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Online Resources

Requires Plainfield Library card to access remotely.

Check Illinois

Find contact information, criminal arrest records, information on properties, and more for these Illinois counties: Champaign, Cook, DeKalb, Dupage, Kankakee, Kane, Kendall, Lake, Madison, McLean, Mchenry, Peoria, Rock Island, St. Clair, Tazewell, Will and Winnebago.

Legal, Reference

Consumers’ Checkbook

Provides unbiased reviews, undercover price research, and advice on local businesses and healthcare professionals.  Available in Library only (no remote access).  See Adult Services desk for access.

Consumers

Driving Tests

Practice tests, resources and FAQs to help obtain or renew your driver’s license. Does not require a library card to use.

Reference

Explora

Explora provides research collections on thousands of topics to help you find the information you need quickly and easily. Search hundreds of professional journals, popular magazines, reference books, images, primary sources, and more by keyword or by topic.

Reference

FamilySearch

Access to billions of digitized records, including millions of images that are only available to Affiliate Libraries and FamilySearch Family History Centers (Affiliate Library digital images are only available in the Library).

Genealogy

HelpNow!

A live tutoring service for students of all ages. Tutors are available Monday — Sunday 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM CST.
(iOS / Android)

Homework

Herald News Collection

Explore Joliet area history through local news, events and people with the Herald News Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online.

Newspapers

HeritageQuest

For genealogy research including U.S. Federal census records, PERSI Archive, local and family history books and more.

Genealogy

JobNow

Features expert resume assistance, live interview preparation and career coaching. Coaches are available Sunday — Saturday, 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM CST except holidays. 

Jobs & Careers

LOTE Online for Kids

An online database of digital picture books in World Languages; provides over 1350+ book titles in 45+ World Languages, together with English translations, and new digital books and languages released every month.

Learning & Tutorials

MasterFILE Premier

Provides full text for magazines, reference books and primary source documents and an image collection containing photos, maps and flags.

Homework

New York Times

In-Library access | Unlimited access to News, Cooking, and Wirecutter while onsite at the Library. 

  • Visit the New York Times website.
  • Log into or create a free account.

Remote access | For offsite access to News, Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, and The Athletic:

  • Log into your Library Account.
  • Go to My Account, then My Record.
  • Click the link that says New York Times access code.
  • Click Redeem and log into or create a free New York Times account to redeem a 24-hour access code.

Newspapers

PressBooks via Inkie.org

Edit, format, and generate print-ready and eBook formats for your book through the Inkie. org site which also includes eBooks from local, self-published authors.

Writers

Proquest

Search, find and preview more than 900 million documents without authentication and retrieve Open Access full-text content curated by ProQuest.

Homework, Reference

SELF-e/Indie Author Project

Submit your book through Self-e so it can be shared with patrons of participating libraries across your region. If your book is selected by Inkie.org’s curation partners, it will also be available alongside other great indie reads in participating libraries across the U.S. and Canada.

Writers

World Book

Includes World Book Kids, World Book Student, and World Book Advanced. These resources contain full-text articles as well as fun games and activities to enhance the learning experience.

Homework, Reference

Accessibility Toolbar