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50 Main St.
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-5555
email:
mwf@mailserv.mvlc.lib.ma.us


Accessing the On-line Databases:
You will need your J.V. Fletcher Library Card Number to log onto the databases. Type in your Library barcode number without any spaces between the digits.

Databases Arranged By Subject               

American Business Directory (via Reference USA)  

American Business Directory-click here to access outside the Library.(via Reference USA)
The Business Directory contains millions of records of public and private businesses.  You can search by geographic location, employee size, line of business, SIC, etc.  The Residential Directory allows you to access the residential phone numbers and addresses of people nationwide.  
Please note remote access to the Business Directory is provided by the J.V. Fletcher Library and can only be accessed with a Westford card number.  

America's Obituaries & Death Notices The largest and most comprehensive collection of newspaper obituaries and death notices. Extensive editorial review of all newspaper sections ensures thorough selection of obituaries for easy access. An easy-to-use interface allows searching by name, date range, or text such as institutional name, social affiliation(s), geographic location(s), philanthropic activities, etc. Includes obituaries from the Boston Globe 1980-current as well as many other newspapers from around the country.

Ancestry.com Library Edition - This database is available from terminals within the Library.  This extensive genealogy database includes over 1.5 billion names.  Search records from the United States Census, military records, court, land, and probate records, vital and church records, passenger lists and more! 

Auto Repair-EBSCO (access from the Library)
Auto Repair-EBSCO (access from Home)  The Auto Repair Reference Center contains information on most major manufacturers of domestic and imported vehicles , with repair information for most vintage makes starting as far back as 1945.

Big Chalk (previously called Electric Library)Databases include:
(
click here to access from the Library)

  • Wide selection of full-text sources from Popular Magazines and Academic Journals, Current Newspapers and News Wires, Television and Radio Transcripts, Photographs and Maps, Children's Publication, Reference and Historical Sources.

Big Chalk (previously called Electric Library)
(click here from Home)

Boston Globe -Historical Archives 1872-1922 THIS DATABASE CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED FROM THE LIBRARY

EBSCOhost  click here to access from the Library.

EBSCOhost-click here to access from locations outside of the Library.

EBSCOhost databases include History Reference Center and Novelist.

  • History Reference Center-History Reference Center is the world's most comprehensive full text history reference database designed for secondary schools, public libraries, junior/community colleges, and undergraduate research. The database features cover-to-cover full text for more than 650 historical encyclopedias and other non-fiction books, including award winning titles from many top publishers. 
  • Novelist-Is an electronic readers' advisory resource which assists fiction readers in finding new authors and titles. Through its attractive and easy-to-use interface, NoveList allows readers to use a favorite author or title as a template to locate other authors and titles of interest. NoveList contains materials for all ages including picture books, children's "chapter" books, young adult titles, and books for adult readers.      

Grolier Online Databases includes: 

Grolier Online- click here to access from locations outside of the Library.

  • Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia - intended for students in middle school and up and as a quick reference look-up tool for public library patrons of all ages. 
  • New Book of Knowledge - suitable for grade 3 and up as well as ESL. Provides description of complex subjects in an easy-to-understand manner. 
  • The New Book of Popular Science - In-depth Science, plus Science in the News for Middle and High Schools.
    SciClopedia: Features 400 articles on science, technology, and medical tips.
    NewsBytes: Three top science stories every week, plus updates and lesson plans.
    Science Projects: 60 hands-on experiments that relate directly to science lessons, with links to related encyclopedia articles.
    Biographies: More than 2,000 stories of science's greatest personalities are easy to find and browse by subject.
    SciZone: Science-inspired games, puzzles, and brainteasers rotate every two weeks.
    SciFiles: A science fact finder with measurement conversions, science tables and charts, and interactive Periodic Table of Elements, sources for further reading, and Nobel Prize winners.
    Sky Watch: a detailed guide to weekly happening in the night skies.

 

InfoTrac WEB (click here to access from the Libary) InfoTrac WEB  (click here to access from locations outside of the Library)

Databases include:

  • Academic Onefile, Biography Resource Center, Contemporary Literary Criticism, Educator's Reference Complete, Expanded Academic ASAP, General Business File ASAP, General Reference Center Gold, Health Reference Center Academic, Infotrac Junior, Infotrace Onefile, Infotrac Student, Kids Infobits and Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Learn a Test (This database is available for Westford patrons.) This is a unique test taking database.  Practice taking the SAT, AP exams, GED, Civil Service exams, real estate, middle school skills improvement, resume and interviewing success skills and many other types of tests.  If you are connecting from home, you will need your library card number.

Massachusetts Special Collections Directory

  • is a Web-based database of over 600 institutions, including academic, public, and special libraries , town halls, museums, and historical societies.

NetLibrary-CLick here to access from within the Library.

NetLibrary-CLick here to access from locations outside of the Library.

  • Read selected book son-line!  NetLibrary has a collection of full-text books available via the web.  Once you set up an account, you can check books out from the on-line collection and read them from your computer.    

NewsBank 

  • (Please note: access to the Boston Globe and Boston Herald are now available through Proquest, please follow the link below to access them.)  Access the full text of the Lowell Sun,  the New York Times (including the New York Times Book Review and New York Times Magazine) and the Westford Eagle-Please note remote access to the Lowell Sun and New York Times are provided by the J.V. Fletcher Library and can only be accessed with a Westford card number.  

Northeast Massachusetts Digital Library (NMDL)
T
he Northeast Massachusetts Digital Library or "NMDL" is a project to enhance access to an ever-growing digital collection of items, located in or items related to northeast Massachusetts. We are defining northeast Massachusetts as the 54 towns within the service area of the Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System (NMRLS). For more information click FAQ

NoveList -click here to access from locations within the Library

Novelist - click here to access from locations outside the Library.

  • Is an electronic readers' advisory resource which assists fiction readers in finding new authors and titles. Through its attractive and easy-to-use interface, NoveList allows readers to use a favorite author or title as a template to locate other authors and titles of interest. NoveList contains materials for all ages including picture books, children's "chapter" books, young adult titles, and books for adult readers.                

Proquest Massachusetts Newsstand (access from the Library) Proquest Massachusetts Newsstand (access from home) Access the full text of the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Berkshire Eagle, BusinessWest(Chicopee), Lowell Sun, North Adams Transcript, Patriot Ledger(Quincy), Plymouth County Business Review, Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg), Telegram and Gazette(Worcester), Gazette (Haverhill), and Standard Times(New Bedford)

Rosetta Stone  This database can be accessed from the Library or home with your Library barcode number.  The first time you use the database, you will be asked to create a username and password. Use this interactive database to learn how to speak English (U.S.), English (U.K.), French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish (Latin America), and Spanish (Spain). The database teaches language through reading and listening comprehension, voice-record/speech recognition, and dictation and spelling exercises.

Wilson Biographies Plus Illustrated  Due to state budget cuts, Wilson Biographies Illustrated is no longer available. Contains more than 95,000 biographies and obituaries  and more than 26,000 photographs of the subjects. Searches can be made by name, profession, title, place of origin, gender, race/ethnicity, titles of works, date of birth, date of death, keyword and presence of images.

Worldcat-click here to access from locations in the Library- Search the catalogs of Libraries worldwide!

WorldCat - click here to access from locations outside of the Library

 

 Updated   12/06/2007 Kristina Leedberg, Head of Information Services