorial


  • History Reference Centre

    Ideal for students! Offers full-text access to articles from hundreds of historical magazines and journals, as well as the complete text of reference/history books and encyclopedias, biographies, historical documents, images of photos and maps, and video footage.
    Tutorial


  • Homework Help eBooks

    Reference resources that cover subjects from the core 6-12 curriculum. A Subcollection of the Gale Virtual Reference Library.


  • Library to Go

    Browse and search a dynamic collection of audiobooks and download them to your computer, transfer to a portable device such as an MP3 player, or burn selected titles onto a CD to enjoy when you want, where you want. For more information, see the FAQ. Note: When checking out audiobooks, the vendor requires you to login with your full library card number.


  • Literature For Students eBooks

    Literature reference sources for grades 6-12. A Subcollection of the Gale Virtual Reference Library.


  • MasterFILE Premier

    Provides full text and indexing for thousands of general periodicals covering a broad range of disciplines, including general reference, business, education, health, general science, multi-cultural issues, and more. Also includes book reviews, biographies, dictionaries and image collections of photos, maps, and flags.
    Tutorial


  • Middle Search Plus

    This resource is no longer available. Try our list of databases for kids and teens.


  • NetLibrary

    Provides access to hundreds of digital full-text e-books. Includes classic literature, reference, scholarly monographs, literature, and fiction. For more information, please see the FAQ.
    Tutorial


  • Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center

    Explores controversial subjects by including materials representing both sides of an issue. Access viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to Web sites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.
    Tutorial


  • TumbleBook Readables

    Offers a wide variety of online readalong children's and teen novels. Special features include narration, sentence highlighting, page turning and book marking. For intermediate, middle school and high school students.


  • World Book Advanced

    For students in grades 8 and up, it includes encyclopaedia, multimedia, e-book, and primary source databases.
    This resource will be available until August 1 2010.

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