Searching databases is a little different than searching the web. If you need any help, contact a librarian.
Explore the rich history of our local community by exploring the Local History Archive housed at the library.
OneFile News (NOVEL)
This full-text newspaper database has several New York Newspapers including the New York Times from 1995 on, and over 1,000 major U.S. regional, national, and local newspapers.
The NYS Historic Newspapers
The NYS Historic Newspapers project provides free online access to a wide range of newspapers chosen to reflect New York’s unique history.
New York Times Online
NYTimes.com is a multi-platform news tool that provides full access to New York Times and International New York Times content, including breaking news, multimedia, reviews and opinion, blogs, videos and more. NYTimes.com is updated 24/7 with corresponding time stamps. From the home page, one can access more than 25 Times sections, including World, Politics, New York, Opinion, Business, Technology, Science, Sports, Arts, Fashion & Style, and Video. For instruction on accessing the service, visit our webpage.
Times Union Collection
Explore Albany history through local news, events, and people with Times Union Collection. Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
Wall Street Journal Online
Provides access to real-time market news, print edition access for the current day and the past seven days, news archive with articles from the last four years. Access is for 72 hours and can be redeemed every three days.
Britannica Academic (NOVEL)
Britannica Academic delivers fast and easy access to high-quality, comprehensive information. The rich combination of the venerable Encyclopedia Britannica plus Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, magazines and periodicals, and many other research tools provides the variety of reliable sources that college students need to consult when conducting thorough collegiate research—all from one resource. Written by Nobel laureates, historians, curators, professors, and other notable experts, Britannica Academic’s articles provide trusted information with balanced, global perspectives and insights that users will not find anywhere else.
Consumer Reports
Expert ratings and consumer reviews from an independent product testing organization.
DMV Permit Practice Tests
Access to NYS DMV practice driving tests and handbooks for car, motorcycle, and CDL.
Albany Medical College Consumer Health Guide
The Schaffer Library of Health Science at Albany Medical College created this guide for researching Health and Medical topics. In 2017, VPL partnered with Schaffer Library to have all Reference Librarians certified as Consumer Health Information Specialists through the Medical Library Association.
OneFile Health and Medicine (NOVEL)
Full text of nursing and allied health journals, plus a variety of personal health information sources.
Business Insights: Essentials (NOVEL)
Includes company profiles, industry reports and financial reports, as well as business magazines and newspapers.
Academic OneFile (NOVEL)
Contains peer-reviewed, full-text articles from the world’s leading journals and reference sources.
General OneFile (NOVEL)
News and periodical articles on a wide range of topics.
Britannica School (NOVEL)
Britannica School is the go-to site for learning more about any subject—for all grades Pre-K-12 and all reading abilities—offering thousands of up-to-date, curated, and curriculum-relevant articles, images, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, research tools, recommended Web sites, and three separate databases—Elementary, Middle, or High.
Britannica Escolar (NOVEL)
Discover the leading knowledge-building resource that is universally trusted for accurate and age-appropriate content in Spanish. New features make it more valuable than ever for native Spanish speakers, bilingual students, and students learning Spanish.
Elementary in Context (NOVEL)
Contains over 100 age-appropriate magazines for grades K-5. Also includes Merriam-Webster’s Elementary Dictionary, maps, flags, seals, charts and graphs.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context (NOVEL)
Contains a range of perspectives on many important issues, with over 21,000 pro/con viewpoints. Includes a variety of resource types: reference, news, primary sources, multimedia and more.
Middle School in Context (NOVEL)
Contains magazines, newspapers, primary sources and videos for students in grades 6 to 8.