Anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Massachusetts has access to a wide range of free, high-quality digital resources through the Boston Public Library (BPL), many of which can serve as alternatives to those no longer available through statewide systems.
This information was compiled to guide staff from other libraries and institutions as they promote BPL eCard and online resources.
To learn about select online resources for high school students read this recent blog post, "5 Best BPL Online Resources for High School Students," by one of our librarians.
Academic & Career Support
LearningExpress Library: Offers AP, SAT, and ACT practice exams, skill-building tutorials, the Job & Career Accelerator for job search and career planning, and the Computer Skills Center for learning essential tech tools and software.
Vault Career Guides: Explore detailed career information and industry insights across a wide variety of fields.
Local & Family History
My Heritage Library Edition: A rich genealogy database featuring billions of historical documents, photos, newspapers, and records from around the world.
My China Roots: Trace the Chinese diaspora through international records and resources, including clan books, immigration files, directories, cemetery records, and more—searchable in both English and Chinese.
Language Learning
Mango Languages: An interactive language-learning resource supporting over 70 languages, including Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), English, Hindi, and Spanish.
Find additional language-learning eBooks and eAudiobooks through the BPL’s Libby/Overdrive collection.
Legal & Government Forms
LawDepot: LawDepot allows you to create your own personalized legal documents specific to your state/province and personal situation. LawDepot is now available through OverDrive. Log in using the Libby app or website.
Mass.gov - Court Forms (Available without a library card): Official state forms curated by the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries. Visit mass.gov/guides/court-forms-by-topic.
Literature
Gale Literature Criticism: This resource compiles content from ten major series and covers literature from classical antiquity through the present day. It’s an excellent tool for exploring major works, authors, and literary movements across time.
Multi-disciplinary Research & Reference Resources
Credo Reference: An excellent starting point for research—think of it as a vetted Wikipedia. It compiles content from hundreds of reference works and offers mind maps and cross-database linking for expanded exploration.
JSTOR: A deep archive of academic journal articles—ideal for college-level research. Great for advanced high school projects too.
Very Short Introductions (Oxford University Press): Concise, expert-written guides to a wide range of topics, from Climate Change to Game Theory and Islamic History to Literary Theory.
Current Newspapers
AP Newsroom: Search 4.6 million items from the Associated Press, including photographs (1826–present), graphics, audio (1920–present), and articles (1997–present.) This is a powerful tool for media and historical research.
Daily Online Newspaper Access: Get current, full-text access to the Boston Globe, New York Times, Boston Herald, and Wall Street Journal. Visit bpl.org/resources-types/newspapers for access instructions.
PressReader: Color full-page and article reproductions access to today's New York Times, Boston Globe, and hundreds of newspapers from across the U.S. and the globe.
Historic Newspapers
Historic Boston Globe (1872-1993): Searchable full-page and article reproductions of the Boston Globe back to the first issue on March 4, 1872.
Historic New York Times (1851-2021): Searchable full-page and article reproductions of the New York Times back to the first issue on Sept 18, 1851.
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