Research

Borrow books from other libraries for free!  Search a single catalog reflecting the holdings of over 800 Pennsylvania libraries and their combined collections of over 41 million books, audio materials, reference materials, movies, and much more. All types of libraries participate, including: public & private schools, public libraries, college & university libraries, law libraries, medical & hospital libraries, museum libraries, and historical & genealogical libraries.  

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Your next great listen starts here!  Browse nearly 750 audiobooks spanning every mood and genre, from unforgettable classics and edge-of-your-seat thrillers to inspiring biographies, sci-fi and fantasy adventures, westerns, and more.  You will need a Westmoreland County Library Card or a POWER Library E-Card.  Please note that E-Card users will use the same PIN to access OverDrive/Libby and CloudLibrary. 

It's now possible to search the 3 e-book collections in POWER Library (E-Book Central, EBSCO eBooks, Gale EBooks)at once. This new e-resource, E-Book Collection, includes the records of over 20,000 e-books available in EBSCO E-Books, GALE E-Books, and ProQuest E-Book Central.  

This resource includes 112 titles on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and cover subjects such as business, education, fine arts, history, political science, social science, juvenile literature, and sports and recreation.  

Select from over 16,000 eBooks from the world's leading publishers across all major subject areas. Perform full-text searches of a single eBook, search thousands of volumes simultaneously, browse topic categories, or read eBooks directly online.  

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Explore encyclopedias and specialized reference sources on a variety of topics from history, government, environment, math, and more!  

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Google Books provides free access to millions of scanned books from around the world.  Many of these books are in the public domain, allowing users to read them online for free, while others offer limited previews because they are still under copyright.  This is a valuable resource for finding historical and rare books that can support research. 

Downlad the Libby app onto your device and log in using your Westmoreland County Library card!  Please note that E-Card users will use the same PIN to access OverDrive/Libby and CloudLibrary. 

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Approximately 11,000 e-books and 2,000 audiobooks will be added in the coming months.  Many of the titles are geared to tween and teen audiences, focusing on these subjects: Animals & Nature, Biographies & Autobiographies, Emotional Well Being, Science & Nature, Sports & Recreation, STEAM, and World & Cultures.  You will need a Westmoreland County Library Card or a POWER Library E-Card.  Please note that E-Card users will use the same PIN to access OverDrive/Libby and CloudLibrary. 

Explore science from over 230 full-text eBooks! This collection of reference titles covers a wide variety of topics such as animals, biology, climate change, computing, engineering, experiments, life science, nature, oceans, physical science, and weather.  

POWER Teens online resources are designed for students in middle school, but aims to be inclusive of ages above and below, accommodating many grade levels for and allowing for broad use. 

AncestryClassroom provides educators with access to classroom resources, professional learning tools, and Ancestry historical record collections at no cost to help students find their personal place in history. Learn more. Use of AncestryClassroom is limited to registered schools serving students ages 3-18.  Using Ancestry Classroom, Search Tips, Research Help Articles 

This resource covers everything from art and literature to economics and the sciences. This resource for academic research integrates the full text of publications from across the disciplines and now includes vocational/technical titles used by community college students, filling a specific need for curriculum-oriented collections.  

View the greatest events in world history with photographs, audio sound bites, video, and graphics, for over 185 years. Over 3,000 photos/images/sound bites/graphics added daily, including audio and visual snapshots of breaking news events, today's hot topics, great moments in news, sports and entertainment, celebrity portraits, and 20 million royalty-free stock images.  

Discover the most accurate, authoritative and up-to-date service and repair information for thousands of domestic and imported vehicles. All content comes from the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and includes step-by-step repair information, diagrams, maintenance schedules, parts and labor estimates, service bulletins and recalls.  

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The Black Freedom Struggle resource is provided at no cost to the POWER Library by ProQuest. It features select primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history. By centering on the experiences and perspectives of African Americans, it is hoped that this collection imbues the study of Black history with a deeper understanding of the humanity of people who have pursued the quest for freedom, and the significance of movements like Black Lives Matter. 

Empower every learner and educator with Britannica School, the award-winning online learning platform trusted by millions worldwide. Designed for every grade level, it combines credible content, engaging media, and intuitive tools that make learning accessible, inclusive, and unforgettable. 

Tutorial video:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5hhAelVIJY 

Discover biographical and bibliographical information on more than 160,000 of today's most influential authors. 

As of 8/1/26 -- Coming soon!

This magazine covers civil rights, education, entrepreneurship and other social topics with an African-American focus. It includes more than 800 issues providing a broad view of African-American culture from its first issue in 1945 through 2014. 

Fold3 provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served. Original records at Fold3 help you discover and share stories about these everyday heroes, forgotten soldiers, and the families that supported them.  

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Explore encyclopedias and specialized reference sources on a variety of topics from history, government, environment, math, and more!  

This comprehensive e-resource draws on the connections between the environment and a variety of disciplines such as agriculture, education, law, health and technology. 

This resource includes full-text medical journals, magazines, reference works, multimedia, and much more. Perfect for researchers at all levels, this comprehensive consumer health resource provides authoritative information on the full range of health-related issues, from current disease and disorder information to in-depth coverage of alternative medical practices.  

This resource documents the revolution and war that created the United States Of America, from the Paris peace treaty in 1763 through the early protests in 1765 to the Paris peace treaty of 1783. The collection examines the political, social, and intellectual upheaval of the age, as well as the actual war for American independence through its eight long years of conflict. 

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This resource documents the war that transformed America, ended slavery, and unified the nation around the principles of freedom. The collection examines the war and all its complexity – its causes and consequences and its leaders and common soldiers, the home front, and the military campground, and more. 

This resource provides a significant account of the issue of slavery and its impact on American society and culture. It documents key aspects of the history of slavery in the United States, from its origins in Africa to its abolition, including materials on the slave trade, plantation life, emancipation, pro-slavery and anti-slavery arguments, religions views on slavery, and other related topics. 

Discover reliable and trusted information on a variety of topics to support middle school student research for government, U.S and world history, geography, literature, sciences, and social issues.  Middle School offers cross-curricular content aligned to national and state standards, and presents material organized into a highly visual and topic portal approach to quickly find answers. 

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This multilingual family history research database includes billions of historical documents from 48 countries, millions of historical photos, public records, indexes, and additional resources that span the past five centuries. 

This iconic monthly publication provides unparalleled, in-depth coverage of society, cultures, nature, science, technology, travel, geography, and more -- making it an essential resource for educators and students as well as general readers. This resource include complete, unlimited access to the magazine main content through 2020 -- every article from every issue, each fully searchable through an intuitive interface.  

Browse and read full-text newspapers from more than 2,300 major U.S. regional, national, and local newspapers, plus leading titles from around the world, or search articles instantly by title, headline, date, author, newspaper section, or other fields. News also includes thousands of images, radio and TV broadcasts, and transcripts. 

Discover job resources for Pennsylvania job seekers and employers. These Pennsylvania government provided resources are designed to help you find a good career, review job openings, and match you with employers. 

This resource includes 112 titles on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and cover subjects such as business, education, fine arts, history, political science, social science, juvenile literature, and sports and recreation. 

Perform research from hundreds of full text science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals, and other reliable sources. View more than 280,000 high-quality science images from sources such as UPI, Getty, NASA, National Geographic and the Nature Picture Library. 

This archive presents an extensive collection of the prominent weekly news magazine dating back to its first issue in March 1923 through December 2000, presented in a comprehensive cover-to-cover format. The 4,000 issues include reports of national and international current events, politics, sports, and entertainment.

This database provides coverage in areas including history, health, language arts, math, science, social studies, and technology. All newspaper, magazine, and reference book content is 100% full text, editorially-selected and indexed from over 2,200 reliable, high-quality global sources, including 400 full-text nonfiction books and around 300 full-text book chapters from publishers such as Britannica, World Book, Rosen Publishing Group, Enslow, and ReferencePoint Press. 

Whether you’re a true language learning beginner, dusting off your old high school Spanish, or eager to tackle your tenth language—Transparent Language Online will help you get started and stick with it. 

This magazine features a broad variety of topics in current events, politics and business, and is well known for its ranked lists of businesses and institutions. With 4,900 issues included, the Archive is valuable to researchers of 20th-century current events, politics and business, as well as those interested in the history of journalism, advertising and popular culture. 

POWER Kids online resources are designed for students in PreK - 5th grade (ages 5-11).  The collection offers various age-appropriate educational materials, including articles, interactive books, educational games, videos, and content specifically designed for young learners.

Watch videos and read books about Animals and Nature, Earth and Sky, People and Places, ABC’s and 1, 2, 3’s, Family and Community, Music and Rhyme, Adventure, and more. Enjoy read aloud with words highlighting and interactive games. Some films and books are available in Spanish too! 

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Britannica School PreK - 5th is a comprehensive source of informational text for younger learners pre-K to grade 5. It includes encyclopedia articles, images, videos, and magazine articles. There is a Britannica Fundamentals section for children Pre-K through grade 2. Tools such as a world atlas, virtual tours, country comparison, etc., allow learners to explore geography and animal kingdom topics. A Britannica Fundamentals provides materials for children Pre-K through second-grade.  

Elementary students in kindergarten through grade five will find age-appropriate content covering a broad range of educational topics such as animals, arts, geography, health, literature, people, social studies, technology, etc. Elementary (GALE In Context) includes full-text proprietary content from Blackbirch Press, UXL, KidHaven Press, and more! Content is continuously updated and provides interesting and important facts with connections to current and past events.  

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In most cases, Ask Here PA Librarians will provide an answer online in 15 minutes or less!  If your question involves lengthy research, they will get you started and/or provide a referral for you or your question.   In addition to chat, patrons statewide are able to email and text a librarian.  

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