Databases A to Z

A Note About All NVDPL E-Resources

NVDPL E-Resources are available to residents of the District of North Vancouver with an NVDPL library card in good standing (i.e., fees no more than $5). If you don't have an NVDPL library card, learn more about Getting a Library Card

Need help getting started? Click the "Tutorials" button on the right side of the screen and select the resource you want to learn more about.

If you are having trouble accessing any e-resource, please contact E-Support.

Academic Search Elite

Academic Search Elite contains full text articles for more than 2,100 academic journals. Subjects covered include biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, psychology, religion & theology among others.

Ancestry Library Edition (in-library use only)

A popular database for genealogical research. This resource includes records from around the world, including from the US, UK and Canadian census and vital records, immigration and passport records, periodicals and books, photos, and more.

Access to Ancestry Library Edition is available onsite at the library using library computers.

BC Codes

BC Fire Code - contains technical requirements for fire safety within a community
BC Building Code - applies to the construction of buildings
BC Plumbing Services ( part 7 of the BC Building Code)

BC Laws

The current laws of British Columbia including Statutes, Regulations, Third Reading Bills, Orders in Council, BC Gazette II and more.

BC Stats

Full text of many statistical reports from BC Stats. 

Bibliothèque numérique de la Colombie-Britannique (BC French Language collection)

A collection of French language eBooks and audiobooks from Canadian and international publishers. It includes popular genre fiction, bestsellers, non-fiction and more. There are titles for adults, teens and children.

NVDPL reconnait le soutien financier de la province de la Colombie-Britannique et du gouvernement du Canada par le biais de l'Entente Canada-Colombie-Britannique relative aux services en francais. NVDPL recognizes the financial support of the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada through the Canada-British Columbia Agreement on French-language Services. We are also grateful to VPL for donating their sizable French language collection.

Download the app: iOS | Android

Need help getting started? Review the startup guides

British Columbia Historical Newspapers: Province, Vancouver Sun and Times Colonist

Digitised newspaper archives from ProQuest Historical Newspapers which include: 

  • The Vancouver Sun (1912 - 2010)
  • The Times-Colonist (1884 - 2010)
  • The Province (1894 - 2010)

Includes every issue, cover-to-cover, with full-page and article images in easily downloadable PDF format.

Also suitable for research at the high school and post-secondary levels.

Canadian Newsstream

Full text access to over 300 BC and major Canadian daily newspapers. Titles include The Vancouver Sun, The Province, Vancouver Courier, Times Colonist, National Post, Globe and Mail, as well as local papers such as the North Shore News. Content for some titles starts as far back as the 1970s. Canadian Newsstream content is updated daily. Some titles are not available for two days after publication.

ConsumerReports.org

Provides information and advice on consumer products and services. Includes the full-text of Consumer Reports magazine, buying guides, reviews of specific products and models, spotlights, news and video content.

Note: prices are in USD; links may go to US sites.

Creativebug

Learn through this arts and crafts education resource. Thousands of video classes with activities for all ages and new content added daily. Instructional videos on sewing, quilting, knitting, crochet, drawing, painting, paper crafts, jewelry, food & home, holiday & party, and more.

Mobile app access is available for Apple or Android, but make sure to set up an account on the website first.

Need help getting started? Access this Tutorial.

Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB)

A community-driven discovery service that indexes and provides access to scholarly, peer-reviewed open access books and helps users to find trusted open access book publishers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

Read full-text research papers and reviews from open source peer-reviewed journals all subject areas.

Explora

Find information on almost any topic. Explora brings together content from Ebsco's well-known databases: Academic Search Elite, MasterFile Premier, and GreenFILE.

 Federal Science Library

 The Federal Science Library is a one-stop, self-serve web portal that makes government research and resources visible to all Canadians by connecting them with the collections of seven departmental libraries. The portal allows users to view or request items from a vast collection of publications in science, technology, engineering and health and other related economic, policy and program information. Wherever possible, departmental publications, reports, data sets and other content are freely available for anyone to access or download. It also gives users the option to expand their search beyond the holdings of the seven federal science libraries to include millions of publications from around the globe.

Federal Science Library partners

  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada
  • Health Canada
  • National Research Council Canada
  • Natural Resources Canada
  • Public Health Agency of Canada

Available in the library and at home within Canada. No library card required.

Kanopy

An on-demand streaming video service which provides access to educational titles, including award-winning documentaries, training films, and theatrical releases - on a very wide range of topics. Kanopy titles are licensed from such major educational producers as PBS, BBC, Criterion Collection, and the Media Educational Foundation.

Starting November 1, 2023, patrons have a monthly ticket allotment of 12 tickets per month per person. Every title is labelled with a ticket value and viewing period (borrowing time). Some titles, like those included in Kanopy Kids, do not require tickets.

Download the app: iOS | Android

Need help getting started? Access this Tutorial

Kanopy Kids

The Kanopy Kids area features unlimited access to streaming kids' movies, TV shows, and animated picture books for children ages 2 and up. There is also great math, science and language learning content.

Unlimited streaming available. Videos watched in Kanopy Kids do not count against your 12 tickets in Kanopy. 

Download the app: iOS | Android

Need help getting started? Access this Tutorial.

KnowBC (incl. Encyclopedia of British Columbia)

KnowBC is home to the online edition of the Encyclopedia of British Columbia, an authoritative resource on BC past and present. Also includes other major Pacific Northwest resources as well as guides on natural history. Features more than 4,000 articles and 1,500 accompanying photographs, maps, charts, and tables, as well as sound and video clips.

Libby & Library2Go (OverDrive) Ebooks & E-Audiobooks

Now you can take great books with you wherever you go! An extensive selection of popular fiction and non-fiction ebooks and audiobooks for all ages. Read in your browser or download books to your Apple or Android mobile device or your Kobo e-reader and enjoy them on the go!

Download the Libby app for your device at OverDrive's Device Help page.

Need help getting started? Access this Tutorial, or view the Libby help pages.

Libby & Library2Go (OverDrive) Magazines

A large selection of magazines from around the world. Read using the Libby app for the best small screen reading experience.

Download the Libby app for your device at OverDrive's Device Help page.

Need help getting started? Access this Tutorial, or view the OverDrive's help pages.

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning is home to over 16,000 self-paced online courses, including all of Lynda.com's great content. All of LinkedIn Learning's courses are taught by industry professionals who are excited to share their knowledge with you. Courses are available in English, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish. Whether you want to learn a new skill or get in touch with your creative side, there's a course for everyone on LinkedIn Learning. You can access this tool via your browser or mobile device (using the free app).

Mobile App instruction:

  • Install the LinkedIn Learning app via the Apple or Google Play store.
  • Click Sign in. (If the app is prompting you to sign in as your name, click, not your name, then you'll see the Sign In option.)
  • Click Sign in with your library card.
  • Ourlibrary ID is nvdpl - Note: This is case sensitive.
  • Enter your library card number and PIN.

Need help getting started? Access this Tutorial.

Mango Languages

Over 70 self-paced language learning courses and dialects. Learners are introduced to vocabulary, cultural insights, grammar and more. The courses are delivered by native speakers. They include critical-thinking and memory-building exercises. Once you have logged in, create a profile to track your learning, or proceed in 'guest' mode.

Need help getting started? Access this Tutorial.

MasterFILE Premier

Covers popular magazines on virtually every subject area of general interest.

New York Times

September 2022: NYT are working to resolve an issue with the login button. You can still access the New York Times, though.
Choose "Create Account" in order to gain free offsite access, whether or not you have already created a NYTimes.com account.

Access to the current and past articles from the New York Times newspaper, including the US, Canadian, and International editions. Also includes access to the Archives from 1851-2002, with 5 pdf downloads per day allowed from the 1923-1980 date range (off-site access only). Click here for more information on the NYT Archives. New York Times Crosswords and Cooking are not included in Library access.

Access information:

  • Logging in with the link above provides free access for 24 hours, after which you will need to log in again via the link above to reset your Library access token.
  • There is a daily limit on the number of users who can access the Library's New York Times subscription
  • Requires creating a New York Times account with your email address

Please note: app access is available, but you will need to log into this webpage first via the link above each day to renew your access token. We recommend reading on your browser instead of the app for this reason, but if you prefer the reading experience on the app you can switch to the Apple or Android app to read after you have logged in via the link above.

North Shore Digital Libraries

North Shore Digital Libraries (NSDL) is a special collection of digitized newspapers from North Vancouver and West Vancouver, including the North Shore News from 1976-2000. Includes every issue, cover-to-cover, with full-page and article images.

Need help getting started? Access this Tutorial.

Novelist Plus

Do you want to know what to read next? Novelist Plus contains reviews of over 200,000+ fiction and non-fiction titles. Search by author, title, series or plot. Includes lists of award-winning books, discussion guides, recommended reads and even create a personal reading list!

Need help getting started? Access this Tutorial.

Points to the Past

Points to the Past provides access to nearly 200 million pages of digital historical content. Searchable primary source historical material dating 1450-2008, including maps, photos, newspapers, manuscripts, pamphlets, portraits, sermons and poems for research, teaching and learning. Includes titles from the Smithsonian, publications and archives of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, documents from the Slavery and Anti-Slavery Transnational Archive, treaties, state papers, declassified documents, British literary manuscripts, and more.

Available in the library and at home within BC. No library card required. 

PressReader

PressReader offers e-newspapers and e-magazines from around the world in dozens of languages. Includes today's Vancouver Sun, the Province and the Globe and Mail.  (Globe and Mail available in-library only.)

Along with today's news, PressDisplay has past editions for up to 90 days. The mobile app is available here.

Need help getting started? Access this Tutorial, or view the PressReader help centre.

Public Library of Science (PLOS)

Browse more than 33,000 articles on science and medicine. PLOS is a publisher dedicated to open research communication with more than 90,000 peer review contributors.

Summa

A Canadian streaming video-on-demand collection for public libraries. It includes documentaries, feature films, health information, DIY projects, and nature documentaries. Summa also contains content featuring Indigenous voices and issues.

Get help with Summa FAQ

Note: You can be logged into only one at a time, either Summa or Summa Kids.

Summa Kids

A Canadian streaming video-on-demand collection for public libraries. It includes documentaries, feature films, health information, DIY projects, and nature documentaries. Summa also contains content featuring Indigenous voices and issues.

Get help with Summa FAQ

Note: You can be logged into only one at a time, either Summa or Summa Kids.

The Great Courses through Kanopy

Learning that fits your life! Learn from award-winning experts and professors from the most respected institutions in the world without the homework, tests, or pressure. Access a collection of over 6,000 videos through Kanopy. Learn at your own pace with no schedule, while exercising, commuting, or just relaxing.

NVDPL cardholders receive 12 tickets in Kanopy every month, which can be used for films, series and/or The Great Courses. Every title is labeled with a ticket value and viewing period (borrowing time). 

Download the app: iOS | Android

Need help getting started? Access this Tutorial

Tumble Book Library K-6 children's ebook database

Listen and read along with some of your favourite picture books by the likes of Robert Munsch, Kate DiCamillo, Doreen Cronin and many more. Compatible with iPhone and iPad (using browser). Other Languages section includes some books in Spanish and French.

Tumble Math K-6 math ebook database

TumbleMath is a comprehensive collection of math eBooks designed for students. The eBooks combine animation, narration and sound to create stories and teach math concepts. They are accompanied by supplementary materials such as lesson plans, instructional videos, educational games and quizzes to test and track student progress. Designed for students of all ages, TumbleMath allows students to learn at their own pace and gives them the ability to take ownership over their learning.

UBC Library's Open Collections

UBC Library's Open Collections include digital photos, books, newspapers, maps, videos, theses and more. These publicly-accessible collections are constantly growing and reflect the research interests of the UBC community and beyond.

Vehicle Safety and Inspection Standards Online - VSIS Online (in-library use only)

Provides current access to vehicle safety and inspection standards and related BC legislation.  (In-library use only.)