ACLS Libraries will be closed Thurs. July 3 through Sat. July 5. Westernport Library remains closed due to flood damage—cleanup is underway and updates will follow. Please visit any other Allegany County Library System location for service at this time.

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Databases —-> DIY & Special Interest

Research & Homework

Business & Career I Genealogy & History I Law & Government I Newspapers & Magazines I DIY & Special Interest I eBooks & Streaming

Student Resources:

Elementary I Middle I High School & Adult Learners

Test Prep I Learn a New Language or Skill

Use these resources to search for magazine & newspaper articles, encyclopedia entries or business and job information; find a recommendation for a good novel; and much more. Your library card is required to search most of the databases.

Do It Yourself & Special Interest

Black Freedom Struggle

Featuring expertly selected open primary source documents. Visitors will find historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more from specific time periods in U.S. history marked by the opposition African Americans have faced on the road to freedom.

Chilton Library

Chilton Library is an automotive repair database with maintenance instructions and repair guides for most vehicle years, makes, and models. As one of the most trusted names in auto repair, Chilton Library is a fantastic resource for the at-home mechanic or automotive enthusiast.

Gale Books and Authors

Books & Authors is a reader’s advisory tool designed to connect readers with fiction and non-fiction titles based on their interests. Find new books to read, love and explore. This resource offers endless possibilities and combinations of books, authors, genres and topics. Key features include browsable menus and visual search technology.

Gale Legal Forms

Take the law into your own hands and create accurate, reliable legal documents with no hassle with Gale LegalForms. It offers Maryland-specific “attorney forms” – officially approved forms actually used by law firms. Many of the forms and documents are available in Word and Adobe format so you just need to simply “fill in the blanks.”

Gale Presents: Udemy

Gale Presents: Udemy is an online learning platform for adults who want to improve work-related skills or further develop a personal interest. Users can search through more than 4,000 continuously updated, on-demand video courses across 75 categories in business, technology, design, and more. All courses are taught by world-class instructors and offer a tailor-made learning experience for those who want to learn new technologies and skills to stay competitive in a changing workforce.

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Mango Languages

Casual, cultural, and conversational learning. Speak like a local in 70+ languages with practical, conversation-based language lessons for web, iOS, and Android. Learn Spanish, French, German, and more — download the free Mango app to get started.

Maryland Deaf Culture Digital Library

The Deaf Culture Digital Library is dedicated to providing leadership and guidance in offering resources about deaf culture, acquiring and preserving an excellent collection of deaf resources in digital formats, furnishing access to information regardless of location, and providing highly competent assistance to Maryland residents and library staff in local public library systems, academic librarians in colleges and universities, and other libraries in the state of Maryland.

Maryland Handgun Roster

The Handgun Roster is a list of handguns manufactured after January 1, 1985 that have received final approval for purchase in Maryland by the Handgun Roster Board and that are not otherwise prohibited by law.

Reference Solutions

Reference Solutions (formerly ReferenceUSA) has vital information on every business & consumer in the United States & Canada. It assists business executives in finding valuable sales leads, conducting market research or competitive analysis, and provides an avenue for businesses to do effective marketing & outreach. Students are able to reference this data for research projects and job seekers may find gainful employment. Reference Solutions provides data on businesses, consumers, healthcare providers, new movers & homeowners, as well as historical business information.

Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970

Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970 provides access to more than 660,000 large-scale maps for more than 12,000 American towns and cities. Sanborn fire insurance maps are the most frequently consulted maps in libraries, and are valuable historical tools. In electronic form, Sanborn maps allow users to easily manipulate the maps, magnify and zoom in on specific sections, and layer maps from different years.

VetNow

Veterans can get live help with Veterans Administration benefits, resources for skills development and coaching, and assistance with jobs and resume writing.