Reference Tools

Almanacs

Old Farmer's Almanac
Online version of the book.

World Fact Book
Produced by the CIA, Fact Books for most countries of the world are produced annually. They provide a good overview, including maps, of the countries in the world.


Biographical Sources 

Biography Reference Bank
Biographical information on approximately half a million people, from antiquity to the present. This is an OhioLINK resource (must be current student/faculty/staff; login required)

Biography.com
The site of the TV channel. Offers several brief biographies.


Careers

Hocking College Career Services at collegecentral.com
Alumni, students approaching graduation or those seeking seasonal, part-time, or internship positions may register, post their resumes, and view full-time jobs, part-time jobs, seasonal positions and internships.

Occupational Outlook Handbook
Provides basic information about many professions, including training and education, earnings, expected job prospects, working conditions, and job duties. From the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

Ohio Means Jobs


Dictionaries and Thesauri

Abbreviations.com
"The Web's Largest Acronyms & Abbreviations Resource"

Botanary
A list of plant genus and species names and their meanings.

Idiom Dictionary
Provides explanations for over 5,000 different idioms, and suggests related terms.

Medical Abbreviations
"Over 200,000 medical, biotech, pharma and healthcare acronyms abbreviations."

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
The MW Dictionary Online.

Onelook Dictionaries
Searches many online dictionaries in one search.

Oxford English Dictionary
This is an OhioLINK resource (must be current student/faculty/staff; login required)

Roget's Thesaurus
Contains a variety of synonyms for all parts of speech.

Terms of Environment
Provides definitions for commonly-used environmental terms.

Webopedia
Find definitions for computer and Internet terms.


Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia Mythica
An encyclopedia of mythology, folklore, and legend.

World Book Advanced
This is an OhioLINK resource (must be current student/faculty/staff; login required)


Government Information and National Issues

50states.com
Provides links to basic information about each state.

Congressional Pictorial Directory
Find photos of our legislators.

Find your U.S. House Representative
Search by zip code.

Ohio Development Services Agency
"Promotes economic opportunities to improve the profits and prosperity of Ohio's citizens."

Ohio General Assembly
Find information about Bills and Resolutions, Representatives and Senators (searchable by zip code).

Ohio Revised Code and Administrative Code
(does not provide annotations).

Ohio.gov
The web page for the wonderful State of Ohio.

United States Senate Directory
Find contact information for all United States Senators.

USA.gov
Search here for information from the US government, plus US state and local governments.


Maps

Athens County Plat Maps
From the Athens County GIS Website.

Global Conservation Maps
"Over 80 global maps describing the state of terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats."

Google Maps
Provides maps and driving directions.

Mapquest
Provides maps and driving directions.

National Map
A collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the Nation.

OHGO
Provides Ohio travelers with up-to-date information on road conditions, traffic, construction, and other activity affecting roadways managed by The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection
A large collection of online maps, including maps of current interest and historical maps.

TopoView
Search the historical USGS topographic map collection.

Interactive US Map

 


Online Tutorials and Practice Tests 

net.TUTOR
This site offers interactive tutorials on basic tools and techniques for becoming an effective Internet researcher. Includes Web basics (how to use e-mail and Web browsers), and how to evaluate Web sites.

Test Prep Review
Free, online practice tests, including the GED, ASVAB, and NCLEX.

Varsity Tutors Free Practice Tests
A comprehensive suite of completely free practice tests, flashcards, and questions of the day for standardized tests and academic subjects of all levels.

Workforce Skills for 21st Century Success
To access test review modules, select "Prepare for Job & Career Tests" from the main menu. Many different practice tests are available here. Registration is required; you must register from an Ohio public library, school, or college campus before first use.


Phone Directories 

AnyWho
Find phone numbers, addresses, maps & directions for businesses and people in the U.S.

gethuman
Use this site to find phone numbers and instructions to bypass many companies' automated menus.


Quotations

Familiar Quotations
Searchable web version of the 10th edition of Bartlett's classic work, which is a collection of passages, phrases, and proverbs traced to their sources.

Giga Quotes
"Extensive collection of 100,000+ ancient and modern quotations, aphorisms, maxims, proverbs, sayings, truisms, mottos, book excerpts, poems, etc."


Scholarships and Financial Aid

FAFSA on the Web
"Free Application for Federal Student Aid."

Fastweb
This site allows you to search for scholarships.

Federal Student Aid Publications List
"Publications, fact sheets, online tools, and other resources to help you prepare and pay for college or career school."

FinAid
A "comprehensive annotated collection of information about student financial aid on the Web." An excellent starting point.

International Education Financial Aid
A resource for financial aid information for international students wishing to study in a foreign country.

Minority Scholarships (accreditedschoolsonline.org)
Provides information about scholarships, grants and other financial aid available to minority students.


Statistics

National Center for Health Statistics
Presents statistics on recent trends in health care.

Ohio County Profiles
Demographic information for each county.

Population Reference Bureau
"The Population Reference Bureau informs people around the world about population, health, and the environment, and empowers them to use that information to advance the well-being of current and future generations."

State Health Facts Online
This site contains state-level data on demographics, health and health policy. From the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Statistical Abstract of the United States (1900-2012)
The full text of this reference resource.

Statistical Abstract of the United States (current ed.)
"The authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States." This is an OhioLINK resource (must be current student/faculty/staff; login required)

U.S. Census Bureau
Resources include population quick facts, maps, business information, news, and information on special topics.

U.S. Economy at a Glance
Presents key national and state economic statistics, such as unemployment, consumer price index, and average hourly wage.

WHO Statistical Information System
"An interactive database bringing together core health statistics for the 193 WHO Member States."


Writing & Plagiarism Help

Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)
A very high-quality site for writing resources, including citation help.


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