Reference and Research

 

Consumer Information

Better Business Bureau of Central/Northern Arizona Provides reports on over 30,000 businesses and charities. Business reliability reports provide information on the business' background, customer service, type of business, and any special investigations or relevant government actions against the company.

Charity Navigator Evaluates charities from all over the U.S. Use Charity Search to find a specific charity's rating.

Consumer Guides and Protection Official information and services from the U. S. Government.

ConsumerWatch.com is a comprehensive database featuring information and news alerts about thousands of products currently on the market or previously available worldwide. It keeps the public informed about product recalls, manufacturer defects, and safety concerns associated with products ranging from household appliances, lawn equipment, and vehicles, to children’s toys and food.

Economic Help & Stimulus Information

Edmund's Automobile Buyer's Guides Offers information on new or used car dating back to 1990, including results of road tests, car and truck reviews. Search the Carfax to see if there is a potential problem with a specific used vehicle.

Federal Trade Commission Information and resources on consumer protection and anti-trust issues.

Kelley Blue Book New and used car price reports. This online automobile buyer and seller reference dates back to 1980. 

Nada Guides Another source for new and used car price reports.

Recall.gov Find out which consumer products have been recalled. Includes motor vehicle recalls, child safety seat recalls, and tire recalls.

RepairClinic.com Includes appliance repair tips and help. Order parts online.

 

Dictionaries

Cambridge Dictionaries Includes phrases and idioms dictionaries.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary Includes dictionary and thesaurus entries. 

OneLook Search over 100 dictionaries, including English and foreign language dictionaries.

Foreign Language Dictionaries

Foreignword.com Translation site for over 70 languages.

WordReference.com Translate from English to French, Italian, Spanish or German.

 

Encyclopedias

Try these online encyclopedias to help you with your research.

• Encyclopedia Britannica
• How Stuff Works

 

 

Local Libraries Online

Apache Junction Public Library Arizona State University Chandler Public Library Department of Library, Archives & Public Records Glendale Public Library Maricopa Community College Libraries Maricopa County Library District (includes Gilbert/Southeast Regional Library)

Peoria Public Library Phoenix Public Library Scottsdale Public Library Superior Court Law Library Tempe Public Library Libraries in Maricopa County - More Than Books, More Than Ever … Your Library Maricopa County Library Council Public Relations Committee provides links to web catalogs of libraries in and around Maricopa County and the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Maps

Locators & Driving Directions Maricopa County’s Interactive Mapping Page Easy access to parcel maps and property information. For a quick start click on the INERACTIVE MAPS link.   How Far Is It? Calculates the distance between U.S. cities and some international locations.   U.S. Gazetteer Identifies U.S. incorporated places, latitude, longitude, 1990 population and zip codes. Also retrieves STF1a and STF3a Census data.

Atlases and Maps Flood Control District of Maricopa County The Flood Control District educates Maricopa County residents about flooding and flood hazards in an effort to promote flood safety. Included here are 100-year FEMA effective and preliminary floodplain maps, issued elevation certificates and historical aerial photography.   Map Machine From National Geographic. Includes a world and U.S. atlas, street maps, historic maps, flags and facts.   NationalAtlas.gov Atlas that covers all 50 states.   U.S. Geological Survey Library - Selected Map Bookmarks The USGS Library's list of web sites linking to a variety of map resources from many government agencies, including Atlases, and Ecological, Geological, Historical, Surveying, Topographic, and Water Resources maps.

Aerial & Topographical Maps

• Arizona Regional Image Archive Download topographic quadrangles of Arizona.
   
• The National Map from USGS. A continuously maintained map displaying elevation, hydrology, land cover, transportation and cultural features for the entire country. 
   
• U.S. Geographic Names Information System Airports to woods identified by the United States Geographic Service. Includes reference to corresponding topographical map.

Magazine & Newspapers

Local News AZCentral East Valley Tribune Phoenix New Times

Internet Public Library: Magazines and Newspapers Links to over 3,000 U.S. and international magazines, journals and e-zines that can be searched by subject or title.Well-organized site with links to newspapers around the world.

NewsLink Links to current editions of major newspapers around the world.

 

Writing Resources & Style Guides

Citation Machine Interactive tool to create bibliography entries in MLA or APA format. Plug in the source info and copy and paste into your bibliography.

DocsCite Create a citation to a government document with the help of this handy interactive form. Provided by ASU Libraries.

Typing Tutor Learn the keyboard and practice typing online.

See more Writing Tools in our Teens section.