- Academic OneFile | (Gale)
- A collection of journals covering the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature and more. Among its full-text coverage, it includes full-text of the New York Times back to 1985. Updated daily.FULL TEXT1980 - present
- Academic Search Complete | (Ebsco)
- A multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 7,100 full-text periodicals, including more than 6,100 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 11,200 journals and a total of more than 11,700 publications including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc.FULL TEXT1865 - present
- ALLDATA Online
- Accessible only in the Main Library
Printable full-text automotive diagnostic and repair information manuals. 1982 - present
- American Firms Operating in Foreign Countries | (Uniworld)
- Contains listings for American companies that have a substantial investment in overseas operations-wholly or partially owned subsidiary, affiliate or branch. Current
- American Song | (Alexander Street Press)
- American Song is a history database consisting of over 16,000 tracks users select and listen to over the Internet. You'll find songs by and about American Indians, miners, immigrants, slaves, children, pioneers, and cowboys.
- Ancestry Library Edition
- Accessible only in the Main Library and Branches
Resources for genealogical and historical research. Includes census, military, court, land, probate, vital and church records; directories; passenger lists, and more.FULL TEXTPre-1790 present
- Art Full Text | (Wilson)
- Articles covering a wide range of art subjects.FULL TEXT1929 - present
- Art Museum Image Gallery | (Wilson)
- Over 150,000 high quality fine and decorative art images from museums worldwide.3000 BC - present
- Biographical Information Guide
- How to find biographical information at SFPL.
- Biography in Context | (Gale)
- Full text biographies and articles on contemporary and historical figures worldwide.FULL TEXT1927 - present
- BookBrowse
- Discover new books based on your interests and previous favorite reads. Find reviews, author bios and interviews, subscribe to newsletters related to books and authors and get tips on starting your own book club. There are also direct links into the library’s catalog for holding information.
- BookFlix
- An online early literacy resource that combines storybooks with video. For pre-kindergartners to third graders.
- Booklist Online
- Published by the American Library Association, Booklist is a collection of over 120,000 book reviews and thousands of articles going back to 1992.
- Books in Print
- International publication information on books, ebooks, audiobooks, and video titles. Includes Spanish Books in Print.Current
- Business & Company Resource Center | (Gale)
- Business and Company Resource Center is a fully integrated resource bringing together company profiles, brand information, rankings, investment reports, company histories, chronologies and periodicals. Search this database to find detailed company and industry news and information.
- Business Source Complete | (EBSCO)
- Business Source Complete is the world's definitive scholarly business database, providing the leading collection of bibliographic and full text content. As part of the comprehensive coverage offered by this database, indexing and abstracts for the most important scholarly business journals back as far as 1886 are included. In addition, searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,300 journals.FULL TEXT1886 - current
- California Legal Forms | (Gale)
- Thousands of printable legal forms specific to California.
- Career Center | (Tutor.com)
- Chat live with a certified tutor who will assist you in reviewing your resume, job searching tips and interview preparation. There are also thousands of worksheets, tutorials and study guides on cover letters, resume writing, resume templates and samples. Current
- Career Transitions | (Gale)
- Step-by-step approach to help people: 1) explore new career possibilities; 2) assess their interests and experience; 3) identify ways to improve their prospects, including networking and education; 4) prepare for a job search (including a resume-building tool); and 5) search and apply for jobs.Current
- Chinese Magazines | (Qikan)
- 200 current, popular Chinese language magazines published in China. Available in either traditional or simplified characters.FULL TEXT1999 present
- Clase Periódica | (FirstSearch)
- Índice de revistas latinoamericanas sobre ciencia y humanidades. 1975 - present
- Classical Music Library | (Alexander Street Press)
- Listen, over the Internet, to tens of thousands of classical recordings, many of which have links to supplementary reference information. The collection ranges from Medieval to contemporary, from choral works to symphonies, operas, and the avant-garde.
- CollegeSource Online
- Full text college catalogs for 2-Year, 4-Year, and Graduate Schools.FULL TEXT1993 - present
- Consumer Health Complete | (Ebsco)
- Consumer-oriented heath information focusing on patient’s information needs on health-related topics. CHC provides content covering all areas of health and wellness from mainstream medicine to the many perspectives of complementary, holistic and integrated medicine. This full text database covers topics such as aging, cancer, diabetes, drugs & alcohol, fitness, nutrition & dietetics, children's health, men & women's health, etc.FULL TEXTCurrent
- Contemporary Womens Issues - CWI
- Womens studies literature from journals, newsletters, and reports.FULL TEXT1992 - present
- Contemporary World Music | (Alexander Street Press)
- Listen to world music recordings over the Internet. Contemporary World Music consists of over 12,000 individual recordings in genres like world dance, neo-traditional, world fusion, and many others.
- D&B Million Dollar Database
- Detailed industry information on approximately 1,600,000 U.S. and Canadian leading public and private businesses.Current
- Dissertations Abstracts | (FirstSearch)
- Index to dissertations and theses from institutions in North America and Europe.1861 - present
- Dorothy Starr Sheet Music Collection
- Index to over 10,000 popular songs from the San Francisco Public Library's Dorothy Starr Sheet Music Collection.
- Ebsco eBook Collection (formerly NetLibrary)
- Thousands of electronic books covering business, technology and other non-fiction subjects.FULL TEXT1955 - present
- EBSCOHost Magazines MasterFILE Premier
- Comprehensive database for finding articles on all topics; with the full text of more than 1,700 periodicals.FULL TEXT1975 present
- EBSCOHost Newspaper Source Plus
- Newspaper Source Plus includes 1,520 full-text newspapers, providing more than 28 million full-text articles. In addition, the database features more than 601,300 television and radio news transcripts, videos & podcasts.FULL TEXT1985 - current
- EBSCOHost Regional Business News
- Full text coverage of 75 business journals, newspapers and newswires covering U.S. metropolitan and rural areas.FULL TEXT1988 - present
- ECO (Electronic Collections Online) | (FirstSearch)
- Index to more than 3,000 scholarly journals in all subject areas.1995 present
- Encyclopædia Britannica Online
- Contains several Britannica encyclopedias including the entire Encyclopædia Britannica, Compton's, Britannica Elementary, and Britannica Concise.FULL TEXTCurrent
- ERIC | (FirstSearch)
- Index to journal articles and reports in education.
- Ethnic NewsWatch | (ProQuest)
- Full text articles in both English and Spanish of more than 250 newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press.FULL TEXT1960 present
- Fiction Connection & Non-Fiction Connection
- This readers' advisory inspired database is a helpful tool in discovering new books based on your favorite reads. Use your favorite titles, authors or other concepts as keywords to search similar fiction and non-fiction books.
- Foreign Firms Operating in the United States | (Uniworld)
- Foreign companies listed have a substantial investment in American operations-wholly or partially owned subsidiary, affiliate or branch.
- Gale Directory Library | (Gale)
- Associations Unlimited is now a part of the Gale Directory Library. In addition to the Encyclopedia of Associations publications, this database includes the National Directory of Nonprofit Organizations. Use it to search, sort and export information from current directory editions. Multiple directories can be cross-searched. Or users can mine individual directories for the specific data they contain, such as financial information for companies, circulation figures for publications, and much more.Current
- Gale Virtual Reference Library | (Gale)
- Database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.FULL TEXTCurrent
- Gale Virtual Reference Library Business Collection
- A collection of eBooks on the subject of business.FULL TEXT
- GenderWatch
- Full text periodicals and other publications on how gender impacts a broad spectrum of subject areas.FULL TEXT1970 - present
- GPO Monthly Catalog | (FirstSearch)
- Index to U.S. government publications.1976 - present
- GreenR | (Gale)
- Contains over 600 journals, interactive maps, podcasts, videos and more with a focus on sustainability and environmental issues.1981 – present
- Grolier Online | (Scholastic)
- Grolier Online is a collection of the full versions of many popular encyclopedia. This collection includes: Encyclopedia Americana, Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, The New Book of Knowledge, La Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre, America the Beautiful, Lands and Peoples, Amazing Animals and The New Book of Popular Science.FULL TEXT
- Health & Wellness Resource Center | (Gale)
- In-depth, authoritative health information from a variety of sources. FULL TEXT1980 - present
- HeritageQuest Online
- Resources for genealogical and historical research. Includes the U.S. Federal Census, the PERSI index, Freedmans bank records, local and family histories, and more.FULL TEXTPre-1790 - present
- History Resource Center: US | (Gale)
- U.S. history resources for undergraduate and high school research.FULL TEXT1983 - present
- History Resource Center: World | (Gale)
- World History resources for undergraduate and high school research.FULL TEXT1980 present
- Informe! | (Gale)
- Texto completo de revistas latinoamericanas. Búsqueda en español o inglés. FULL TEXT1999 - present
- InfoTrac Full Text Newspapers | (Gale)
- Full text articles from over 300 US and international newspapers.FULL TEXT1996 - present
- InfoTrac OneFile | (Gale)
- Comprehensive database for finding articles. Nearly 3,000 full text periodical titles and millions of full text articles, many with images.FULL TEXT1980 - present
- Jazz Music Library | (Alexander Street Press)
- Jazz Music Library is the largest and most comprehensive collection of streaming jazz available online — with thousands of jazz artists, ensembles, albums, and genres. This release includes 4,974 albums and 60,093 tracks, growing regularly.
- Job Search & Workplace Skills | (LearningExpressLibrary)
- Find online tutorials on business writing, job search and networking skills, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing and tips on how to succeed at work.Current
- Jobs & Careers | (LearningExpressLibrary)
- A collection of online test preparation materials for occupations requiring licensing, certification, aptitude tests and other career preparation.Current
- JSTOR
- Full text academic journals going back to 1838.FULL TEXT1838 - 3 years ago
- Kids InfoBits
- Full text articles and reference content for students in Kindergarten through Grade 5.FULL TEXT1986 - present
- Kompass
- Business to business directory of 1.6 million companies worldwide.Current
- La Nueva Enciclopedia CUMBRE
- Enciclopedia general para hispanohablantes y estudiantes de español. FULL TEXT
- Learning Express Library
- Online practice tests, based on the official exams for SAT, GED, GRE, GMAT, Civil Service jobs, ASVAB and many more.FULL TEXTCurrent
- LexisNexis Congressional
- Indexing, abstracting and selected full text of U.S. Congressional information.FULL TEXT1789 present
- LexisNexis Statistical
- Statistics issued by the U.S. government, plus selected statistical publications of private and state government sources.FULL TEXT1973 - present
- LGBT Life
- Full text and abstracts of articles from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender periodicals and monographs.FULL TEXT
- Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts With Full Text (LISTA)
- Index to more than 600 periodicals on library and information science topics. This database also contains full text for more than 240 journals.FULL TEXT1965 present
- Literature Criticism Online | (Gale)
- An extensive compilation of literary commentary that represents a wide range of modern and historical views on authors and their works across regions, eras & genres. The database consists of the complete back files & current volumes of 8 titles: Contemporary Literary Criticism, Twentieth Century Literary Criticism, Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism, Literature Criticism from 1400-1800, Shakespearean Literature Criticism, Poetry Criticism, Short Story Criticism, Drama Criticism.FULL TEXT
- Literature Resource Center | (Gale)
- Biographies, articles, criticism, overviews, glossary, and more on writers and literature.FULL TEXT
- Live Homework Help | (Tutor.com)
- Chat with a live tutor for help with your homework, every day from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Magill’s Medical Guide | (Salem Press)
- Based on Magill's Medical Guide, 4th Revised Edition, an up-to-date, easy-to-use medical information suitable for student research as well as general readers, including patients and caregivers. The online database covers diseases, disorders, treatments, procedures, specialties, anatomy, biology in an A-Z format, recent developments in medicine.
- Mango Languages
- Mango offers 34 different languages and 15 different ESL courses to choose from. Mango uses real-life situations and actual conversations to more effectively teach a new language.
- Mergent Online
- U.S. and international company financials, ratios, news, and annual reports.FULL TEXT1990 - present
- Morningstar
- Access Morningstar financial data on stocks, funds and industries. You will also find analyst reports, portfolio screenings and other tools for making investment decisions.FULL TEXTCurrent
- Music Online | (Alexander Street Press)
- Search all the Alexander Street Press music streaming databases in one place. The SFPL subscriptions include: American Song, Classical Music Library, Contemporary World Music, Jazz Music Library and Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries.
- New York Times Historical | (ProQuest)
- Complete full-text run of the New York Times, from Sep 18, 1851 to three years ago. (For current NY Times articles use Newspapers | (ProQuest).)FULL TEXT1851 - 3 years ago
- Newspapers | (ProQuest)
- Full text of more than 300 U.S. and international news sources.FULL TEXT1979-present
- NextReads
- Sign up to receive reading suggestions on a variety of topics in regularly e-mailed newsletters.
- NoveList
- Guide to suggested reading for all ages with reviews and other features.FULL TEXT
- NoveList K-8
- Novelist for children and teens. Includes resources for teachers and librarians.FULL TEXT
- Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center | (Gale)
- Find "pro" and "con" arguments on controversial social issues.FULL TEXT1983 - present
- OverDrive eAudiobooks, eBooks, Music & Video
- Thousands of titles to choose from in multiple formats (MP3, WMA, PDF, ePub, etc.) available for downloading onto your personal computer. Transfer audiobooks onto a wide range of portable audio players including the iPod and many other Apple devices. Please read the Quick Start Guide to learn about system and software requirements, searching, checking out and downloading titles. There is also a helpful FAQ page that answers many basic questions on this service.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- Over 55,000 biographies describing the lives of people who shaped the history of the British Isles and beyond.FULL TEXT
- Oxford English Dictionary
- Authoritative guide to English language meaning, history, usage, and pronunciation.FULL TEXT1000 - present
- Oxford Music Online
- Includes The Oxford Companion to Music (2002), which offers more than 8,000 articles on composers, performers, conductors, individual works, instruments and notation, forms and genres, and the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and Grove Dictionary of Opera online.FULL TEXTPublished 2001
- PapersFirst | (FirstSearch)
- Index to papers presented at conferences worldwide.1993 - present
- Periodical Finder (SerialsSolutions)
- Find out where to access full-text periodicals online through our database subscriptions or in print at the library.FULL TEXT
- PowerSpeak | (Gale)
- PowerSpeak offers 8 languages and two ESL course. PowerSpeak simulates gradual immersion through a series of stories, activities and interactive tools.
- PressDisplay | (Proquest)
- A collection of 650 newspapers from 76 countries in 38 languages, many providing same day publication with a 60 day back file. Searchable by country, title, and date. FULL TEXTCurrent
- ProceedingsFirst | (FirstSearch)
- Index to worldwide conference proceedings.1993 - present
- Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection | (Ebsco)
- Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection is a comprehensive database covering information concerning topics in emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational & experimental methods. This database offers full text coverage for nearly 400 journals.FULL TEXT1965 - current
- Psychology Collection | (Gale)
- This collection gives individuals a basic understanding of the study of the mind, emotions and how the human mind develops and diminishes over time. Researchers will have access to nearly 500 subject-appropriate full-text periodicals - many cited in the PsycINFO index.FULL TEXT1980 - current
- RAND California
- Detailed social & educational statistics for California.FULL TEXT1983 - present
- Readers Guide Retrospective | (Wilson)
- Index to the most popular, general-interest periodicals published in the United States from 1890 to 1982.1890 - 1982
- Reference USA Directory
- U.S. business and residential telephone directories, with detailed business information.Current
- Reference USA Residential Directory
- U.S. residential telephone directories.Current
- Rich's Business Directory
- Specialized directory of San Francisco Bay Area companies searchable by company name, description, location or industry. Includes unique search options by high tech and biotech industry subcategories.
- Russian / NIS Publications | (East View)
- Newspapers and periodicals from Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Baltic states. This unique collection provides readers access to a balanced range of prevalent opinions including government-owned news agencies and publications offering opposing views. It also contains Russia’s most respected literary, artistic, and society journals, offering a unique perspective into Russian culture today. Includes several English-language newspapers.FULL TEXT1980 present
- Safari Tech Books Online
- Over 1200 current electronic books covering a wide range of computer and information technology topics.FULL TEXTCurrent
- Salem History | (Salem Press)
- Contains the online versions of "Great Lives from History: Notorious Lives" and "Milestone Documents in American History." Search by keyword, or browse by subject.
- Salud en Español | (Ebsco)
- Proporciona informes empíricos y hojas informativas en español en temas sobre la salud y el bienestar del consumidor.FULL TEXTCurrent
- SAMS Photofact Repair Manuals
- Accessible only in the Main Library
Small consumer electronics, diagrams, instructions and data for the repair technician. Schematics for radios, TVs, stereos, and VCRs.1946 - present
- San Francisco Chronicle Historical | (ProQuest)
- Offers full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue. (For current SF Chronicle articles use: Newspapers | (ProQuest).)FULL TEXT1865-1922
- San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection
- More than 30,000 photographs of San Francisco and California scenes.1850 - present
- Sanborn Maps California
- Digital access to more than 660,000 large-scale maps.1867-1970
- School Wise Press Public School Information
- In-depth reports on every public elementary, middle and high school in San Francisco.FULL TEXTCurrent
- Science Online | (Facts on File)
- Presents a broad range of scientific disciplines through extensive definitions, essays, diagrams, biographies, and experiments. Current
- Skill-Building for Adults | (LearningExpressLibrary)
- Tests and courses for math, reasoning, reading, writing, and grammar. Also try the searchable eBooks (link on right side of home page) for over 150 career topics and study aids.Current
- Small Business Collection | (Gale)
- A collection of academic, general, professional and trade publications, this compilation provides insights, tips, strategies and success stories. Users will find over 280 subject-appropriate full-text periodicals. FULL TEXT1980 - 2010
- Small Business Resource Center | (Gale)
- Search this database to learn how to start, finance or manage your small business. Resources include sample business plans, how to guides, articles and websites. FULL TEXTCurrent
- Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries® | (Alexander Street Press)
- This streaming music database includes the published recordings owned by the non-profit Smithsonian Folkways Recordings label, the archival audio collections of the legendary Folkways Records and many other labels who record diverse musical forms.
- Social Studies Fact Cards: California Edition | (Toucan Valley Publications)
- The online version of the popular Fact Cards Series. Find current information on California Missions, California Native Americans, Governors, Counties, Ranchos and other California-specific topics.
- Something About the Author | (Gale)
- Offers biographies of over 12, 000 children’s authors and illustrators. Famous authors and those just starting their careers are included with excerpts of interviews, photographs and samples of their work. A great resource for author biographies and author instructional units.FULL TEXT1976 - present
- Student Resources in Context | (Gale)
- Curriculum-targeted resources include primary documents, biographies, topical essays, background information, critical analyses, magazines, newspapers, photographs and illustrations, and audio and video clips.FULL TEXT1980 - present
- Teen Health & Wellness | (Rosen Publishing)
- Information from experts on diseases, illnesses, disabilities, drugs, and alcohol plus additional information on mental health, friendship, dating, family life, grief, sexuality, and life skills for teens.FULL TEXTCurrent
- Ulrichs Web Periodicals Directory
- A bibliographic database providing detailed, comprehensive, and authoritative information on serials published throughout the world.
- Vocational and Career Collection | (Ebsco)
- Vocational & Career Collection is designed for vocational and technical libraries servicing high schools, community colleges, trade institutions and the general public. This collection provides full text coverage for nearly 340 trade and industry-related periodicals. In addition to the full text, indexing and abstracts are provided for over 600 journals.FULL TEXT1985 - present
- Vocations, Careers and Technical Education Collection | (Gale)
- Offering content from over 300 largely full-text journals, this collection provides content from general career guides to highly specialized industry journals.1980 - present
- World Almanac | (FirstSearch)
- Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia and four almanacs.FULL TEXT1998 - present
- WorldCat | (FirstSearch)
- A catalog of books, periodicals, online resources and other materials in libraries worldwide. Interface available in both English and Spanish.1000 BC - present
- Periodical Finder
- Cross Database Search
- Cool Back-to-School Tools for Educators
- Biographical Information Guide
Let us help you use our databases. Chat with SFPL or, when Chat is online, Text us at 415-871-4294.
JavaScript disabled or chat unavailable.
