NetLibrary 

First, visit the World Wide Web computers at any of the 12 Lake County Public Library locations and sign up for a free account.  You only need to sign up at a library once.

Second, go anywhere in the world with web access, access the NetLibrary website and log in to "view this eBook" and read any of the Library's 2,300+ book collection or any of the 3,300+ publicly-accessible titles. 

Use the NetLibrary online software to read books or to search for content within the books.

 

Gale Virtual Reference Library

A different way for resident cardholders to access a collection of business, medical and literature reference books that can be found in print in the Library.  Using a resident library card number and personal identification number (PIN), users can read and search the content of the following titles:

Business:
Encyclopedia of American Industries
Business reference encyclopedia providing detailed, comprehensive information on a wide range of industries in every realm of American business.

History:
History of World Trade Since 1450
Starts at a year regarded as the beginning of the Age of Exploration and examines how the hunt for new resources and markets during that period resulted in the establishment of colonies in Africa, the Americas and Asia. The set looks at the Industrial Revolution, the rise of capitalism and the effects of imperialism on the global economy. 

Literature:
Contemporary Novelists
Contains biographical/critical essays on the most important living novelists writing in English worldwide.

Contemporary Poets
Provides biographical and bibliographical information on 789 of the world's most important contemporary English-language poets, including 120 new to this edition. Entries include personal and career information, addresses, a detailed bibliography, a list of further reading sources, and more. Each entry also includes a signed critical essay covering each poet's career and works, written by an expert in the field.

Nonfiction Classics for Students
Provides in-depth literary and historical background on the most commonly studied nonfiction essays, books, biographies, and memoirs in a streamlined, easy-to-use format. Covering 15-20 works per volume, this reference series gives high-school and undergraduate students an ideal starting point for class assignments, term papers, and special projects.

Medical:
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Presents current, unbiased information on alternative and complementary medical practices, including reflexology, acupressure, chelation therapy, kinesiology, chiropractic, Feldenkrais, polarity therapy, detoxification, naturopathy, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, and osteopathy.  Information on recommended therapies for specific disorders and diseases, medicinal uses for plants and herbs, are balanced by conclusions of studies on efficacy and analysis of current levels of acceptance by traditional scientists and doctors.

Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Includes entries covering cancers, cancer drugs, treatments, side effects, and diagnostic procedures.

Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
The e-book, which covers every major body system, is arranged into five main entry types:  Diseases and Disorders; Development; Immunizations; Drugs; and Procedures.  With a distinct emphasis on the health issues affecting children under the age of four, the Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health provides a much-needed service to new parents and promises to be a frequently used resource in any library.

Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders
Provides clear, complete information on genetic disorders, including conditions, tests, procedures, treatments and therapies, in articles that are both comprehensive and easy to understand in language accessible to laypersons.

Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Includes information on more than 1,600 medical disorders and concepts. Each article includes in-depth discussion of causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, procedures, and other related topics. Written for a general audience with an authoritative tone.

Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery
Written especially for patients and allied health care students by experts in the field, this encyclopedia covers approximately 450 surgical procedures and related topics, such as anesthetics, medications, and postoperative care.  Entries include definition, purpose, demographic information, diagnosis/preparation, aftercare, risks, morbidity, and mortality rates, alternatives, and more.

 

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is the oldest producer of free electronic books (e-books or e-texts) on the Internet.  Their collection of more than 15,000 e-books was produced by hundreds of volunteers.  Most of the Project Gutenberg e-books are older literary works that are in the public domain in the United States.  Search the titles in the collection.  All may be freely downloaded and read, and redistributed for non-commercial use.

 

More Free E-Books

Baen.com/library takes you to the Baen Free Library maintained by Baen books and author Eric Flint.  All selections are science fiction or fantasy and can be read on-line, or downloaded in a variety of formats.  

Bibliomania is a free online literature portal which boasts access to thousands of e-books, poems, plays, short stories and articles which you may read online or download.  You may need to register to use some of its services.

Fictionwise offers award-winning e-books for all PDAs and PCs by top authors in the most popular e-book formats.  To download you may have to register.  There are also free e-books and trial downloads available.

The On-Line Books Page is really a portal for finding sites to online reads or downloads.  You can search for foreign language books and a number of  serials.  The page will list only book sites that do not charge you to read them.  Maintained by the digital library planner and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania.

Last Updated: January 19, 2010