Useful Websites

Looking for information about a particular subject? The following websites have been carefully selected by the reference staff of the Santa Barbara Public Library System. Be sure to also visit our online databases to find more resources available for library card holders.

**Please note that these websites are not accessible from the Catalog computers inside of the library.

Arts & Entertainment  |  Business  | Consumer Resources
Countries & Geography  |  Dictionaries & Thesauri
Directories  |  Education & Careers  |  Health & Medicine
Legal Resources & Tax Forms
Santa Barbara  |  State & Federal Government
Travel & Transportation

Arts & Entertainment

• Biography.com -Over 25,000 brief biographies of notable personalities

• Web Gallery of Art - A virtual museum and searchable database of European painting and sculpture from the 12th to mid-19th centuries

Business

• BigCharts - Current and historical stock quotes

• California Business Portal –Search for information on existing corporations, or follow the step-by-step guide for starting a new business

• Hoovers - Information on companies, industries and executives

• Survey of Current Business - Bureau of Economic Analysis' definitive source of information about its economic accounts. Articles in the Survey present the latest national, international, regional, and industry estimates.

• Thomas Register Directory - Locate suppliers of industrial products and services

Consumer Resources

• Consumer Price Index

• ConsumerSearch - Summarizes reviews for a variety of products, from computers to home appliances. Includes lists of the top-rated products in each category

• Edmunds - Pricing for new, used and certified cars. Also includes car news, previews and reviews

• Kelley Blue Book - Offers pricing for new and used automobiles, watercraft, snowmobiles, and motorcycles. Also includes reviews and ratings

• NADA Appraisal Guides - Pricing for cars, boats, and recreational vehicles

   

Countries & Geography

• Background Notes – Facts about the people, economy, and government of many different countries, from the U.S. Department of State
   
• CIA World Factbook – Current information on more than 200 countries

• Perry-Casteñada Library Map Collection – Current and historical maps, along with links to many other useful sites

• USGS Earthquake Center – Current and historic earthquake ShakeMaps from the U.S. Geological Survey

Dictionaries & Thesauri

• American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
   
• Cook's Thesaurus - A cooking encyclopedia that covers thousands of ingredients and kitchen tools

• Multilingual English Dictionary - A free collection of online dictionaries from many languages into English.

• Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus
  

• Visual Dictionary Online

Directories

• DMOZ Open Directory Project – A comprehensive directory of the Web. Sites are selected and organized into categories by volunteer editors
   
• Go Toll Free: The Internet 800 Directory – Locate toll free telephone numbers for businesses nationwide

• White Pages

• Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory – Find locations with free wi-fi access

• ZabaSearch – Free search engine for locating phone numbers and addresses
  

Education & Careers

• ERIC - Education Resources Information Center. Access to bibliographic records of journal articles and other education-related materials, some with full text
   
• National Center for Education Statistics

• Occupational Information Network - The O*NET system serves as the nation's primary source of occupational information, providing comprehensive information on key attributes and characteristics of workers and occupations.
   
• Public Policy Institute of California – A nonprofit organization conducting independent research on a range of subjects, including education, immigration, and the environment  

Health & Medicine

• DoctorFinder - Basic professional information on licensed physicians in the United States, from the American Medical Association

• HealthFinder -A resource developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• Herbs at a Glance - Basic information about specific herbs or botanicals

• Merck Manual - Database of medical conditions

• Multilingual Consumer Health Information - From the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, consumer health information in many languages.

• PDRhealth - Consumer-friendly explanations of diseases, conditions, prescription and non-prescription drugs, and herbal medicines

Legal Resources & Tax Forms
 

• California State Tax Forms
   
• California Voter Foundation – Voting information, election results, and district maps
   
• FindLaw - Legal information and lawyer directories

• IRS Tax Forms

• Judicial Council forms - The Judicial Council of California has created many forms to standardize the preparation of court documents.

• Martindale – Locate lawyers and law firms worldwide

• Public Library of Law - PLoL is the largest free law library in the world, assembling law available for free scattered across many different sites -- all in one place.

• State Tax Forms – Links to forms for all fifty states

Santa Barbara
 

• MTD Santa Barbara – Routes and schedules
   
• Santa Barbara.com – Guide to local restaurants, hotels, and attractions
   
• Santa Barbara Historical Society

• Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society

• Ventura Country Transportation Commission - Coastal Express Schedule

State & Federal Government
 

• American FactFinder – Source for population, housing, economic, and geographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau
   
• Bureau of Labor Statistics - Wages by area and occupation
   
• California Legislative Information - Locate bill information, search California laws, and learn more about your local legislators

• State and Local Government on the Net - A directory of official state, county, and city government websites

• THOMAS - Federal legislative information from the Library of Congress. Find bill summaries, the Congressional Record, roll call votes, House and Senate Committee reports, and more

• USA.gov - Official information and services from the U.S. government

Travel & Transportation
 

• Caltrans Road Information – Check on current California highway conditions and planned work
   
• FlightAware – Flight tracking and airport information
   
• Travel.State.Gov – Passport information, tips for traveling abroad, the latest travel warnings, and more