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Welcome to Vancouver Island Regional Library

Home / Learn / Research / All Databases

Research

  • Health
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  • All Databases
Search Databases

59 result(s) found.

Academic Search Elite

A renowned scholarly resource providing superior full-text, academic journals covering the major areas of academic research.

Launch
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Acorn TV

Acorn TV offers world-class mysteries, dramas, comedies, and documentaries, including classic series like Poldark, Murdoch Mysteries, Foyle’s War, Midsomer Murders, Poirot, and Vera. Checkout and stream from the RBdigital app or website.

Cap:

Each checkout is for 7 days of unlimited streaming. VIRL has a weekly service cap for Acorn TV. This service cap overrides available checkouts. The cap resets Sunday mornings at 6 am.

Acorn TV logo
Launch Tutorial
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Ancestry Library Edition

Notice: Access from home is now available. Ancestry has extended home access through to March 31, 2021. Click Launch and enter your library card number to access.

Genealogy collection including census, vital, church, court, and immigration records from the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom.

  • What’s the difference between Ancestry Library Edition and Ancestry.com?
Launch Tutorial

Auto Repair Source

Auto Repair Source provides service and repair information for thousands of vehicles, from 1974 to the present. The database includes step-by-step repair information, diagrams, maintenance schedules, parts and labour estimates, service bulletins and recalls, and more. All content comes from the original equipment manufacturers (OEM).

Logo
Launch Tutorial

BC Assessment

BC Assessment produces independent, uniform and efficient property assessments on an annual basis for all property owners in the province.

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BC Codes

Full text of the BC Building Code, Fire Code, and Plumbing Code for 2018 and past years. Access from home or mobile. In-branch access is no longer required.

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BC Laws

BC Laws provides free public access to the current laws of British Columbia. This consolidation of BC Statutes and Regulations is updated continually as new and amended laws come into force. (Note: BC Laws now contains content that used to be in QP [Queen’s Printer] Legaleze)

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BC Local Community News

Bringing BC’s communities together. News from around the province.

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BC Stats

Statistics and reports on BC’s population, labour market, economy, business and more.

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Business Plans Handbook

Actual business plans compiled by, and for, entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses. Presents sample plans taken from businesses in the manufacturing, retail and service industries which serve as examples of how to approach, structure and compose business plans.

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Business Source Premier

Business Source Premier provides comprehensive coverage in all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, accounting, banking and finance. Additional full-text, non-journal content includes market research reports, industry reports, country reports, company profiles and SWOT analyses.

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Canadian Newsstream

Full text access to over 500 BC and Canadian newspapers. Titles include the Vancouver Sun, The Province, Times Colonist, Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star, Calgary Herald, Montreal Gazette, Ottawa Citizen, and Winnipeg Free Press. Content for some titles starts from the 1970s. Canadian Newsstream is updated daily.

Easy access to back issues of local Vancouver Island newspapers: great for genealogists!

For home access to the Globe and Mail:

  1. Launch Canadian Newsstream
  2. Search Publications for “globe and mail”
  3. Select the second result, with “Full text coverage: Nov 14, 1977 – present”, to open the Publication Information page
  4. Click on the link to “Latest available issue”, e.g. Mar 24, 2020
  5. Or scroll down the page to find links to back issues
  6. Articles are listed individually, sorted by page order
Launch

Career Cruising

Career Cruising programs help people build more purposeful futures by assisting with career exploration and planning. This database offers career assessment tools, detailed occupation profiles, and comprehensive post-secondary education information.

Launch

CELA

CELA is the Centre for Equitable Library Access, which provides access to a collection of over 700,000 books, magazines, newspapers in a choice of accessible formats for people with a print disability. Print disabilities include learning, physical and visual disabilities.

  • Enjoy a full range of subjects, genres, classics and award winners
  • Stay up to date with 50 newspapers and 150 magazines
  • Choose your preferred format: audio, e-text or braille.
  • Download books or receive home delivery by mail

Sign up for CELA service with your public library card, or contact your VIRL branch for assistance.

CELA logo
Launch CELA Help

Clicklaw

Clicklaw provides legal information, education and help for British Columbians. Clicklaw is operated by Courthouse Libraries BC.

Launch Clicklaw Help

Consumer Health Complete

Health and wellness from mainstream medicine to complementary, holistic and integrated medicines.

Launch
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Consumer Reports

New database! Consumer Reports provides trusted ratings and reviews, recommendations and buying advice for thousands of products and services.
Subjects include:

  • Appliances
  • Cars
  • Babies and kids
  • Health, fitness and food
  • Home and garden
  • Money

Launch Tutorial

Creativebug

Creativebug is an art and craft education resource. There are thousands of online video classes taught by leading instructors. Categories include:

  • Art + Design
  • Crochet
  • Food + Home
  • Kids
  • Knitting
  • Jewelry
  • Quilting
  • Sewing

Access online or via mobile app. Have a look at this introductory video by Creativebug to learn more.

Please note that access to Creativebug requires library customers to provide first and last name and email address to authenticate use. For more information, contact info@virl.bc.ca or review Creativebug’s Privacy Policy here.

Launch TutorialCreativebug Help
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Encyclopædia Universalis

An extensive collection of French-language reference resources. Encyclopedia Universalis provides a wealth of reliable Britannica information en français.

Includes a world atlas, timelines, an integrated dictionary, bibliographies, news and current events, original source documents, and a guide to select Web sites. A science center explains 11 scientific topics and uses more than 60 multimedia elements to demonstrate important topics.

Launch

Encyclopedia of British Columbia

Historical and contemporary information about BC. The Encyclopedia of British Columbia is the definitive reference work on British Columbia. With more than 4,000 entries and 1,500 accompanying photographs, maps, charts and tables, as well as sound and video clips, the EBC is the source of readable and authoritative information on significant British Columbian people, places and things.

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Explora for Kids

Explora is an EBSCO database designed for kids. You can search for thousands of topics covering a wide range of subjects including art and music, literature, language arts, geography, history, social studies, world cultures and languages, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, health and sports. This is a great homework tool!

Launch

First Voices Language Archive

Thousands of text entries in many diverse Aboriginal writing systems, enhanced with sounds, pictures, and videos.

Launch

Freegal Music

Freegal (‘free & legal’) music provides access to the entire catalogue of Sony Music Entertainment, owner of many music labels. Freegal will work with any MP3 player and is PC and Mac compatible.

Cap:

Each library member can download five songs or two music videos per week.

Launch Tutorial
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Gale Virtual Reference Library

Find eBooks for business, health, religion, and science topics. Find information on cultural topics like fashion and food. Includes titles from the Experiments for Future STEM Professionals series.

Launch

Gold Books Used Vehicle Guide

Notice: Sanford Evans Gold Book has discontinued their online product as of May 31. You can find physical volumes of the Gold Book series in a branch.

Sanford Evans Gold Book listings provide detailed information on cars, trucks, snowmobiles, motorcycles, ATVs, and personal watercraft for a broad range of model years.

Grant Connect (In-branch only)

Grant Connect’s Work-From-Home Community Edition expired on Tuesday, July 7th. Access reverts to in-branch only, at a public workstation or when connected to VIRL Wi-Fi.

Questions about home access to Grant Connect? Please contact your library branch or email databases@virl.bc.ca

New database! Grant Connect is a grant funding information database. With Grant Connect, you have access to:

  • Over 11,000 Canadian foundations, 560 corporate giving programs, 370 government grant programs, 120 American foundations, and 200 other kinds of grant opportunities.
  • Funder profiles that offer insights on specific grant programs, application preferences, financial summaries, and key decision-makers.
  • Data on billions of dollars in past donations.
Grant Connect Logo
Launch Search TutorialProfile Tutorial

Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center

Find information on your favourite hobby or pastime, from toys and collectibles to model-building, arts and crafts, electronics and games.

Launch

IndieFlix

Update, Jan 19,2021: IndieFlix is currently unavailable. We are working with the vendor to resolve this issue.
IndieFlix has changed login procedures. Login to IndieFlix with the email and password you use for RBdigital. A password reset is required the first time you access. Check your email for the password reset from IndieFlix. (Sep 1)

This streaming movie service provides unlimited access to award-winning shorts, feature films, and documentaries from major festivals such as Sundance, Tribeca, Cannes. Thousands of films to choose from across more than 50 countries.

Launch Tutorial
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Indigenous People of North America

Indigenous Peoples: North America sources collections from across Canadian and American institutions, providing insight into the cultural, political and social history of Native Peoples from the seventeenth into the twentieth century.

Launch

Kanopy

Kanopy is a video streaming platform for libraries with one of the largest and most unique collections in the world. It features more than 26,000 movies, documentaries, and indie and foreign films from hundreds of producers, including The Criterion Collection, The Great Courses, Kino Lorber, PBS and thousands of independent filmmakers. Browse by subjects to explore and expand your interests.

Cap:

Each library member receives 6 checkouts (play credits) per month. VIRL has a monthly service cap, which overrides available checkouts. This cap resets on the 1st of the following month. Kanopy Kids and the Great Courses require no play credits. The message “Access is temporarily unavailable” or “This film is not available at your library yet” indicates that the library has reached its monthly budget cap.

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KnowBC

KnowBC is the online portal for Harbour Publishing, an independent publisher based on the Sunshine Coast that focuses on British Columbian coastal history and culture. KnowBC features the Encyclopedia of British Columbia, along with essential publications and natural history field guides for the Pacific Northwest Coast, including

  • The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names
  • Far West: The Story of British Columbia, a provincial history for younger readers
  • A Field Guide to Birds of the Pacific Northwest
  • A Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants of Canada
  • A Field Guide to Shells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest
  • Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds and Selected Fishes
  • Raincoast Chronicles 20: Lilies and Fireweed: Frontier Women of British Columbia
Launch

Knowledge Network

Knowledge Network, is a Canadian publicly funded educational cable television network serving the province of British Columbia. The station supports lifelong learning for children and adults by providing quality, commercial-free programming through its broadcast channel, websites and apps. Knowledge Network also invests in documentaries and children’s programs produced by independent filmmakers with more than 40% of their programming budget supporting original stories told by BC and Canadian filmmakers. Download their app and stream their content for free!

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Lynda.com

Lynda.com is an online learning platform featuring video courses and tutorials. Lynda.com offers courses with a focus on skills for business, creative industries, education, information technology, software, and web development. The tutorials are high quality and led by industry experts.

Lynda.com includes topics, software skills, and learning paths for the following subject areas:

  • 3D +Animation
  • Audio + Music
  • Business
  • CAD
  • Design
  • Developer
  • Education
  • Information Technology
  • Marketing
  • Photography
  • Video
  • Web
Launch Tutorial
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Mango Languages

Language learning database designed to equip you with conversational abilities. Mango immerses you in real, everyday conversations in 45 different language courses. Some of the languages include: Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.

Mango Languages Logo
Launch Tutorial
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MasterFILE Premier

Popular full text magazines covering subject areas of general interest, including an Image Collection of over 350,000 photos, maps and flags. Access to Consumer Reports publications is included, but we recommend using the Consumer Reports database.

Launch
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National Geographic Kids

Reputable, authoritative, and appropriate content that brings children aged 6-14 the world in a way they’ve never seen it before. Fun and substantive, National Geographic Kids will take them on amazing adventures in science, nature, culture, archaeology, and space.

Launch Tutorial

National Geographic Virtual Library

National Geographic Virtual Library gives access to the complete archive of National Geographic magazine — every page of every issue — along with a cross-searchable collection of National Geographic books, maps, images and videos.

Launch

Naxos Music Library

Naxos Music Library is the world’s largest online classical music library. Major categories include:

  • Orchestral Works
  • Concertos
  • Chamber Music
  • Vocal & Choral Works
  • Opera & Operetta
  • Ballet Music
  • Film Music
To login to Naxos mobile apps, create an account on the web platform (sign-up under the Playlist tab) and use your credentials to login on the mobile app.
Launch Tutorial
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Naxos Music Library – Jazz

From jazz legends to contemporary jazz. Listen online to an entire album or search for your favourite song or performer.

To login to Naxos mobile apps, create an account on the web platform (sign-up under the Playlist tab) and use your credentials to login on the mobile app.
Launch

Naxos Music Library – World

Stream a wide range of world music, from legendary historical musical performances to contemporary world music. Almost 10,000 albums available, representing over 32,000 artists, 1500 cultural groups and 150 countries. Includes the complete Smithsonian Folkways catalogue.

Launch

Naxos Sheet Music Library (in-branch only)

By using the Naxos Sheet Music Library, users can search and download printable scores from the database of over 35,000 works.

Launch

NNELS

NNELS is the National Network for Equitable Library Service, an online public library of downloadable ebooks and audiobooks for people with print disabilities. Print disabilities include vision, mobility, and comprehension impairments that prevent someone from being able to read a traditional book.

VIRL membership required. After registering at the library, eligible users or friends and family members can access the NNELS catalogue and download material directly, or request assistance from library staff.

NNELS badge
Launch NNELS Help

NoveList Plus

Discover your next favorite book! Finish a great book and looking for more? NoveList’s librarian-created read-alike suggestions and appeal mixer can help. Search from home. Link to the library’s catalogue. Then borrow and read.

Launch Tutorial

OverDrive

As of December 17, 2020, OverDrive also includes over 30,000 audiobooks from the RBdigital collection, formerly accessed through RBdigital.

OverDrive is our most popular eBook and eAudiobook platform. All you need to get started is your library card and an internet connection. Download the Libby App for a simple and easy experience downloading eBooks and eAudiobooks for free.

Cap:

Each library member receives 10 check outs and 10 holds at any one time.

  • Information on OverDrive’s new “deliver later” feature for holds is here: help.overdrive.com/en-us/2265.htm
Launch TutorialSupport Form
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OverDrive for Kids

As of December 17, 2020, OverDrive also includes over 30,000 audiobooks from the RBdigital collection, formerly accessed through RBdigital.

OverDrive is our most popular eBook and eAudiobook platform and we’ve a space just for kids! All you need to get started is your library card and an internet connection. Download the Libby App for a simple and easy experience downloading eBooks and eAudiobooks for free.

Cap:

Each library member receives 10 check outs and 10 holds at any one time.

  • Information on OverDrive’s new “deliver later” feature for holds is here: help.overdrive.com/en-us/2265.htm
Launch TutorialSupport Form
View on Google Play View on the App Store

OverDrive for Teens

As of December 17, 2020, OverDrive also includes over 30,000 audiobooks from the RBdigital collection, formerly accessed through RBdigital.

OverDrive is our most popular eBook and eAudiobook platform and we’ve a space just for teens! All you need to get started is your library card and an internet connection. Download the Libby App for a simple and easy experience downloading eBooks and eAudiobooks for free.

Cap:

Each library member receives 10 check outs and 10 holds at any one time.

  • Information on OverDrive’s new “deliver later” feature for holds is here: help.overdrive.com/en-us/2265.htm
Launch TutorialSupport Form
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PebbleGo

PebbleGo is a digital information and research tool for K-3 students. Two modules are available: Animals (includes Dinosaurs) and Science. Each module features articles, activities, games, maps, videos and engaging read-aloud audio.

Find trustworthy, factual information and foster independent learning with PebbleGo. Explore resources for families here: https://pebblego.com/parent-resources

Launch

Points to the Past

Points to the Past is your gateway to a world-class collection of primary sources, made up of nearly 200 million pages of digitized historical content – maps, photos, newspapers, manuscripts, pamphlets, portraits, and much more. Includes historical newspaper collections from 17th & 18th centuries; archives for the Economist, Punch, the Times of London, the Times Literary Supplement, and more; collections from Associated Press, the British Library, and the Smithsonian.

For a complete list of available collections, please review the Points to the Past One-Page Flyer.

Points to the Past Logo
Launch

PressReader

The world’s largest online newspaper and magazine kiosk, where you can browse and read hundreds of full-content premium newspapers and magazines from around the globe. Access is for 30 days after library sign-in. You will need to follow the steps to sign in as a library member after that 30 day period, to re-start another 30 days of access.

Access to the Globe & Mail is in-branch only. Canadian Newsstream provides access to the Globe & Mail from home.

Please note that access to PressReader requires library customers to provide first and last name and email address to authenticate use. For more information, contact info@virl.bc.ca or review PressReader’s Privacy Policy here.

Launch Tutorial
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Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg offers over 54,000 free eBooks: Choose among free epub books, free kindle books, download them or read them online. You will find the world’s great literature here, especially older works for which copyright has expired. Project Gutenberg digitizes and diligently proofreads them with the help of thousands of volunteers.

Launch

RBdigital Audiobooks, Magazines & Videos

As of December 17, 2020, the RBdigital portal will no longer be offering audiobooks and eBooks. The RBdigital collection of audiobooks and eBooks will continue to be available through OverDrive and the Libby app. RBdigital magazines will also be migrating to these platforms in January 2021.

RBdigital has thousands of downloadable magazines, and offers streaming video from Acorn TV and IndieFlix.

Launch Tutorial
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Road to IELTS: General Edition

Road to IELTS: General Edition is the official, online IELTS (International English Language Testing System) preparation and practice database prepared by the British Council, for people learning English who need to pass the exam for educational, immigration, and occupational purposes.

Launch
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Small Engine Repair Center

Online tool for small engine repair assistance, including: ATVs, commercial mowers, farm tractors, generators, motorcycles, marine (boats), outdoor power equipment, PWC (personal watercraft/jet ski), snow blowers, snowmobiles, tillers and other small engines.

Launch

SOLARO

SOLARO is a test prep and study App based on the BC curriculum. It covers Mathematics, Science, and English/Language Arts for grades 3-12. Students can review lessons, create customized flashcards and notes, and more!

To access SOLARO for the first time:

  1. Launch SOLARO
  2. Enter your library card number
  3. You will be given a randomized username and password
  4. Download the SOLARO app for iOS or Android
  5. Login with your username and password
Launch

TeenBookCloud

TeenBookCloud (aka TumbleBookCloud) has 600 titles for middle and high school readers! This collection contains a wide range of audiobooks, classics, graphic novels, novels, poetry, and short stories! National Geographic videos are available too.

Note: The TumbleBookCloud app no longer works with library sign in. For mobile device users, please tap Launch for browser access to the web platform. A new app is being developed by the vendor.

TeenBookCloud logo
Launch

TumbleBookLibrary

Update: TumbleBooks is providing free access, no card required. Click on the Launch button to open.

An online collection of animated picture books, audiobooks, graphic novels, children’s classics, early reader chapter books, and National Geographic videos. A great resource to teach kids the joy of reading in a format they’ll love!

TumbleBookLibrary logo
Launch Tutorial
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Universalis Junior

Un outil de référence en français pour les 7 ans et plus!

A French-language reference tool for ages 7 and up. The perfect companion for homework, projects, and satisfying natural curiosity, Universalis Junior is an easy-to-use and engaging tool that teaches research skills and makes learning fun.

Includes includes access to more than 4,000 encyclopedia articles and 1,700 English-language articles for bilingual education.

 

Universalis Junior logo
Launch

Vehicle Safety & Inspection Standards Online (in-branch only)

Provides current access to vehicle safety and inspection standards and related BC legislation from official sources.

Launch

Xwi7xwa Library

Xwi7xwa Library is a centre for academic and community Indigenous scholarship at the University of British Columbia. Its collections and services reflect Aboriginal approaches to teaching, learning, and research. Access archival material, research guides and more online at Xwi7xwa Library.

Xwi7xwa Library logo
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