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Encyclopedias & Reference

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. Explore visual glossaries, geography games, video guides, teaching tools and more.

Go Now External Link

Magill's Medical Guide

Use from home Library Card Required  Medical information for patients and caregivers. Covers diseases, disorders, treatments, procedures, specialties, anatomy, biology, and issues in an A-Z format.

Go Now External Link

Reference Solutions

Use from home Library Card Required  Business directory, residential listings, demographics and health care listings. Records can be downloaded for mailing/contact lists.

Go Now External LinkNeed Help External Link

Scholastic GO!

Use from home Library Card Required  An online Encyclopedia especially for kids. Scholastic GO is the most age-appropriate, comprehensive learning and knowledge resource available on the Internet today

Go Now External LinkNeed Help External Link

World Book Online

Use from home Library Card Required Staff Favorite  A Online access to expert information found in The World Book Encyclopedia. This easy-to-navigate site has something for every age!

Go Now External Link

World Book Early Learning

Use from home Library Card Required  (Grades PreK+) Image-based navigation helps young readers find stories, games, videos, and interactive coloring pages.

Go Now External Link

World Book Kids

Use from home Library Card Required  (Grades K+) Explore easy-to-read articles, engaging images, interactive games, and teacher resources on this learning website.

Go Now External Link

World Book Student

Use from home Library Card Required  (Grades 5+) Read articles from The World Book Encyclopedia, a Biography Center, dictionary, atlas, and multimedia collection.

Go Now 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

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 Link

Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos

Use from home Library Card Required  (Grades K+) Designed for elementary students, this learning resource features interactive components, a visual dictionary, and illustrated articles in Spanish.

Go Now External Link

Catalog Spotlight

To browse encylopedias, dictionaries, and reference books in the library, ask for help at the Adult Reference Desk.

All the Knowledge in the World: The Extraordinary History of the Encyclopedia by Simon Garfield
The Oxford Guide to Library Research by Thomas Mann The Student's Survival Guide to Research by Monty McAdoo

Website Links

All Area Codes External Link
Look up U.S. and Canadian area codes.

Look Up a ZIP Code External Link
Find zip codes by address, city, and company or find all cities in a ZIP code.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary & Thesaurus External Link
Online dictionary and thesaurus, including medical dictionary, legal dictionary, and kids dictionary.

Old Farmers Almanac External Link
The oldest almanac in the country, it’s an annual treasury of facts, trivia, notions, puzzles, pleasantries and amusements, poems, and just about anything and everything.

Oxford English Dictionary Online External Link
Up-to-date dictionary and english thesaurus.

Sparknotes External Link
Plot summaries, discussion of major characters, themes, motifs and symbols explained for famous works of literature.

Student's Internet Research Guide External Link
Tips on how to search smart, check for credible sources and cite your sources.

Wikipedia External Link
Wealth of information on any topic you can imagine.

Past Virtual Events

Watch all recorded events on the RML YouTube Channel External Link

Access The Great Courses
Listen to audio courses and stream the video courses on your computer or take them with you using the Hoopla app on your mobile device.

Watch Now External YouTube Video Link

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