Find Facts Fast

Encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries, statistics, and other sites for quickly looking up facts.

(Items marked with ** require your library card number and catalog PIN for access from home.)

• WorldAlmanac via FirstSearch **: Includes Funk & Wagnall's New Encylopedia, the World Almanac and Book of Facts, the World Almanac of the U.S.A., the World Almanac of U.S. Politics, and the World Almanac for Kids.
• Infoplease.com: Information Please Almanac, atlases, and more.
• Wikipedia: "The free encyclopedia that anyone can edit."
• OneLook Dictionary Search: Look up words in almost 1000 online dictionaries at the same time.
• IllinoisAtlas.com: A collection of Illinois and U.S. statistical maps.
• World Factbook: The CIA's book of country profiles.
• Countryreports.org:  A collection of stastical information related to country's around the world. (Use from home or at the library; in house library use provides greater access to further articles and information.)
• Salem Press Online Database: Milestone Documents in American History, Great Lives from History and Great Events from History. (Use from home or at the library; Bradley card holders can access database from home using library card number.)
• Wolframalpha.com:  Enter your question or calculation, and Wolfram|Alpha uses its built-in algorithms and growing collection of data to compute the answer.   Based on a new kind of knowledge-based computing.
• Earth Portal:  a comprehensive resource for timely, objective, science-based information about the environment. It is a means for the global scientific community to come together to produce the first free, expert-driven, massively scaleable information resource on the environment, and to engage civil society in a public dialogue on the role of environmental issues in human affairs.
• eHow: What do you want to do today? No matter what's on your list,eHow can help.  With more than 30 categories that cover just about everything.  Have you ever asked "How do you....?"  eHow is your one-stop online resource for life's challenges and questions.