RocketSearch databases :: Homework Help

A variety of resources are available at your fingertips if you know where to look!

Start with the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL), which provides all Alabama residents with free online access to essential library and information resources. AVL has a jumping-off page for their databases as well as a a list of databases with descriptions.
Interested in researching genealogy or regional history? Visit the Huntsville Heritage Room's page for a description of the collections available and location details.

Database name	Description	Need a library card?	Part of AVL?	How to access this resource
Alabama Libraries	Online catalogs of many Alabama libraries with a common search screen.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
AlabamaMosaic	AlabamaMosaic is a repository of digital materials on Alabama's history, culture, places, and people. Its purpose is to make unique historical treasures from Alabama's archives, libraries, museums, universities and other repositories electronically accessible to Alabama residents as well as scholars throughout the world. As a part of AlabamaMosaic, HMCPL is digitizing images from a collection of historic Huntsville photographs that are housed in the library's archives.	no	yes	alabamamosaic.org Accessible to Alabama residents and to students, researchers, and the general public in other states and countries.
Annals of American History	History, society, and everyday life come into focus through a variety of articles and media. You now have access to search the 5.2 million words, graphics, and multimedia from the Annals of American History Online, including: 2,100 entries from 1493 to the present, and original source documents such as speeches, essays, biographies, and editorials.	no	yes	http://america.eb.com/ for AVL users
Biography Reference Bank	Contains biographical information on approximately half a million people, from antiquity to the present, along with thousands of images. It contains the full text of the articles from more than 100 volumes of biographical reference books published by H. W. Wilson, including all the articles from all volumes of Current Biography, the World Author Series, Nobel Prize Winners, World Artists, World Film Directors, American Reformers, and numerous biographical books on musicians and composers throughout history, as well as thousands of biographies from other respected publishers.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
Britannica Learning Zone	An interactive atlas, online art activities, interactive games and learning materials, audio and video, and vocabulary builders teach concepts that children are curious about, such as geography, numbers, colors, time, and sounds.	no	yes
Britannica Online School Edition	Gives teachers and students instant access to four complete encyclopedias that ensure consistency with classroom topics and age-appropriate language. Offers student-friendly website recommendations, current magazine and journal articles, the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate and Student Dictionaries and Thesauri (with audio pronunciations), a world atlas, plus high-quality online learning materials that are developed by teachers and curriculum experts. Contains encyclopedia articles and Learning Materials correlated to the Alabama State Standards!	no	yes	http://school.eb.com
EBSCO Search	Menu of full text databases provided by EBSCO. Databases can be searched individually or (by marking the selection boxes) can be searched simultaneously in related groups.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
Enciclopedia Juvenil	Enciclopedia Juvenil from Encyclopedia Britannica is a comprehensive reference resource for ages 6-12. The Elementary Encyclopedia, with more than 1,500 articles and 1,000 images, is age-appropriate and based on school curriculum needs.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
Enciclopedia Universal en Español	A comprehensive Spanish-language reference tool with more than 47,000 articles for older students and adults.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
Encyclopedia of Alabama	Encyclopedia of Alabama history, culture, geography, and natural environment. Offers articles on Alabama’s famous people, historic events, sports, art, literature, industry, government, plant and animal life, agriculture, recreation, and more.	no	yes	http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org
Gale PowerSearch	Allows a user to search Gale's Professional Collection, General OneFile, Student Edition, LegalTrac, Expanded Academic ASAP, General Reference Center Gold, Gale Virtual Reference Library, and Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center at the same time.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
Gale Virtual Reference Library	A database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. These reference materials once were accessible only in the library, but now you can access them online from the library or remotely 24/7. Because each library creates its own eBook collection, the content you see may vary if you use the database at different libraries (your school, your public library, or your office).	no	yes	[link via AVL]
History Reference Center	Features cover-to-cover full text for more than 650 historical encyclopedias and other non-fiction books. The database also includes full text for nearly 60 leading history periodicals; 58,000 historical documents; 43,000 biographies of historical figures; more than 12,000 historical photos and maps; and 87 hours of historical film and video.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
Homework Alabama	Homework Alabama offers free homework help from subject specialists. Students can also visit Homework Alabama for free tutoring in Math,Science, Social Studies,English. Specialists will help students in Grades K3-12, College Intro, and Adult Learners. HomeworkAlabama is a statewide effort made possible by the State Library of Alabama (APLS) through local public libraries, with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through their Library Services and Technology Act grant program as well as state funds requested by Governor Riley and appropriated by the State Legislature specifically for this program.	no	no	Alabama residents only (http://homeworkalabama.org).
Image Collection via MasterFILE Premier	An Image Collection of 276,132 photos, maps & flags.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
Informé!	Full text for 50 general interest Spanish-language and bilingual periodicals and El Nuevo Herald (Miami). Users must formulate queries in Spanish because indexing and thesaurus terms are based on Spanish terms.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
InfoTrac Student Edition	Designed to help students complete school assignments and find general information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports and more. The database offers full text articles from 325 magazines, newspapers, and reference books most often selected by libraries for this age group.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
Kids InfoBits	Kids InfoBits features a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, a subject-based topic tree search and full-text, age-appropriate, curriculum-related magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
Kids Search	This new interface is designed to offer elementary school students an easy-to-use and graphically appealing search experience, including improved functionality over Searchasaurus and Primary Search. It features better relevancy ranking, topic searching and access to a wide variety of source types. The Basic Search screen highlights Topics rather than Source Types, and includes the ability to search Images or Images/Videos, from the toolbar.	no	yes	[link via AVL]
LearningExpress Library	Whatever your goal, LearningExpress Library's resources will help you succeed. Each of the Learning Centers offers practice tests, exercises, skill-building courses, and information you need to achieve the results you want—at school, at work, or in life.	no	no	Register or sign in on the main page (http://learningexpresslibrary.com).