Society & Culture

Whether you're into digital photography, web design, movie making or you just need to brush up on your Microsoft Word or Excel, you can learn software skills here with our online tutorials and learning videos. Create a log-in to track your learning!

Aligned to Provincial learning standards, Canada in Context includes reference, periodicals, primary source, and multimedia resources geared toward Canadian students and educators. It contains more than 525 full‐text magazines including 200 Canadian periodicals, nearly one thousand biographies on famous Canadian individuals, 400 new essays written by Canadian writers and comprehensive coverage of nearly 300 Canadian authors.

Whether looking to find the best deal on an LCD TV, or researching the top-recommended used vehicles, ConsumerReports.org provides ratings and reviews, recommendations and buying advice for thousands of products and services.

In addition to product ratings and reviews, users will find in-depth advice, tips and trends written by Consumer Reports experts. Frequently updated articles, blogs and video content allow consumers to peruse the latest consumer news — whether they’re looking to learn more about budget-friendly home improvement plans, understanding the benefits and risks of retirement options, or searching for the latest recalls of baby products.

BPL now offers a wide range of highly interactive courses. Take each course entirely over the Internet whenever you want to access the course-whether from work, home, school, or elsewhere...24/7, 365 days a year!  All of our courses are led by expert instructors, many of whom are nationally known authors. Courses run for six weeks and new sessions begin monthly. Also, receive a printable certificate upon completion. Take a class on playing the Guitar, using Microsoft products, natural health care, teaching children with ADHD and more. All of this free of charge with your Burlington Public Library Card!

Introducing Freegal, a music download service that provides access to thousands of artists and thousands of songs across many genres, newer music and older classics. Each customer is allowed 3 song downloads per week. The songs are downloaded as DRM-free MP3s that can be played on any device. Once downloaded, the songs are the yours to keep with no restrictions.

The Gale Virtual Reference Library contains both encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. These textbooks might once have only been accessible in the library as a reference tool, but are now readily available online from any computer!

MasterFILE Premier is a database designed specifically for public libraries. This multidisciplinary resource provides full text information for more than 2,000 popular and academic publications relating to general reference, business, health, education, science and multicultural issues. MasterFILE Premier includes full text coverage of Consumer Reports back to 1991, including the Canada Extra.

NewspaperDirect provides instant online access to today's newspapers from around the world in full-colour, full-page format. The ever-expanding collection currently includes nearly 1,000 U.S. and international titles, including most major Canadian publications. Just like reading the familiar print edition, viewers can browse articles and other key content, such as pictures, advertisements, classifieds, and notices. The service also provides up to a 60-day backfile and the ability to perform keyword searches across all titles and the entire backfile.

Check out our ebooks on online gaming, online security, social networking and more. All For Teens!