What are Our Research Sources?

Our premium research sources are websites that are usually only available to paid subscribers – but the Library subscribes, so you don’t have to!

Sonoma County Library cardholders can access more than 30 premium sites for free, like Consumer Reports in MasterFile Complete, HeritageQuest, Reference Solutions (formerly ReferenceUSA), and many more.

What do I use them for?

Some premium sites – like article databases – are great for research. You’ll get results from from newspapers, magazines, and journals that aren’t found on the free web.

Other premium sites might help you learn to repair your car, study for an entrance exam, or find a good read. Use the RESEARCH menu to browse all of our premium sites by topic.

Why not just use Google for research?

The web offers a tremendous quantity of information, but some of the best information is not free or findable through Google. Some content on the web is biased, incomplete, or out-of-date. Our premium sites are purchased from known publishers and the information is generally more reliable than simply searching the Internet.

How do I access the Premium Sites?

Find our premium sites in the RESEARCH menu.  View a complete list of our subscription databases alphabetically, or browse by topic.  

A few premium sites are only available at Sonoma County Library locations.  Most of them are available for you to use anywhere, with your Sonoma County Library card number.