Ebooks & Online Resources

Libby by Overdrive

OverDrive is the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools worldwide. OverDrive is dedicated to “a world enlightened by reading” by delivering the industry’s largest catalog of eBooks, audiobooks and other digital media to a growing network of over 40,000 libraries and schools in 70 countries.  With Libby you can borrow free e-books and audiobooks with your Somonauk library card.

Go to Libby by Overdrive

Boundless

Discover a world of possibilities with Boundless, an extensive collection of ebooks, audio and digital media. Whether you’re an avid reader or someone who listens to audio at 2x speed, Boundless is your gateway to the best in digital content and programming.

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Inkie.org

This resource offers a library of e-books that are available to any Illinois resident free of charge. It also is a great resource that supports local authors with online information about writing, creation and publishing.

Go to Inkie.org

Ancestry Library Edition

Search by surname, location, or record type. Contains more than 1.2 billion
records in more than 3,000 databases, including the U.S. Federal Census from 1790-1930, the American Genealogical Biographical Index, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, and much more.

Go to Ancestry Library

HeritageHub

Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1704 – today. HeritageHub helps you easily identify relatives, uncover new information and potentially unknown family members. Includes deep coverage from all 50 states, hard-to-find content from the mid 1900’s, and original obituary images. Access is available 24/7.

Go to HeritageHub

HeritageQuest Online

Genealogical assistance, including search of Census records, Books, Persi, & Revolutionary War records. Search by name, location, birthplace, and more. Includes every U.S. Federal Census from 1790-1930, more than 25,000 fully searchable family and local histories, subject index to 1.7 million articles from genealogy and history periodicals, and Revolutionary War records.

Go to HeritageQuest

Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet

A comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online. Your genealogy starting point for more than 25 years!

Go to Cyndi’s List

Family Search

Bring to life your family’s history by exploring the lives of those that came before you.

Go to Family Search

LaSalle County Genealogy Guild

Search on telephone books, city directories, county newpapaers, marriage and probate records, county obituaries and more.

Go to LaSalle County Genealogy Guild

U.S. GenWeb

Today you may find a variety of unique county and state resources including photos, maps, transcriptions, historical documents, helpful links, and much more.

Go to U.S. GenWeb

NoveList Plus

NoveList  Plus is a powerful readers’ guide to finding that next great read. It contains information on thousands of fiction and nonfiction titles, plus lists of award-winning books, book discussion guides, recommended reads, series, author profiles, and much more.

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All the same features of NovelList Plus  geared specifically for the K-8 reading audience.

NoveList K-8 Plus has full series information. It includes resources for teachers and parents.
Need a list of books by topic or unit of study? Or to build a book display? Teach with books? NoveList K8 Plus includes education and inspiration at your fingertips. Also included are,
Top ten, best of, favorites—we have hundreds of reading lists that make it easy to quickly find great books to read.

Go to NoveList K-8 Plus

The most comprehensive database for consumer-oriented health content, Consumer Health Complete is designed to help users gain an overall understanding of key topics across the health and wellness spectrum — from mainstream medicine to complementary, holistic and integrated medicine.

In addition to full-text journals, magazines, health reference books and evidence-based health reports, the database includes:

• Nearly 500 medical images and diagrams
• More than 240 animations with audio narration and transcripts
• Consumer health pamphlets and leaflets from the CDC, FDA, NIH and others
• Drug information in English and Spanish
• Merriam-Webster’s Medical Desk Dictionary

Go to Consumer Health

Consumer Reports (CR) is the world’s largest nonprofit product-testing organization and has been helping subscribers find better, safer products for 80+ years. Consumer Reports accepts no outside advertising and no free test samples, and employs shoppers and experts to buy and test the products reviewed.

With ConsumerReports.org, users can:

• Compare price, performance, and reliability all in one place with expert reviews
• Purchase the best product from favorite retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, etc., on an ad-free, frequently updated website
• Find reliable information on new and used cars and enjoy a haggle-free buying experience through Consumer Reports’ Build and Buy program
• Obtain reliable and unbiased consumer health information to improve healthcare outcomes

Go to ConsumerReports.org

Legal Information Reference Center is an online database designed to assist the general public in legal matters of all kinds. It includes exclusive full text for many top consumer legal reference books, as well as thousands of legal forms.

Content Includes

• 150 full-text magazines and reference books
• 20,700 federal, state-specific, and multi-state legal forms
• 35,000 direct links to federal and state legal forms available from government web pages

Available in a unique, user-friendly interface, Legal Information Reference Center offers everyday users the necessary tools and detailed how-to instructions covering a wide range of legal issues. A majority of the full-text legal reference books are provided through Nolo, the nation’s oldest and most respected provider of legal information for consumers and small businesses.

With the Legal Forms by U.S. State feature, users can search state-specific legal forms by top subject areas including adoption, bankruptcy, name changes and more.

Go to Legal Information Reference Center

The Explora experience ensures that students, educators and library patrons can quickly find the reliable information they need to complete homework and research projects. Explora offers the following and more:

• Simple search that quickly delivers relevant results including articles, e-books, essays and primary source documents
• High-quality articles licensed from reputable publishers, recognized by library professionals and selected for use in a school environment
• Carefully curated topic categories that provide users with a visual entry point to browse popular research topics and subject areas.
• Topic overviews that provide students a starting point for research
• Powerful filters for narrowing search results by source type, date range, Lexile range and content provider
• A colorful, mobile-friendly design with featured content areas to engage students

Each topic category brings the user to a Topic Explorer page that lets them dig in and discover topics more serendipitously. Each category breaks down into popular, colloquial or curriculum-based subtopics that are logical for all users and friendlier to younger or novice researchers.

Clicking on the subtopic brings the user to the Topic Page, a unique, dynamic page that includes:

• Topic Overview article
• Other available subtopic categories
• Related Topic Overview articles
• A sample of search results on the selected topic (with option to view all results)
• A carousel of relevant e-books (if available)

Go to Explora

Explore and stay informed on local, national and international topics, people and events in areas such as business, health, education, jobs and careers, political and social issues and more. Features a wide variety of credible, vetted news sources from around the world to around the corner, including the Beacon News, Chicago Sun-Times and more. Available remotely 24/7 on any device.

Go to Access World News

Explore Aurora area history through local news, events and people with the Beacon News Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. Available remotely 24/7 on any device.

Go to Beacon News

Explore Chicago history through local news, events and people with the Chicago Sun-Times Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. Available remotely 24/7 on any device.

Go to Sun-Times

Museum Adventure Pass

The Somonauk Public Library District is pleased to be able to participate in the Museum Adventure Pass program.  A few things to note:

• There is a limit of one pass per week per family
• You must have a valid Somonauk Public Library District library card
• Passes are first come first serve.  You may not reserve them in advance.
• Check online to see if there is a pass available and to place an online request.

Go to Museum Adventure Pass

Explore More Illinois

Explore More Illinois is a cultural pass program that allows Illinois public library cardholders to reserve free and discounted admission, parking, and gift store purchases from cultural and recreational attractions in Illinois, including museums, performing arts centers, sporting events, gardens, historical societies, park districts, and more. Explore More Illinois is free and can be accessed 24/7 from any computer, tablet or smartphone.

Go to Explore More Illinois