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History

Online Resources

You will need your Rolling Meadows Library card to access many of our online resources if you are not using them in the Library. Need help? Stop by or call the Reference Desk at 847-259-6050 x130.

See every online resource the Library has to offer on the A–Z Online Resources page.

Use from home = Use from home

Library Card Required = Library card required

Popular = Popular

Staff Favorite = Staff Favorite

AtoZ Maps Online

Use from home Library Card Required  The world's largest database of royalty-free, downloadable maps including historical maps of ancient and medieval history.

Go Now External Link

AtoZ World Food

Use from home Library Card Required  Recipes and food culture from around the world including historical timelines and food inventions histories.

Go Now External Link

Chicago Tribune Historical

Use from home Library Card Required  Search this database for past articles from 1849-1997. Full-text obituaries and death notices from 1860-1984. Major stories of events and issues from 1920-1984.

From Home External LinkIn Library External Link

Curiosity Stream: Science

Use from home Library Card Required  Witness the rise of ancient empires and the fall of civilizations from prehistoric through modern times through high-quality and engaging documentaries and nonfiction series.

Go Now External LinkPreview Titles External Link

The Great Courses

Use from home Library Card Required  Never stop learning with enriching courses by the world's greatest professors and experts on world history, US history, religion, travel, and more.

Go Now External LinkPreview Titles External Link

History Reference Center

Use from home Library Card Required  Full-text journals, magazines, reference books and thousands of primary source documents that cover topics in U.S. and world history from the earliest civilizations through the 21st century.

Go Now External LinkTutorial External Video Link

World Book Advanced

Use from home Library Card Required  (Grades 9+) Designed for high school and college students this powerful reference tool includes an online encyclopedia, multimedia, and primary source databases.

Go Now External LinkToday in History External Link

World Book Timelines

Use from home Library Card Required  (Grades 5+) Hundreds of timelines cover various periods in history and the lives of historical figures. Create timelines from scratch, add events, descriptions, and media.

Go Now External Link

Catalog Spotlight

To browse books on ancient history, modern history, and civilization in the library, ask for help at the Adult Reference Desk.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies Jared Diamond
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Digital Magazines

Find magazines in the library in Adult Reference. Or search the online catalog External Link to browse and place holds on magazines.

Digital Library of IL Magazines

Ancient History Magazine
National Geographic History Smithsonian Magazine

Website Links

American Panorama External Link
Historical atlas of the United States for the twenty-first century created by the Digital Scholarship Lab at the University of Richmond.

Black Freedom Struggle in the United States
Focused on Black Freedom, featuring select primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history. Perfect for anyone interested in learning more about the foundation of ongoing racial injustice in the U.S. – and the fights against it.

Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History External Link
Get direct access to unique primary source materials with over 85,000 documents in the Gilder Lehrman Collection.

Local History & Public Records
Scroll through our brief virtual tour of the history of the City of Rolling Meadows and see what resources the library has to offer.

National Archives External Link
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. Explore our nation’s history through documents, photos, and records.

Smithsonian External Link
Explore history and culture with the Smithsonian Institute and its researchers, curators, and collaborators across the world.

This Day in History External Link
Highlights of newsworthy events throughout history for every day of the year from Britannica.

Past Virtual Events

Watch all recorded events on the RML YouTube Channel External Link

Emancipation to Inauguration
Clarence Goodman, historian and entertainer, shares his knowledge and love of his hometown and Chicago’s Black experience.

Watch Now

The Mayflower
Jenny Warner, Genealogy and History Speaker, will discuss the Mayflower, her voyage and the 102 passengers that made this incredible journey.

Watch Now External YouTube Video Link

Truly Great Reads: Don’t Know Much About History
Skip the dry and boring tomes and jump into adventure, drama, and intrigue with this librarian-curated, literary tour of history.

Watch Now External YouTube Video Link

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Newsletter

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History and Current Events
Whether you're interested in ancient Greece or modern peace, you'll find the world -- past and present -- here.