Our libraries subscribe to a number of online information resources including dictionaries, encyclopedias, newspapers, British Standards and business information.

To access a world of information all you need is your 8-digit borrower number on your library card. (If you are using a smart card, please enter the 8-digit number written on the reverse of the card).

If you are not already a member of the library you will need to join to use these resources. Joining the library is easy and doesn't cost you a penny – please see the Join the library page.

If you would like help with accessing any of these resources our Ask Bolton Libraries service can help.

Please note that some of our resources are only available to use on a library computer.

Access to Research

The Access to Research service is a new initiative to give free, walk-in access to a wide range of academic articles and research in public libraries across the UK.

*Access available via Bolton library computers only.

Ancestry Library Edition

Search an extensive database of records to help you in your family tree research.

*Access available via Bolton library computers only.

British Newspaper Archive

The British Library's newspaper collections are among the finest in the world, containing most of the runs of newspapers published in the UK since 1800. Search for articles, family notices, letters, obituaries and advertisements from 356 titles.

*Access available via Bolton library computers only.

British Standards Online

British Standards Online is the most comprehensive and authoritative source for publications from the British Standards Institution. It covers all current, historic, and draft British Standards and more than 16,000 BSI adopted European and international standards. The full texts of all current British Standards can be viewed online. It is possible to search by name, subject and number. British Standards Online also includes technical handbooks, codes of practice and guidelines. Everything is updated on a daily basis. Printing of standards can only be done by a member of staff at a library. Please note that the British Standards Institution allows the printing of only five per cent of any British Standard from this database.

*Access available via Bolton library computers only.

COBRA

COBRA is a continually expanding business encyclopedia covering all aspects of starting and running a business. From writing a business plan to expanding an existing business, COBRA contains around 4000 factsheets, market reports, contacts, and sources of funding and support to help entrepreneurs and their advisers.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Britannica contains over 120,000 articles, a world atlas, thousands of images and videos, an online dictionary and thesaurus, over 300,000 articles from respected magazines and journals, news headlines, a guide to the Web's best sites and much more.

FAME business database

Fame contains comprehensive information on companies in the UK and Ireland. You can use it to research individual companies, search for companies with specific profiles and for analysis.

There is a charge for the production of business lists using FAME, please see our Library Charges for details.

*Access available via Bolton Library computers only

Find My Past

Trace your family tree and build a family tree by researching extensive birth records, census data, obituaries and more with Find My Past.

*Access available via Bolton library computers only.

Issues Online

Issues Online covers topics such as crime and justice; drugs and alcohol; health; human rights and citizenship. Every topic has news articles, key facts and statistics, opinions from people involved in the subject and suggestions for topic work and assignments.

Newsbank UK & Ireland

NewsBank provides access to 351 newspaper and journal titles from across the U.K. and Ireland. It includes national, regional and local publications with archives going back as far as 1982 for some titles.

To log in put '16p' at the beginning of your 8-digit library card number.

Oxford Art Online

The most comprehensive online reference resource for all aspects of the visual arts worldwide from prehistory to the present day. Illustrated with over 5,000 images, Oxford Art Online lets you see the works of art, as well as read about the people and processes involved in creating them.

To log in put 'bol' at the beginning of your 8-digit library card number.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

Contains over 56,000 biographies of anyone who was anyone in British history, from the Romans to 21st Century. Covers people from all walks of life from film stars to physicists, landed gentry to local heroes, and missionaries to millionaires.

To log in put 'bol' at the beginning of your 8-digit library card number.

Oxford Dictionaries Pro

Is it a dictionary? Is it a Thesaurus? It’s all that and more! Oxford Dictionaries Pro is a comprehensive resource which can help you with anything from word pronunciation to using words in the right context. Whether you are a student or a writer, you’ll find something useful in this resource.

To log in put 'bol' at the beginning of your 8-digit library card number.

Oxford English Dictionary

Illustrates how a word is used and how the meaning of a word has changed over time by quoting from source material – from film scripts to wills, classic literature to blogs. Excellent for tracing how a word first entered the language and how it has evolved.

To log in put 'bol' at the beginning of your 8-digit library card number.

Oxford Music Online

From Mozart to Madonna, punk rock to polka, panpipes to bagpipes, Oxford Music Online is a wealth of information about anything and everyone related to the world of music. Our subscription includes access to Grove Music Online, The Oxford Dictionary of Music and the Oxford Companion to Music

To log in put 'bol' at the beginning of your 8-digit library card number.

Oxford Reference Online

A vast collection of subject dictionaries and reference books offering over 1 million facts and definitions. Oxford reference online also contains bilingual dictionaries and a range of English dictionaries and thesauri.

To log in put 'bol' at the beginning of your 8-digit library card number.

Universal Skills

An online step-by-step guide to Job Skills, Find a Job and Universal Credit. Plus a full introduction to basic computer skills - including tablets and mobiles. Visit the Universal Skills site to learn more.

Which? Online

Instant access to 1000s of independent reviews and recommendations online.

*Access available via Bolton central library computers only.
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