Electronic Resource Directory

eBooks and eMedia (including music, videos and audiobooks)
Educational Resources for Students
Encyclopedias
Government Resources
Job and Career
Magazines & Journal Articles
Medical Resources
Newspapers
Reading Recommendation Lists
Research Guides
Taxes
Test Preparation
Veteran Resources
How to Access PressReader
How to Get to Full Digital Versions of the Ventura County Star

Electronic Resource Listings

eBooks and eMedia (including music, videos and audiobooks)

EBook Central provides a number of academic books at the junior high school through college levels for research and supplementing your learning. Requires Adobe Digital Editions or a compatible reader to download a book to a computer. Adobe Digital Editions is available in a free version, as well as many other reader apps.

Internet Archive
Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more.

Folger Digital Texts
Free Shakespeare Texts Via Folger Digital Texts

Open Library
Over 1,000,000 titles available to read online or check out.

Project Gutenberg
One of the internet’s oldest online free eBook site.

Classic Books Online Via the Library of Congress
A nice selection of classics in the public domain, digitized for your reading pleasure.

HathiTrust Digital Library
Put together by a number of academic partners, including the University of California system, gain access to the digital collections of several universities. If you are not affiliated with any of the partner organizations, not to worry, as you can still view and use many of the digital resources, depending on the item and in accordance with HathiTrust’s use policy.

Open Access Biblioboard
Some free eBooks and eArticles, more of an academic nature.

Educational Resources for Students of All Ages

Please check out our latest resource! Learn how to play instruments virtually from professional teachers. Also included are classes on a number of art skills and techniques, plus a variety of language courses! And they are free!

For a limited time only, get educated by professionals on a variety of practical skills, including design, illustration and photography. Up to 90 library patrons can get three free month’s access to Skillshare, courtesy of the California State Library.

Learn the basics of computer use here at Northstar Literacy via their interactive multimedia learning modules, including interactive exercises and instructional videos. This service is designed to educate those new or relatively new to computers, from the most basic steps to the use of widely used applications such as Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Includes modules on how to use Apple’s Mac OS and Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. Provided courtesy of the California State Library.

Free access to 500+ classes, many of them live, for older adults on learning physical, mental, vocational and hands-on skills.

Returning Users
Introducing Coursera, and learn about any subject!

Checks and Balances
For students studying the government, here is an informational article on the application of checks and balances in the United States, written by a college professor.
Financial Literacy Resources
Find a list of great websites to learn about personal finance
This list was compiled by our friends at the American Library Association.

Encyclopedias

Facts and info about countries and states for children.

Different viewpoint positions on controversial topics and/or current social issues, plus factual information on them.

Research information for students on states, countries, animals and controversial issues.

An online encyclopedia for research on a broad range of topics.

Government Resources

City Code
Get up-to-date City of Oxnard code info here.

California State Library
Learn about the California State Library and their services.

Library of Congress
Information on the library of the federal government of the United States, and the largest in the world, can be found here.

Job and Career

File an Unemployment Claim with the California State Government at the California State website by clicking here.

Brainfuse JobNow & VetNow has live online assistance, resume lab help and many tools to help job-seekers and veterans achieve their goals.

Free access to 500+ classes, many of them live, for older adults. Includes many on resume-writing and job preparation.

Nursing Careers
Learn about the benefits of becoming a nurse, from Registered Nursing.org, a nursing organization based in Carlsbad whose aim is to educate others on the steps to joining this much-in-demand career as well as its benefits.

Magazines & Journal Articles

Kono

Kono is a resource that gives access to Chinese and Japanese language magazines from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. It is available via a desktop PC version for reading on your computer, or you can download the app for your Apple or Android devices.

Desktop Web Access

Download the iOS App

Download the Android App

After installing either version of the app, choose Oxnard library from the drop-down menu.

Medical Information

Newspapers

Ventura County Star

Newsbank Collection of Newspapers
In addition to the Ventura County Star, these other Southern California publications are available through Newbank:
Los Angeles Metro Collection
Orange County Register
Press Enterprise
San Bernardino County Sun

PressReader: Includes full digital versions of the Los Angeles Times, international newspapers from around the world, including from Mexico, Europe and the Philippines, and many top magazines!

There is also a desktop version to access PressReader at https://www.pressreader.com. Be sure to log-in via library, otherwise PressReader will ask for payment. Access to PressReader is free via the library, and it offers the previous three months worth of issues for most titles. For more information on how to sign in via library, click here for the instructions, available below.

California Digital Newspaper Collection

Reading Recommendation Lists

The Library 100
100 great novels, perhaps THE greatest, as recommended by OCLC, a non-profit that connects libraries across the nation.

Research Guides

ProQuest Research Companion
Learn how to make the most out of research at this website.

Taxes

Federal Tax Forms and Publications (Source: Internal Revenue Service)

State of California Tax Forms, Schedules and Publications (Source: State of California Franchise Tax Board)

Test Preparation

Veteran Resources

Brainfuse JobNow & VetNow has live online assistance, resume lab help and many tools to help job-seekers and veterans achieve their goals.

How to Access PressReader

To get free access to PressReader via the desktop site, please follow these steps.

1. Go to https://www.pressreader.com. To access free of charge, click on the icon that looks like a cartoon human head and shoulders.

2. After clicking it, you should see the box in the picture pop-up. Click the Library or Group option.

3. You should get a search box of library locations offering this PressReader access. Type in Oxnard in the search box and press the enter key.

4. Now you should see our listing with the library’s address and City logo. Click on this listing.

5. You should now see the Library or Group Sign In box. First step, enter your library card number, no spaces. This is either a 14 digit number that begins with 23084 on the back of your library card or a five digit number provided to you if you only registered for a digital card via our online self-registration service.

6. The PIN is your usually 4 digit access number attached to your account. This is by default the last four numbers of your phone number, but it can be another number that you entered at registration or changed to online via our catalog services.

7. You need to click the checkbox to continue, which authorizes PressReader to verify and exchange your library card number and PIN with our library’s records.

8. Press the Log In button to continue.

9. You will now see a PressReader HotSpot box that pops up on the screen. The 29 day complimentary access part can be disregarded. Press the Select Publication button to gain free access to the past three month’s worth of digital versions of a large number of magazines and newspapers.

How to Get to Full Digital Versions of the Ventura County Star

The library has access to full-photo versions of the Ventura County Star newspaper, with issues going back to 2017. See them as they would if spread on a tabletop, and in full color!

Click the image above, enter your library card number, and scroll down. On the right, click “Ventura County Star (CA) Collection”.

Then, click Ventura County Star (CA) with format listed as image.

To find an article from now back to April 1st, 2017, enter a search term, and you’ll get a list. Or scroll down, and browse the latest issues, or pick an issue date with the calendar.

page last updated: March 24, 2022