Online Reference Library

Did you know that you have access to an entire Reference Library from your computer? The Library Service now provides an Online Library giving you a wealth of information for free, previously only available in large town and city libraries. The service includes a large number of electronic reference books, encyclopaedias, biographies and newspapers bought on subscription and made available to anyone who is a member of the library.

Follow the link on this page to logon to the Online Reference Library at www2.shropshire-cc.gov.uk

Do you need to join? Do it online and start using the service instantly. Follow the link on this page to the online membership page to get your library membership number and PIN (personal identification number).

All this without having to move from your desk, at home or at work!

Encyclopaedia Britannica
Try using Encyclopaedia Britannica – simply type in a keyword and 73,000+ articles are sifted for you. Do you need information for your eight year old’s school project? There is an junior version designed for primary school age as well as a student version for older children. If you enjoy browsing, try This Day in History or Britannica Highlights – useful for the local pub quiz. There are links to video clips and journal articles too.

Newsbank
Twelve national newspapers including the Sunday editions can be searched for news stories, editorial, obituaries and arts reviews back to 1998. Two more local papers are also available: the Ludlow Advertiser and the Birmingham Evening Mail. For another perspective you can search the New York Times and the Washington Post. Newsbank also has special reports on topical subjects which are in the news.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The new Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is a publishing phenomenon – over 55,000 lives encompassing the great, good, not so good and frankly bad who have made their mark on British history. The online version is far more than an alphabetical list of people’s names. You can search by field of interest, location, date of birth, date of death or any combination of these. There are theme listings too which are ideal for research or browsing. It is updated 3 times a year. One thing to remember - no living people are included.

Oxford Reference Online
Oxford Reference Online gives access to masses of information you would previously not see except by visiting a large Reference Library, covering subjects from Art to Zoology. You can search individual books or the whole collection at once. Each book has links to selected websites to complement its content. Timelines show dates of notable events by subject area such as Performing Arts, Politics or Science.

Oxford Music Online
Formerly known as Grove Music Online, this is the premier authority on all aspects of music containing the full text of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians plus the Oxford Dictionary of Music and the Oxford Companion to Music.

Oxford Art Online
This is an improved and expanded version of Grove Art Online which also includes The Oxford Companion to Western Art, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics and Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms.

Oxford English Dictionary
The definitive record of the English language. Hundreds of new entries added every year. You can search for a word as a main entry or even as part of a definition of another word or in a quotation.

AncestryLibrary
Essential for family history research. Access to over 700 million searchable names including the censuses from 1841 - 1901, birth, marriage and death records and passenger lists. New information is constantly added.
Please note that AncestryLibrary is only available in libraries (except Wem). Ancestry.co.uk can be accessed at home but charges may apply for some information

Times Digital Archive
Covering 200 years of history from 1785 to 1985 as reported in The Times newspaper. You can search for names, events, images and even advertisements or simply browse the pages in their original format.

Need more help? Use that other keypad, on your telephone, to speak to the Reference Library staff who will be happy to guide you to the information or resources you need - or send an email.

Or why not try the national ENQUIRE service where librarians, including those in Shropshire, take turns to answer enquiries for information - live and interactive! It is available to you 24 hours a day. Follow the link on this page to find out more.

When you use any of these services, why not drop an email to the Reference Library staff to say how it went?