Creativebug! – Contains thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists. Log in with your library card.
Explore More Illinois – provides instant online access to free and discounted tickets to museums, science centers, sporting events, zoos, park districts, theatres, and other fun and local cultural venues.
How to Make a FOIA Request – everything you need to know in regards to making a Freedom of Information Act request.
Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) – For more than 20 years, Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) has simplified the law so that people can seek justice and resolve their problems, especially those from historically oppressed communities and groups. Through innovation, we make the law understandable and accessible.
Illinois Courts – links that can be helpful to understanding Illinois Courts and how to access them.
Illinois Veterans History Project – Veterans are invited to contribute their stories to the Illinois Veterans’ History Project. This project was launched by Secretary of State Jesse White to create a permanent record of the names and stories of Illinois war veterans and civilians who served our state and country during war, so that their contributions will not be forgotten. Veterans who live in or have lived in Illinois are eligible to participate. Forms are available at public libraries and driver services facilities throughout the state, or can be downloaded here. Check out veterans’ interviews on YouTube.
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Resources – a compilation of online and library resources including National, Illinois, Clinton & Marion County, for Children, for Veterans, for People of Color, for LGBTQIA+, and library nonfiction resources.
NewsBank – (If prompted to log in to any NewsBank database, type CEN before your card number.)
- Access World News – Explore and stay informed on local, national and international topics, people and events in areas such as business, health, education, jobs and careers, political and social issues and more. Features a wide variety of credible, vetted news sources from around the world to around the corner, including [insert local title if applicable]. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
- Asian Life in America – The experience and impact of Asian Americans as recorded by the news media, 18th century to today.
- America’s News – Explore and stay informed on local and national topics, people and events in areas such as business, health, education, jobs and careers, political and social issues and more. Features a wide variety of credible, vetted news sources spanning the U.S. Available remotely 24/7 on any device.
- Black Life in America – The experience and impact of African Americans as recorded by the news media.
- Hispanic Life in America – The experience and impact of Hispanic Americans as recorded by the news media, 1704 to today.
- HeritageHub – Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1704 – today. HeritageHub helps you easily identify relatives, uncover new information and potentially unknown family members. Includes deep coverage from all 50 states, hard-to-find content from the mid 1900’s, and original obituary images. Access is available 24/7.
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch Collection (1988-Current) – Explore Centralia history through local news, events and people with St. Louis Post-Dispatch Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
- USA TODAY Collection (1987-Current) – Explore Centralia history through local news, events and people with the USA TODAY Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
- Belleville News-Democrat Collection (2000-Current) – Explore Centralia history through local news, events and people with the Belleville News-Democrat Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
- State Journal-Register Collection (1985-Current) – Explore Centralia history through local news, events and people with the State Journal-Register Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
Niche Academy – free online tutorials in Computer Basics, COVID-19, Genealogy, Google Docs, Microsoft Office, Online Collections, Social Media, and Tools for Job Seekers.
Resources for Self-Publishing – a compilation of free and paid resources to help you self-publish and market your work.
