General Research
We offer many resources you can use to discover information that can help you manage and improve the quality of your life. Get health and legal information, develop personal finance and investing skills, or research product quality and safety. We even offer genealogy resources and services to help you explore your ancestry.
Use our online resources to research anything
-
Offers a world of academic research at your fingertips, with more than 17,000 scholarly journals, podcasts and transcripts.
-
Access nearly 249 million U.S. genealogical records from 1690 to the present, including obituaries, marriage and birth announcements, military records and other government documents.
-
Interested in genealogy? We partnered with Ancestry.com to help you search billions of historical documents, photos, oral histories and more, from the 1500s to the present. This resource is available only in Library locations.
-
Find articles and research from more than 750 journals that cover art, architecture, design, costume, crafts and more. This database also includes more than 63,000 images.
-
Want to learn about another country? Get in-depth information about 175 countries, including history, culture, customs, food, religion, travel information, maps and much more.
-
Get in-depth biographical information about the world’s most influential people from all time periods.
-
Find facts about more than 760 bird species that breed in the United States and Canada. Includes image and video galleries that show behavior, habitat, nests and more, plus audio recordings of bird songs and calls.
-
The Encyclopedia Britannica online, plus a dictionary, thesaurus, world atlas, the full text of current magazine and journal articles, live feeds from a variety of news sources and much more.
-
Provides articles, news and product reviews from more than 600 publications that cover the computer, telecommunications, and electronics industries.
-
Use product reviews, ratings and comparisons from Consumer Reports magazine to make better buying decisions and save money.
-
Choose the best quality health, wellness and nutritional products, based on test results published by an independent laboratory.
-
Get ratings, reviews and advice to help you choose the best retail stores, service companies and healthcare providers in the Puget Sound region.
-
Get an inside look at the daily life, history, culture and customs of the world's people. Includes information on more than 200 countries, every U.S. state and all 13 Canadian provinces and territories.
-
Practice driving tests for cars, motorcycles, and the Commercial Driver's License (CDL). Online access to the Washington Driver's Handbook.
-
Need to research a topic? Here’s an easy-to-use source for searching magazines, newspapers, journals and audio content.
-
Explore these searchable and printable genealogy resources, including local and family histories, research guides and the complete U.S. Federal Census, 1790-1940. Powered by Ancestry.
-
Explore LGBTQ history, culture, health, and political, social and legal issues in the United States and around the world. The searchable database includes approximately 1.5 million pages of information.
-
Doing a research project for school or work? Start with this vast archive of more than 90,000 reference and information resources that spans centuries.
-
Get online access to the Puget Sound Business Journal for local business news. The Book of Lists offers rankings and information about Seattle-area businesses. This resource is available only in Library locations.
-
Looking for someone? Search this database of more than 25 million U.S. and Canadian businesses and more than 267 million U.S. residents. Download up to 250 records at a time.
-
Provides detailed statistics that describe social and economic conditions in the United States.
-
Plan your next trip with Lonely Planet travel guides. Choose from 75 e-book titles from Lonely Planet, always available, no wait list.