A-Z Resources

This resource guide was developed through a partnership between academic, hospital, and public libraries in order to support the information needs of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community as well as the healthcare providers, researchers, and policy makers involved in delivering and improving health services. This guide includes both digital and print resources from Dalhousie and other academic libraries, NSHA and IWK Libraries, and Halifax Public Libraries, as well as links to publicly available resources, organizations, and services. This is a living and responsive resource that is frequently updated to serve and reflect you and your needs.

Can only be accessed on a device connected to Halifax Public Libraries' WiFi or a Library computer.

When you visit any of our branches, you can access thousands of genealogical records from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries around the world.

Pick from thousands of audiobooks—from classics and fiction, to books for kids and young adults, to audiobooks recorded in Spanish.

Explore this book commemorating the 1,360 men and women from Halifax County who gave their lives in the Great War.

Explore this book commemorating the 705 men and women from Halifax County who gave their lives in World War 2 and the Korean War.

Explore this book commemorating the members of Canada’s Armed Forces from Halifax Regional Municipality who have lost their lives while in service to Canada, from 1953-present.

Access a collection of e-books that compile business plans created by and for entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses. This is a great resource for new or established businesses, and contains plenty of examples about how to develop a winning business plan.

Your own national encyclopedia, The Canadian Encyclopedia, is a one-stop shop for information about all things Canadian—people, historical events, geography, culture, and more.

CARFAX Canada is a free online reference tool. CARFAX gathers and presents data with the mission of empowering millions of Canadians insights to make better decisions about vehicles. Find information to help you buy, service, and sell with more confidence.

Browse trusted news, local stories, entertaining TV and radio shows, award-winning podcasts, articles on books and authors, educational kids content, a free English and French language learning app (Mauril), news in foreign languages and much more!

The CELA Collection includes more than 450,000 items on a range of subjects and genres for all ages. All items are professionally produced for people with print disabilities. There are French and English options, and a special focus on Canadian titles and First Nations literature. Most CELA Collection titles can be downloaded. You can read using DAISY-formatted audio, e-Text, described videos, and braille.

• Registration: To borrow from CELA, you need to register in person at any of our locations or use your library card number to self-register online, opens a new window. CELA will confirm your registration and give you access to the collection within 5 business days.
• Learn more about borrowing accessible items from the Library.

Access detailed information about car maintenance and repair including guides for specific vehicles, step-by-step service and repair procedures, vacuum and wiring diagrams, photographs and illustrations, and even test quizzes for popular certification exams.

Get informed about your health. The Cochrane Library has several databases packed with high-quality, independent summaries of health-related research, including systematic reviews of available evidence on a variety of topics—plain language recaps included.

Considering a new purchase? Check out Consumer Reports' product reviews and ratings. All reviews are based on rigorous research and testing. They have the goods on everything from air conditioners to yogurt.

Browse or search this index of more than 1,000 peer-reviewed Open Access academic journals and periodicals. This comprehensive list includes publications from around the world and covering a variety of subjects.

East Coast Recipes gives you access to over 3,000 delicious recipes created by talented chefs and cookbook authors, published in more than 40 East Coast cookbooks. Whether you’re looking to use up a specific ingredient, find health-conscious recipes or find inspiration from your favourite local chef, the site's advanced search feature can help you find exactly what you’re looking for. The cookbooks are available as PDFs you can view on a computer or mobile device, or you print recipes for personal use.

Can only be accessed when visiting our Central Library.

Access hundreds of Canadian and international news sources, with a focus on local and Canadian newspapers - many from across Atlantic Canada.

FamilySearch is a non-profit family history organization that offers free online access to one of the world's largest collections of genealogical and historical records. This service is provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Access more than 100,000,000 articles on a wide range of topics from academic works to homework help for kids. The Gale Reference Centre gives you one-stop access to resources about more than 20 subjects including agriculture, biography, business, communications and mass media, criminal justice, health and wellness, pop culture, interactive science and much, much more.

Grant Connect is a fundraising platform that connects charities with funders who share their cause. Find new prospects by searching comprehensive data managed by an expert research team.

When using Grant Connect at any location of Halifax Public Libraries, you have access to:

• Over 11,000 Canadian foundations, 560 corporate giving programs, 370 government grant programs, 120 American foundations, and 200 other kinds of grant opportunities.
• Funder profiles that offer insights on specific grant programs, application preferences, financial summaries, and key decision-makers, and more.
• Data on billions of dollars in past donations, categorized by size, cause, population, and region.
• Targeted search filters that help you quickly find the right funder for your charity by gift size, deadline, type of support, and more.

Halifax Municipal Archives is the official repository for historical municipal government records from Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford and the former County of Halifax, and also holds community records from the region. All researchers are welcome to view those records either online, or through requests and visits to the Archives. Their staff are ready to assist you. Halifax Municipal Archives also frequently writes guest blog posts for Halifax Public Libraries, which you can find here.

Access a wealth of information on health-related topics including fitness, pregnancy, diseases and conditions, treatments, and prescription drugs.

Access periodicals and reference materials on nursing, allied health professions, and general personal health.

Stream and borrow free movies, music, audiobooks, e-books, comics, and shows to enjoy on your computer, tablet, or phone—and even your TV! Stream immediately, or download to your phone or tablet for offline enjoyment later. Take your pick from hundreds of thousands of titles. More titles are added daily. 

You can borrow up to 5 hoopla titles per month.

Get started by watching our video tutorial, opens a new window

Kanopy offers a wide range of independent films, classic cinema, documentaries, educational videos, and foreign films. Thousands of titles are waiting for you to stream, for free, on your favourite device.

You will receive 10 tickets per month that can be used toward video plays. Kanopy Kids offers unlimited plays per month.

Get started by watching our video tutorial

Libby is the latest way to access OverDrive's large collection of e-books and audiobooks. This one-tap reading app is designed to get people reading as quickly as possible. Browse, borrow, and place holds easily. And, seamlessly sync your bookshelves, progress, and bookmarks across multiple devices.

Learn more about device requirements

Get started by watching our video tutorial, opens a new window

Explore our rich Halifax history through postcards, vintage city guides, photographs, and more. Our virtual archive contains a treasure trove of collections:

• Gainsborough Hotel Register
• Halifax Public Libraries Postcard Collection
• The Book Room Limited Postcard Collection
• Vintage Halifax City Guides
• Mainland South Heritage Society Photographs

LinkedIn Learning is home to over 16,000 self-paced online courses, including all of Lynda.com’s great content. All of LinkedIn Learning’s courses are taught by industry professionals who are excited to share their knowledge with you. Courses are available in English, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. Whether you want to learn a new skill or get in touch with your creative side, there’s a course for everyone on LinkedIn Learning. You can access this tool via your browser or mobile device (using the free app).

Mobile App Instructions

• Install the LinkedIn Learning app via the Apple or Play Store.
• Click Sign In. (If the app is prompting you to sign in as your name, click, not your name, then you’ll see the Sign In option.)
• Click Sign in with your library card.
• Our libraryID is halifaxca – Note: This is case sensitive.
• Enter your library card number and PIN.

This database was discontinued by the publisher in December, 2024.

Medici.tv is an online collection of concerts, operas, ballets, documentaries, master classes, and jazz videos from renowned artists. It is available in English, French, Spanish and Russian.

While visiting any Halifax Public Libraries location, or from home with your library card, you can stream Medici.tv in your web browser. Or, download the app on your iPhone or iPad. Please note: To use the app, you will need to create a free Medici.tv account.

Additionally, every year, Medici.tv streams over 150 live events from the world’s most prestigious concert halls, opera houses, festivals and competitions.

Niche Academy provides instructions on how to use online resources. Niche Academy provides tutorials for E-Library resources like Ancestry Library Edition, Chilton, Consumer Reports, Hoopla, LinkedIn Learning, Novelist, OverDrive, Libby, PressReader, Rocket Languages, and TumbleBooks. Niche Academy also provides tutorials for popular websites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Gmail and Goodreads. Niche Academy regularly updates these tutorials, so you don’t have to worry about content being out of date. Find your niche today!

As a Library member with a print disability, you can register to download audiobooks and other accessible formats designed for people with print disabilities. NNELS titles can be used on a wide variety of devices, including computers/ laptops, iPads, iPhones, Android devices, MP3 players, and DAISY readers. Learn more about how to register to borrow from the NNELS Collection.

In creating this online treasury of cookery, the Nova Scotia Archives team found and digitized approximately 1,000 old handwritten or early printed recipes; they're presented here in the 'Collected Recipes' section.

This online collection of provincial records, from as early as 1864, includes more the 25,000 records of births, marriages, and deaths in Nova Scotia.

Get recommendations for books and audiobooks, for all ages. Pick from 50,000 recommendations based on titles, 10,000 based on author, and 9,000 based on series—plus 3 million more recommendations based on the NoveList "secret formula". You can also find books based on your favourite things: 500+ genres, 200,000+ subjects, 130,000+ moods or feel of the reading experience—or even find books based on the types of characters, time periods, or locations.

Please note: The OverDrive mobile app was discontinued on May 1, 2023. We encourage you to make the switch to Libby.

Access OverDrive's collection any time with the Libby app. More than 2 million digital titles—e-books, audiobooks, and e-magazines. Browse curated collections; search by author, title or series; even try a sample—then borrow items to enjoy anywhere, anytime.

There's useful information about how to use OverDrive, opens a new window on their website.

OverDrive E-Magazines features over 3,000 titles, available with no holds or waitlists, simultaneous use for all titles, and premium content. Magazines are integrated into the OverDrive website and Libby—no additional software, apps, or account signups are required.

Magazines in the collection include: Cosmopolitan, Bloomberg Businessweek, OK!, HGTV, Car and Driver, O - The Oprah Magazine, Taste of Home, Country Living, Popular Science, Food Network, Star, Reader’s Digest, Newsweek, and many more.

There's useful information about how to use OverDrive, the Libby app, opens a new window, and compatible devices on their website.

Please note:

• As of February 23, 2022, the OverDrive app has been retired and is no longer available for download. If you are currently using the OverDrive app, we encourage you to make the switch to Libby! The OverDrive app will be discontinued on May 1, 2023.
• As of February 1, 2023, all editions and issues of “The Economist” have been removed from OverDrive’s Magazine Collection. Learn more, opens a new window.

PressReader provides access to full content newspapers and magazines from over 120 countries in more than 60 languages and is available on your computer, tablet, or mobile device. Everything from international to local publishers is kept up-to-date, so you’ll never be a day behind.

Please note: When accessing from home, not all newspapers and magazines will be available. PressReader requires you to enter your library card number and PIN every 30 days to continue access. You will not lose access or account preferences when this happens. Simply click the 'Sign In' button, and then select 'Library or Group,' and search for Halifax Public Libraries to log in with your library card number.

Access more than 50,000 free e-books that you can download or read online. This collection includes many classics and great works of literature.

This comprehensive collection of Canadian and international periodicals covers multiple subjects, with millions of full-text records:

• The Canadian Business & Current Affairs Database includes more than 700 trade publications, more than 500 scholarly journals, 483 magazines, as well as news reports, radio and television transcripts, dissertations, and more.
• The Canadian Major Dailies database archives news from 24 national and regional newspapers including the National Post, the Globe and Mail, Montreal Gazette, and the Chronicle Herald.

This collection also includes select international publications.

Access note: A physical library card number is required to access the ProQuest database. Unfortunately, a digital library card number (the kind with a dash toward the end) will not work. 

Learn a language online, at your own pace. You can track your progress and test your understanding.

You can access interactive lessons for Arabic, French, German, Mandarin, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, American Sign Language, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, English for Spanish Speakers, English for Japanese Speakers, or Russian.

Rocket Languages works in your browser or you can download iOS and Android apps.

SaltWire and Halifax Public Libraries are proud to provide complimentary access to all SaltWire Network digital content. Simply visit saltwire.com while visiting any Halifax Public Libraries branch (or using Halifax Public Libraries WiFi), and enjoy exploring Atlantic Canadian publications online.

The Settlement Service Provider Directory provides a map of settlement service providers in Nova Scotia, as well as the necessary contact information for each provider. It also displays a list of the types of services available through each provider. 

As of Summer 2023, Squiggle Park (an online literacy app for young readers) is no longer available to public libraries. For alternative literacy-based resources and reading ideas, please check out these suggestions from our staff, opens a new window. 

The Census Program provides a statistical portrait of our country every 5 years and shares the findings online. Access statistical data, summaries by topic, maps, and a variety of other reference materials.

Access Statistics Canada's main socioeconomic database (formerly called CANSIM). Updated daily, this unique resource provides access to a large range of the latest statistics relating on a variety topics including: Aboriginal Peoples, agriculture, business performance and ownership, construction and housing, culture, demography, domestic and international trade, education, energy, environment and natural resources, finance, health and social conditions, income and wealth, justice, labour, manufacturing, prices and price indexes, transportation, travel and tourism, and more.

TeenBookCloud is an online database of e-books and educator resources. TeenBookCloud offers a large selection of Graphic Novels, Enhanced Novels, e-books, classic literature, National Geographic videos, educator resources, and audiobooks. The collection is available online around the clock. No downloads, no waiting! Read, watch, and learn online.

TumbleBooks offers animated, talking picture books kids can read or listen to online. Choose from over 300 popular and award-winning books.

Note: All content formerly available on TumbleBookCloud Junior has been moved to TumbleBooks!

Students of all ages will find valuable information in thousands of articles, interactive games and activities, animations, science projects and more! You can also access resources in Spanish and French.