Online Resources
NOTE: Beginning July 1, 2025, Massachusetts residents will experience significant reductions in access to statewide research databases due to the elimination of federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), following Executive Order 14238. While the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) and the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) are striving to preserve key services, including support for eBooks and the Commonwealth Catalog, many valuable resources will no longer be available.
Learn more at: MBLC Maintains some Databases, Support for eBooks, and ComCat - MBLC
Your Library, Online
Your Boston Public Library card gets you free access to hundreds of online platforms, apps, and databases. If you don't already have a card, register for an eCard online to gain access to these resources.
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Browse Most Popular
Books
Start reading with the platforms below or visit our Books page for book recommendations, author events, and more.
Libby
hoopla
ComicsPlus
Newspapers & Magazines
Boston Globe
The New York Times
Wall Street Journal
PressReader
Flipster
Movies & TV
Kanopy
biblio+
hoopla
Skills & Hobbies
Mango Languages
CreativeBug
Headspace
LinkedIn Learning
Job & Career Resources
Explore these platforms or visit our Job & Career Success page for more job and career resources, events, and guidance from our library staff.
LinkedIn Learning
O'Reilly Learning
Google Career Certificates
SkillMill
Vault Career Guides
Learning Express Library
Family & Local History
Get started with these research platforms or visit our Genealogy and Local History pages for more resources and guidance from BPL research librarians.
MyHeritage
Ancestry
Digital Commonwealth
Atlascope
My China Roots
Get started with these education platforms or visit our Kids pages for more resources and guidance from BPL research librarians. Find a list of online Education resources including PreK-12 Education Resources and Teacher Resources.
LOTE4Kids
MakeMake
PebbleGo
Little Pim
ComicsPlus: Children's
Business
Our Kirstein Business Library & Innovation Center (KBLIC) offers comprehensive business tools and services. Start using our most popular business platforms here or visit the KBLIC webpage to learn more.
Morningstar
Value Line
AtoZdatabases
Mergent Intellect
Fastcase
Research
Boston Public Library is a premier public research institution. Visit our Research page for a comprehensive overview of our collections, resources, and services, or get started with the tools below.
JSTOR
Gale Academic OneFile
Newspaper Archive
Credo Reference
Digital Commonwealth
CQ Researcher
FAQs
Using Online Resources
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The Boston Public Library offers many excellent alternatives for research, language learning, workforce development, and more. Whether you're a student, educator, job seeker, or lifelong learner, there are still plenty of valuable resources available to you.
Explore some of our top recommendations:
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You can read the current edition of the Boston Globe for free with your BPL library card through the following platforms:
- PressReader – Access a full digital replica of the daily paper.
- Boston Globe Online (current edition) – Read articles from the current Boston Globe in a searchable, text-friendly format.
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As of July 1, 2025, many statewide research databases are no longer available due to a major reduction in federal funding. This change stems from Executive Order 14238, signed on March 14, 2025, which eliminates the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — the primary federal funder of library services nationwide.
To learn more about the impact of this executive order, visit: libraries.state.ma.us/federal-funding-at-risk
Looking for alternatives?
The Boston Public Library continues to offer a wide range of databases that cover many of the same subjects. Explore Additional Research Resources in this blog post.
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Each month BPL patrons receive 18 tickets. These tickets reset each month and do not roll over to the next month.
Depending on the length and viewing period of each title, movies in Kanopy will require between 0-5 tickets per viewing.
You can see your remaining tickets for the month in the top-right corner of the homepage.
Note: Kanopy Kids doesn't use tickets. You can access an unlimited number of Kanopy Kids titles each month.
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biblio+ is a new streaming service with a highly-curated selection of groundbreaking films and captivating television, from award-winners and nominees to independent discoveries, thoughtful documentaries, and everything in between. With biblio+, library members have unlimited access to this exciting, ad-free catalog of video content on many devices! All you need to get started is a library card.
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The OverDrive app was discontinued on May 1, 2023. This was our vendor OverDrive's decision, not the Boston Public Library's decision.
We encourage you to make the switch to OverDrive's Libby app, opens a new window.
Here is OverDrive's Libby Help guide for OverDrive app users, opens a new window.
Access to our OverDrive site, opens a new window will remain available.
eCards
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Register for an eCard, opens a new window if you meet any of the following criteria:
- Your primary residence is in Massachusetts.
- You are living in Massachusetts for most of the year while attending school in-state.
- You work for a Massachusetts employer. Learn more.
- You own property (real estate) in Massachusetts. Learn more.
Other Restrictions
If you are a short-term resident staying in Massachusetts you are not eligible for an eCard. However, you can visit any of our locations and apply for a research card in-person at the Central Library in Copley Square.If you have any other card with the BPL, you are not eligible for an eCard (and don’t need one!)
If you have any questions about eligibility, please email ask@bpl.org
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An eCard is a Boston Public Library card that you can sign up for online, opens a new window and which provides access to all online resources, including OverDrive and Hoopla.
eCards are available to anyone who lives, resides part-time to attend school, owns property, or works in Massachusetts.
eCards do not allow you to check out physical items such as museum passes, CDs, DVDs, and physical books. To check out physical items, you need a physical card.
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No. Your physical library card provides all the benefits of eCards plus access to the physical collection, including museum passes.
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Requesting and borrowing physical materials, including museum passes, requires a physical card. eCards can be upgraded to physical cards at any BPL location.
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Our mission is to serve residents of Massachusetts, but we recognize that people who own a residence in the state pay real estate taxes here. If your name is listed on the deed of a residence in Massachusetts, either as an owner or a current trustee of a residence held in trust, you likely qualify for this exception.
If the residence you have in mind doesn't list you on the deed, but is owned by other family members, you likely do not qualify.
Timeshare ownership does not qualify an individual for the property owner exception to residency.
If you're still unsure whether you qualify as a property owner, email us at websupport@bpl.org.
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Our mission is to serve residents of Massachusetts, but we recognize that people who live in neighboring states may pay Massachusetts income tax because they work for an employer in Massachusetts. You are eligible for an eCard if:
- Your primary place of work is physically in Massachusetts, OR
- You work remotely for a Massachusetts-based employer AND are required to be physically present in Massachusetts for work on some days during the year (sometimes called "duty days")
Remote workers who never physically work in Massachusetts are not eligible for an eCard.
If you're still unsure whether you qualify, email us at websupport@bpl.org.
Get a Boston Public Library Card Today
Your library card is your passport to technology, literacy, fluency, community, and so much more.
BPL Resources Infographic
For use by other libraries and institutions to promote the BPL's eCards and online resources: