Academic Libraries
If you live near a public university or a community college, you may be able to use the library on the campus and access the subscription databases onsite. Many such academic libraries allow users to browse the collection and access online databases in-house for free. Some institutions issue library cards to non-affiliated individuals for a fee for those who find value in such a purchase. The reasoning behind access to these academic libraries is that taxpayers are helping to fund resources so they should be able to utilize them.
Public Libraries
Most municipalities have a public library, even those in rural areas. Public libraries are often part of a network of borrowing and lending services and they may include colleges and universities. Just as you were able to borrow from other libraries outside of Saybrook, you may also request interlibrary loan services from your public library. Visit your public library, request a library card and inquire about interlibrary loan.
State Electronic Libraries
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Alabama - Alabama Virtual Library Provides all students, teachers and residents of the State of Alabama with 24/7 online access to premier library and information resources free of charge
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Alaska - Statewide Library Electronic Doorway (SLED) Information resources for, about, and by Alaskans. Access to a variety of databases and electronic content
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Arizona - Digital Arizona Library (DAZL) Access to online reference resources, digital newspapers, eBooks and more
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Arkansas - Arkansas State Library Gateway to resources and services, including access to a diverse collection of print, non-print, and computer resources
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California - California State Library Provides instant online access to electronic and digital resources with a California State Library card
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Colorado - Colorado Virtual Library Access to ready reference databases
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Connecticut - ResearchIT Connecticut State Library Provides access to magazines, journals, newspapers, images, eReference books and more
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Delaware - Delaware Libraries Provides access to newspapers, journals, eBooks, and more
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District of Columbia - D.C. Public Library Access to a wide-range of digital resources, including journals, newspapers, magazines and videos
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Georgia - GALILEO Access to subscription-only information for Georgia residents. Includes guest access to select resources for non-residents
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Hawaii - Hawaii State Public Library System Access to local newspapers, government records, online databases and research assistance
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Idaho - Libraries Linking Idaho LiLl User search to statewide library catalog and access to resources for Idohoans
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Illinois - Illinois State Library: Cyberdrive Illinois Access to books, library materials, magazines, newspapers, and research databases by subject
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Indiana - Indiana State Library Access to subscription resources, including research databases, periodicals and geneaology resources
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Iowa - State Library of Iowa Access to a variety of online resources for Iowa state library cardholders
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Kansas - Kansas State Library Access to a wide-range of electronic databases for general research, history and geneaology, health, business, technology and more
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Kentucky - The Kentucky Virtual Library Consortium of approximately 300 Kentucky libraries and institutions providing access to electronic databases
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Maine - Digital Maine Library Access to thousands of periodicals and reference resources
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Maryland - SAILOR Access to electronic materials and research databases
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Massachusetts - Massachusetts Libraries Access to research databases, historical documents, eBooks and more
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Michigan - Michigan Electronic Library MeL Access to eResources and eJournals with a valid Michigan driver's license or state ID number
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Minnesota - Electronic Library of Minnesota (ELM) Access to articles, images, videos and more
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Mississippi - Mississippi Alliance for Gaining New Opportunities through Library Information Access (MAGNOLIA) Provides Mississippi residents with access to electronic databases through local public, school, community college, or university libraries
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Missouri - Missouri State Library Reference Services Access to research databases and more
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Montana - Montana State Library Access to research databases and eJournals
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Nebraska - NebraskAccess Provides Nebraska residents with premium databases containing full-text magazine and journal articles, primary source documents and more
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Nevada - Nevada State Library Archives and Public Records Access to electronic databases with an active Nevada library card
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New Hampshire - New Hampshire State Library NHewLink Access to search library catalogs and browse full-text magazine and newspaper articles online
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New Jersey - NJ State Library Jersey Clicks Access to electronic resources
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New Mexico - New Mexico Sate Library El Portal Access to books, periodicals and more
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New York - New York Online Virtual Electronic Library (NOVEL) Access to resources including books, periodicals, research and reference sources
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North Carolina - State Library of North Carolina NC Live Access to databases through NC Live including reference and newspapers
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Ohio - State Library of Ohio Databases A-Z Databases and resources available to Ohio state residents
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Oklahoma - Oklahoma Department of Libraries Access to resources for learning and research through collections and databases
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Oregon - Libraries of Oregon Databases Access full-text articles from magazines, journals and newspapers, as well as reference titles, videos, images and more
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Pennsylvania - State Library of Pennsylvania POWER Library Online access to resources provided through the POWER Library
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Rhode Island - Ocean State Libraries Provides materials, services and electronic resources to the Rhode Island community
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South Carolina - South Carolina State Library Access to library databases for research
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Tennessee - Tennessee Electronic Library Access to books, artiicles, newspapers and more
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Texas - TexShare Access to e-resources, including homework help, health or business information, academic journals, popular magazines and more
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Utah - Utah's Online Library Access to newspaper articles, magazines, professional journals, encyclopedias, video, photographs, and more
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Vermont - Vermont Online Resources Library Access to databases, newspapers and recommended resources for research
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Virginia - Library of Virginia Access to books, periodicals, government publications, newspapers and more
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Washington - State of Washington Library Access to research and collections in Washington state
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West Virginia - West Virginia eLibrary WVinfoDepot Access to magazine articles, primary sources, eBooks and more
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Wisconsin - BadgerLink Access to online library databases
Special Libraries
Special libraries cover a specific discipline or serve a special group of people.
Examples of special libraries include corporate libraries, law libraries, medical libraries, libraries of advocacy organizations, professional associations, research centers, etc. Typically they are not open to the public but they may be able to assist you if you have a professional affiliation or if they are willing and able to point you in the right direction. The reference librarians who oversee these libraries are generally very knowledgeable on their specialized subject area and can be a great resource.