ProQuest SIRS DiscovererSpecifically designed for middle school learners, researchers, and educators, ProQuest SIRS Discoverer includes articles and information on subjects including history, health, language arts, math, science, social studies, and technology. A built-in citation generator will help you cite your sources for papers and classwork.
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ProQuest eLibraryThis user-friendly reference tool for middle grade students boasts one of the largest collections of periodicals and digital media content for young researchers on a variety of subjects including language arts, history, math, science, social studies, political science, art, sports, health, & the performing arts. A built-in citation generator will help you cite your sources for papers and classwork.
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Writing a report on the pros or cons of a particular issue? ProQuest has you covered with this database of pro/con articles that provides up-to-date information to help middle grade researchers examine a topic from all angles. A built-in citation generator will help you cite your sources for papers and classwork.
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A age-appropriate and up-to-date information resource for Middle and High School. Discover encyclopedia articles, multimedia, primary sources, games, and other learning resources that support student research and reinforce curriculum standards. Easily switch between reading levels to help students of any age with their research needs. Access generously provided by the CA State Library.
World Book Online is an engaging, verified, and trustworthy digital encyclopedia for middle school through high school students.
Gale Primary Sources: Archives UnboundDiscover rare monographs, manuscripts, historical newspapers, and more primary source documents with these topically focused digital collections. Supports academic research for high school & college students.
Gale eBooksExplore this database of encyclopedias and reference sources within the Gale eBooks platform for fully digital reference books that don’t require checkout and are available 24/7. Supports multidisciplinary academic research for high school & college students.
Brainfuse HelpNow Interact with live tutors, receive real-time help with specific subjects, submit essays and other forms of writing for constructive feedback, and submit homework questions for expert guidance. Also access foreign language learning resources, practice worksheets, online flashcards, and much more. Brainfuse is HBPL's most comprehensive homework assistance resource.
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Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace. Here, you can tackle math, science, computing, history, art history, economics, and more. Khan Academy focuses on skill mastery to help learners establish strong foundations.
Accelerated Reader BookfinderSearch for books with AR Quizzes using this helpful website, then visit our online library catalog to see which books we have available for checkout at HBPL.
Explore the most extensive compilation of literary commentary available in an easy-to-use 24/7 online format that matches the exact look and feel of the print originals. Includes analysis from book excerpts, periodicals, and more.
Gale Literature Resource CenterFind up-to-date biographies, overviews, full-text criticisms, audio interviews, and reviews on writers from all eras.
Gale Literary IndexSearch this digital master index to find coverage of authors and works in over 130 literature products published by Gale. The referenced products themselves will contain complete biographies on authors and critical essays on their writings.
Vocabulary.comVocabulary.com combines the world's smartest dictionary with an adaptive learning game that will have you mastering new words in no time, whether you’re studying to ace tomorrow’s quiz, prepping for the SAT, or looking to speak and write more eloquently.
ProQuest CultureGrams
Explore the world with cultural information on more than 200 countries, research the United States, or experience daily life around the world in this collection of cultural resources for grades 6 - 12. A built-in citation generator will help you cite your sources for papers and classwork.
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Smithsonian Learning LabThe Smithsonian Learning Lab was created to inspire the discovery and creative use of this famous m useum's digital materials—more than a million images, recordings, and texts. It is easy to find something of interest because search results display pictures rather than lists. Students can add their own notes and tags, ask discussion questions, save their collections, and share with others. You can also look through other collections of images and objects from students, teachers, and museum staff.
Kendall Hunt Family Math Refresher VideosPublishing company Kendall Hunt has created a video series covering common math skills like adding and subtracting fractions, ratios, exponents, percentages, and more. Videos walk you through how to use these math skills step-by-step, giving students the skills and understanding to solve these common math problems themselves or giving parents the background knowledge to assist with more complex problems.
PBS NOVA LabsNOVA Labs is a new digital platform for teens where "citizen scientists" can actively participate in the scientific process. From predicting solar storms and designing renewable energy systems to tracking cloud movements and learning cybersecurity strategies, NOVA Labs participants can take part in real-world investigations by visualizing, analyzing, and sharing the same data that scientists use.
NOVA Science StudioThe NOVA Science Studio is another program from PBS that aims to empower youth — especially those that are underrepresented in STEM — to tell engaging science communication stories about the issues that matter to them. For more content, check out NOVA Next for articles on topics on the cutting edge of scientific discovery, NOVA Wonders for an awesome documentary series, or visit the NOVA YouTube channel.
National Geographic Resource LibraryAccess scientific encyclopedia entries, articles, activities, multimedia, and more. Plus, you can narrow your search by subject, grade level, and the type of resources you want to find, as well as search for specific science topics. From the National Geographic website, you can also access Learn Anywhere Resources on a variety of topics and for a wide range of grade levels.
Search the database of the CA Academy of Sciences to find lesson plans, videos & films, live online programs, and resource collections on a variety of science-based topics. Narrow your search results by grade level, language, subject, and type to help make your homework search that much easier.
What are research databases?
Research databases are electronic resources that contain an organized body of related information from a wide range of well-known, authoritative sources. Although they are distributed via the Web, traditional search engines such as Google or Yahoo cannot easily retrieve the content (magazine and newspaper articles, reference books, television and radio broadcast transcripts, maps, photographs, pamphlets, etc.) in these resources. The scope of coverage varies—some databases such as EbscoHost are very broad, others such as Heritage Quest are more specialized.
What is the difference between using a database and doing a search on Google?
The information in databases has been reviewed and edited and comes from reliable, authoritative sources. Google returns results from public websites. Although there is an enormous volume of information on the Web, no oversight exists to guarantee the information retrieved is accurate, objective, and current.
Is there any charge for using them?
No. The Library has purchased subscriptions to these databases, so they can be provided free of charge to our patrons. Anyone can use them for free in the library and Library cardholders can also access the majority of the databases from home.
Why can't I log in? / What does this error message mean?
If the error message is about your Library card number or PIN, call Circulation Services at 714-842-4481. If your card number and PIN are accepted, but the database asks you for another username and password, use the tabs above to check your settings for your firewall or pop-up blocker.
Access HBPL Databases from Home
Even if you aren't at the library you can take advantage of the great information that our databases provide. Logging on is simple.
1. Go to our Your Library @ Home guide or choose "Research Databases" under "Books, Computers, Research" from the side menu on our homepage (www.hbpl.org).
2. Select the "Login from Home" link or click the image below.
3. Enter your library card number and PIN (last four digits of your phone number) into the boxes and click "Login".
4. Choose your database from the list of options on the left side of your screen. The database will open up in a new window and you can use it as you normally would within the library.
Not all of our databases are listed in the "Login from Home" menu because many of them request your library card number for access even if you are using them within the library. To save an extra step, all databases that require home authentication will have a 
icon next to them. The icon also links to the "Login from Home" menu.
If you have any questions, contact the library at (714) 842-4481.
Pop-up Blockers
Our remote database site uses pop-up windows, and if you are using utility software that blocks such windows, these functions will not work. Please temporarily disable such software while accessing our databases.
To turn off Internet Explorer pop-up blocker:
Click on Tools, Pop-Up Blocker, Turn Off pop-up blocker
If you don't want to turn off Internet Explorer's pop-up blocker, you may try adding website exceptions to pop-up blocker:
*.heritagequestonline.com
*.umi.com
persi.heritagequestonline.com
rpa.hbpl.org
rpa.hbpl.org/rpa/webauth.exe
rpa.hbpl.org/rpa/default/newlinks.htm
Click on Tools, Pop-Up Blocker, Pop-up blocker settings, type in the list of sites above and click Add after each one.
If turning off your pop-up blocker doesn't work, try adding the list of sites to your trusted sites in Internet Explorer.
Click on Tools, Internet Options, Security Tab, Trusted Sites icon (green checkmark circle 3rd one across)
Click on Sites.. button and type in the list of sites above and click Add button after each one.
Uncheck the box that says "Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone.
If turning off the pop-up blocker and adding the trusted sites doesn't work you should try adding the list of above sites to the firewall exceptions or turn off/disable your firewall while accessing the databases.
Firewalls
Some Firewall settings can secure your computer so well that certain features of our databases will not work. If you experience problems, try configuring your firewall to allow you to verify blocking manually, then permit access from our web site as you access these features.
Other programs that may cause the message of authentication failed for Heritage Quest would be Zone Alarm Firewall, Google Web Accelerator, and other Firewall programs. Temporarily exit out of these programs by right-clicking on the program icon located next to the time in the lower right hand corner of the screen. When you are finished using the databases, you can resume using those protective utilities.
Instructions to disable Norton Internet Security
Locate the Norton Internet Security icon in the system tray located next to the time clock in the lower right corner of your screen. This is also how you can disable it temporarily. You may need to disable it temporarily to discover if it is a source of your problem.
To disable it:
Right click on the icon
Choose Disable from the menu
Choose 30 minutes or however long you need to use Heritage Quest.
Go back to www.hbpl.org and access Heritage Quest again
