Online Resources
MELSA purchases the following databases for our member libraries. Each library system will have additional informational databases purchased with other state and local funds. Please check your local library’s website to see a listing of all databases available for your use.
Contact your local library for information on how to access these resources.
ALLDATA (in library access only)
Automotive repair information for US and most imported cars and trucks.
Ancestry Library Edition (in library access only)
From ProQuest, this comprehensive online source of information for conducting genealogical and local history research includes the digitized images of the U.S. Federal Census from 1790 to 1930, the American Genealogical Biographical Index, extensive indexed passenger lists, and much more.
Biography Resource Center + Complete Marquis Who's Who (available off site)
The Biography Resource Center is a comprehensive database of biographical information on more than one million people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas. It combines approximately 250,000 biographies from respected Gale Group sources with nearly one million biographies from The Complete Marquis Who's Who®. The database also includes full-text articles from nearly 250 periodicals. Search for people based on one or more personal facts such as birth and death years and places, nationality, ethnicity, occupation or gender, or combine criteria to create a highly-targeted custom search path.
Business & Company Resource Center (available off site) Business, company, and industry information including news articles, profiles, rankings, histories, reports, and industry overviews.
Health & Wellness Resource Center (available off site) A new expanded version of Health Reference Center, this includes up-to-date health reference material as well as full-text magazines, journals and pamphlets from a wide variety of authoritative medical sources. (1980 - present)
Historical New York Times (available off site) From ProQuest, the Historical New York Times offers full-text and full-image articles from 1851 – 2005. Every issue of each title includes the complete paper-cover to cover, with full-page and article images in downloadable PDF format. Search 21 different article types to find what you are looking for including news, editorials, letters to the Editor, obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, stock photos and advertisements.
Literature Resource Center (available off site)
Literature reference database that combines biographical, bibliographical, and contextual information to deliver a resource package on authors and their works (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, history, and journalism). It includes information from the following works: Contemporary Authors, Dictionary of Literary Biography, Contemporary Literary Criticism, Classical and Medieval Literature, Criticism, Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Shakespeare Criticism, Drama Criticism, Poetry Criticism, Short Story Criticism, and Literature Criticism 1400-1800
Minnesota Newspapers (in-library access only)
Provides full-text content of local and regional news from the Duluth News-Tribune (1995-present), St. Cloud Times (1999-present), St. Paul Pioneer Press (1988-present), and Star Tribune (1986-present).
NoveList Plus (available off site)
NoveList Plus contains detailed information on more than for more than 200,000 adult, young adult and kid's fiction and nonfiction titles including over 9000 popular series. Additional features include Author Read-alikes, Book Discussion Guides, BookTalks and Recommended Reads. Readers, book clubs and writers will find this product very useful.
NoveList K-8 Plus (available off site)
NoveList K-8 Plus is the leading electronic reading resource for fiction and nonfiction. With NoveList K-8 Plus, you will be able to more effectively integrate the world of reading in your school's curriculum.
ReferenceUSA (available off site)
Database containing directory information for US public and private companies and now includes the Canadian Businesses database.. Companies may be searched by size, location, type of business, etc. A typical entry includes the company address, phone number, annual sales, number of employees, chief executive, and line of business. Maps can be generated showing individual company locations. Also includes the Residential databse which contains information on 135 million U.S. residents compiled from more than 3,900 White Page telephone directories.
Standard & Poors NetAdvantage (available off site)
Standard & Poor's Net Advantage combines eleven of popular investor information products on a single easy-to-use platform.