105 Digital Resources

Taken on 19 June 1921, the Census provides a thorough snapshot of the British population in the interwar period and is an important resource for family history researchers. 

Available only in the Palmerston North City Libraries.

The link will only work if you use a library computer.

The content spans the industry from practical farming techniques to cutting edge scientific research.  With a strong emphasis on titles covered in the Agricola database, this collection of more than 600 journals is focused on agriculture-related fields. In addition, more than 30 Delmar titles provide in-depth coverage on a variety of agriculture-related topics.

Ancestry Library Edition is a genealogy database that covers billions of records from census data to passenger lists, and photos to family trees.

This link will only work if you use a library computer or a device connected through the library wi-fi.

This database features a variety of magazines, journals, news and multimedia sources covering important issues and current events related to Australia and New Zealand.

Designed for libraries in Australia and New Zealand, this EBSCO database provides the largest full text collection of leading regional and international magazines and newspapers, reference e-books, biographies, news content and images.   It also contains more than 2 million images, photos, maps and flags. 

Titles include The Post and the Manawatu Standard.

The Australian and New Zealand Art Sales Digest is a database of sales results of fine art auctions in Australia and New Zealand from 1969 to the present, and some foreign sales that include works by Australian artists.

The database comprises over 850,000 auction lots, by over 50,000 Australian, New Zealand and foreign artists and is updated daily with newly published catalogues and auction results. 

Please note that Lot Alerts are only available for individual subscribers not Library Users.

With unlimited simultaneous access, watch as many films as you want, whenever you want. 

Simply enter your Palmerston North City Library card number, and create an account by entering your name, email and a password.

There is an option to activate viewing restrictions to filter search results to E, G and PG rated titles or Kid's Films on a Beamafilm account.  Or limit to kid-friendly content by activating the Beamakids+ portal. 

Stream from your TV, computer or device. 

Beamakids+ is the portal designed specifically for kids, families, and students and offers a diverse selection of E, G and PG rated titles.

You need a Beamafilm account to access Beamakids+ and a parent or caregiver must create the account. 

Once you have signed into your Beamafilm account, click on the Enter kids+ button on the top right.

Parents/caregivers can use the parental control tab in their profile settings to set a 6 character password to ensure children stay within Beamakids+. You also have the option to exclude PG-rated content if you prefer. 

Stream from your TV, computer or device. 

Beanstack is a digital platform that monitors and encourages reading. It rewards reading with virtual badges and achievements. Features include - 
 

Log reading books and minutes

Monitor streaks of reading (consecutive days)

Write book reviews

Receive book recommendations of books in our catalogue

Engage in challenges and activities

The whole family can share the same account, with each reader having their own profile.

Biography In Context offers authoritative reference content alongside magazine and journal articles, primary sources, videos, audio podcasts, and images. 

Covering a vast array of people from historically significant figures to present-day newsmakers, it’s continuously updated to ensure students have access to the latest information.

The BorrowBox collection includes a wide range of fiction and non-fiction eBooks and eAudiobooks for adults, young adults and children.

Log in with your library card, browse titles, checkout items and download to your device using the Borrowbox app. Listen to exclusive e-Audio content on the go!

Discover encyclopedia articles, journals and periodicals, multimedia, primary sources, atlas, dictionary and other resources that support research at all levels.

With more than 240 newspaper titles, this collection is comprised of approximately 6.4 million pages of historic content, from articles to advertisements.  A valuable resource for family history and genealogy.

Offering online access to over 98 million pages of British and Irish newspapers dating from the 1600s to the present day. The British Newspaper Archive is a fantastic resource for everyone interested in history and for family historians. Newspapers from the British Library’s collection are scanned constantly, making it one of the largest online collections of newspapers anywhere in the world. Includes the Lyttelton Times. 

You need to create an account to access this resource.

Available only in the Palmerston North City Libraries. 

The link will only work if you use a library computer.

Learn through play! Busy Things brings education to life with an award-winning collection of activities and games.  Filled with fun humorous characters and lively colourful settings, children love to play Busy Thing's educational games and activities.

Busy Things has hundreds of games covering subjects like english, phonics, maths, science, geography, music and many more! 

Busy Things can be played on a computer, laptop, ipad or tablet.

The price guide is based on selling prices from auction sales in Australia and New Zealand.   Carter's constantly adds current sales items, and removes or updates older items to keep the price guide current and relevant.  

City Council Archives has a new home online at https://imca.pncc.govt.nz/. So don't be alarmed if it looks a little different. 30/10/2026

Learn all 43 sounds of English with Clear Pronunciation by Clarity English. Take a look at the sounds by themselves, in words, and in sentences — listen, practise, compare, and improve. Through audio and video clips, and activities, you will listen to speakers with a variety of accents.

Browse the Club Sandwich website for clubs that suit your taste, then contact a club through the site, or by using the contact details provided on a club’s profile. Clubs can register a club profile, manage and update their details on Club Sandwich for free.

Comics Plus Children's Library gives you unlimited access to comics, graphic novels, picture books and manga from a variety of popular publishers. All titles are available instantly with no holds, waitlists, or monthly borrowing limits.  

Comics Plus Children's Library includes content suitable for children up to 12 years.  

All Library card holders can access this collection. 

Comics Plus is easy to access, all you need is your Library Card number and pin. 

Download the Comics Plus app from your app store.  Click on Get Started and search for Palmerston North City Library NZ – Children’s Library. 

Enter your Library Card number and pin.

Comics Plus Teen Library gives you unlimited access to thousands of comics, graphic novels, picture books and manga from a variety of popular publishers.  All titles are available instantly with no holds, waitlists, or monthly borrowing limits.  

Comics Plus Teen Library gives you access to the Children’s Library, including content suitable for ages between 13 - 17 years.  

Young adult and adult card holders can access this collection. 

Comics Plus is easy to access, all you need is your Library Card number and pin. 

Download the Comics Plus app from your app store.  Click on Get Started and search for Palmerston North City Library NZ – Teen Library.  

Enter your Library Card number and pin.

Comics Plus Full Collection gives you unlimited access to thousands of comics, graphic novels, picture books and manga from a variety of popular publishers.  All titles are available instantly with no holds, waitlists, or monthly borrowing limits.  

Comics Plus Full Collection gives you access to the entire Comics Plus Collection, including mature content for ages 18 +.  

Access to this collection, will depend on your library card and age. For our adult library card holders only. 

Comics Plus is easy to access, all you need is your Library Card number and pin. 

Download the Comics Plus app from your app store.  Click on Get Started and search for Palmerston North City Library NZ – Full Collection Library. 

Enter your Library Card number and pin.

Search millions of articles covering all aspects of communication, including advertising, public relations, journalism, social media, and more.

This database lists the Community Archives and Research Files that are held in the Ian Matheson City Archives. The Community Archives are records of local organisations, businesses, individuals and their families, and are generally primary documents. Research files are local history topic folders and mainly contain secondary sources of information.

Community Pages is a growing database of community services and groups, organisations, individuals, and resources across Palmerston North, Manawatū, Tararua, Kāpiti and Horowhenua. 

Whether you are seeking support, offering help or exploring ways to stay informed and connected,  the database aims to provide access to a wide range of information. 

To help keep the database relevant and up-to-date, or if you know of a resource, support group or an organisation that could benefit others,  you can contribute by submitting a listing on the homepage. If you have any questions, please email the Community Pages team on pncl@pncc.govt.nz.

This database includes more than 600 journals and periodicals, providing information on computer-related product introductions, news and reviews in areas such as hardware, software, electronics, engineering, communications, and the application of technology.

Enjoy unlimited access to thousands of online art and craft classes taught by renowned artists and creative experts. Since classes never expire, you can start and stop projects at your own pace. Download patterns, templates and recipes. New classes are added daily.

Create an account the first time you use Creativebug, by entering an email and password.

With the Creativebug app you can download your favourite class and take it on the go!

An easy to use general information resource aimed at primary school students which covers a wide range of topics such as animals, arts, geography, technology and more.  

Environmental Studies and Policy provides access to journals, magazines, and other reference sources covering environmental issues and policies. The database includes diverse perspectives from the scientific community, policymakers, and corporate interests.

A learn to code software program designed for ages 8 -18. Through fun and engaging tutorials and projects, Fiero Code teaches kids coding languages, such as HTML, Python and JavaScript that they can use to build their own websites, video games, apps and more. As they progress through the activities they’ll unlock gear that they can use to customize their own avatar.

Sign up, and create an account the first time you use Fiero Code.

Find My Past World Edition is a searchable online archive of over 13 billion records. Everything from parish and school records to censuses, and from migration records to military collections from across the globe.

Available only in the Palmerston North City Libraries.

The link will only work if you use a library computer.

Search millions of articles about drama, music, art history, and filmmaking. A diverse resource for fine arts students.

Subject coverage is extensive, allowing researchers to explore relevant articles on key areas of study including science and technology, criminal justice, business and economics, environmental science, political science, history, health and medicine and more. 

Books & Authors makes it easy to explore books by genre, theme, mood, or author. Whether you are diving into a new series, researching for study, or just chasing that perfect weekend read, this resource helps you find stories that truly connect. Frequently updated to include Australian and New Zealand content.  

Coverage includes all aspects of starting and operating a business, including accounting, finance, human resources, management, marketing, tax, and more. Resources include; sample business plans, how to guides, articles, and websites.

Business Insights gives you access to over 4,000 full-text publications including newspapers, trade journals, magazines, and peer-reviewed academic journals.

This database helps patrons interested in planning and optimizing their businesses or non-profits. Utilize development tools and a step-by-step process to build a business plan.

Create an account to access this resource.
 

This database allows users to easily view content of interest on the most popular and most-searched topics within several distinct categories, including news, current events, health, and computers and technology.

Gale Health and Wellness puts up-to-date information on health and wellness topics at your fingertips. Inside you’ll have access to thousands of full text medical journals, magazines, reference works, multimedia, and much more. Search for a full range of health related issues, from current disease and disorder information to in-depth coverage of alternative medical practices. 

Gale Literary Index is a master index to the major literature products published by Gale. It combines and cross-references author names, including pseudonyms and variant names, and listings for titles of works into one source.

Find up-to-date analysis, biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism, and reviews on more than 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods, and from around the world. Titles include the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, Bookseller. 

Cross-search across Gale's Primary Sources newspaper and magazine archives.  Included are the 17th and 18th Century Burney and Nichols Newspapers Collections,  19th Century US Newspapers, 19th Century UK magazines, British Library Newspapers and more.

This database offers gardening hobbyists, biotechnologists, farmers and landscape architects access to millions of articles on the practical and scientific aspects of horticulture studies.

To assist with finding funding for school or tertiary study, arts, travel, cultural and sporting activities, personal or professional development.

You need to create a givMe account to use this database. Enter your name, email, a password and your Palmerston North City Library card number.
 

Login to your existing givMe account, with your email and password.

The Library does not subscribe to the givUS database.  If you are looking for funding for groups, community-led projects, activities or services,  please check the Palmerston North City Council website to view their full range of funds on the Council's community funding pages. 

Global Issues offers international viewpoints on a broad spectrum of global issues, topics, and current events. Featured are hundreds of continuously updated issue and country portals that bring together a variety of specially selected, relevant sources for analysis of these issues. Rich multimedia - including podcasts, video, and interactive graphs - enhance each portal.

Unlimited access to the world’s best car, motorcycle, marine and tractor repair manuals. 

Haynes Manuals AllAccess has over 980 online manuals covering detailed step by step information on repair and service tasks. Every manual includes colour pictures, video tutorials, wiring diagrams and fault finding tools.

Hoopla allows you to borrow and enjoy audiobooks, eBooks, comics and manga,  movies and TV series,  music albums, magazines and more.   

Titles are available instantly as there are no holds or waiting lists, and you can borrow up to 10 items per month.  These monthly borrows reset on the first day of the month.

You have 3 days to watch, 7 days to listen and 21 days to read.

Activate the Hoopla Kids Mode, to ensure your kids stay within a kid friendly area.  Kids Mode contains content suitable for 12 years and younger.  

Create an account the first time you use Hoopla, by providing an email and password. Choose Palmerston North City Library from the list, and enter your library card number and PIN.

Download the Hoopla app from your app store, and sign up with your Palmerston North City Library card. 

Available on mobile devices, web, TV streaming devices, and in the car. 

Hoopla Kids Mode helps parents and their children discover kid-friendly content.  All of the content – eBooks, audiobooks, comics and manga, music, movies, TV series have been curated and brought together in this one family-friendly place.  

Titles are available instantly as there are no holds or waiting lists,  and you can borrow up to 10 items per month.

You have 3 days to watch, 7 days to listen and 21 days to read.

Create an account the first time you use Hoopla, by providing an email and password. Choose Palmerston North City Library from the list, and enter your library card number and PIN. 

You need to turn the Kids Mode on,  by clicking  the KIDS button next to the search bar (once you have created an account) to see content recommended for kids 12 years and younger.

You can choose to create a 4 digit PIN to lock and unlock the Kids Mode.

Download the Hoopla app from your app store, and sign up with your Palmerston North City Library card. 

Available on mobile devices, web, TV streaming devices, and in the car. 

The National Library of New Zealand's searchable database that contains abstracts and descriptions of articles from about 1000 New Zealand periodicals and newspapers, including some from earlier in the 20th century to the current day.

Stream movies, TV series, documentaries, foreign films, classic cinema, independent films and educational videos that inspire, enrich and entertain.  Every month new titles are added.

Create an account to use Kanopy.
 

You have 45 tickets per month to watch films on Kanopy. With this latest update, you can see the number of tickets required and viewing period for each film next to the play button.
 

Stream from your TV, computer or device.
 

Kanopy Kids has a wide selection of educational and entertaining content that range across movies, TV Series, animated storybooks, live action and animated favourites for children of all ages.

You need a Kanopy account to access Kanopy Kids, and a parent or caregiver must create the account.

Set up Parental Controls to ensure your kids stay within the dedicated Kanopy Kids area for age-appropriate content.

Kanopy Kids titles don't use tickets, so you can watch as many kid-friendly titles as you'd like. 
 

Our OverDrive collection includes thousands of fiction and nonfiction ebooks, audiobooks and magazines for adults, teens and children.

Login to your account, to access the digital magazines.

Browse titles, checkout items and download to your mobile device using the Libby app

Learn business, software, technology and creative skills, taught by industry experts to achieve personal and professional goals. 

A LinkedIn profile is not required to access LinkedIn Learning for Library, only a library card and PIN. Your learning history is tied to your library card.

Download the LinkedIn Learning app from your app store. Click on Sign in, then click on Sign in with your library card to log in through our Library. You’ll be prompted to enter our Library’s ID, and then your library card number and pin.

Note: the Library ID is at the end of the LinkedIn Learning invitation link, and is palmerstonnorthcitylibrary (lower case and one word).

LOTE4Kids is an online database of children's picture books in World Languages, that allows kids to enjoy the magic of books in LOTE (Languages Other Than English).   Each book comes with an English translation and many titles include fun activities. 

New books and languages are released each month. 
 

Download the LOTE4Kids app from your app store. Find our Library then enter your library card.

Manawatū Heritage is a living heritage tool which encourages active participation from the community by accepting digital uploads and written articles from the public. By creating a log-in, you can upload your own stories and photographs to the repository as well as comment on individual items, share your findings via email and social media, and download low or high resolution copies of out of copyright materials.

Manawatū Heritage Tours App brings together community-initiated research, images and content from the award-winning Manawatū Heritage digital repository. Mobile technology helps people to explore Palmerston North's rich and often unknown history. Current tours include Women's Places, Military Tour (Walking), and Military Tour (Driving).

Mango utilises an engaging interface, and easy, intuitive interactive tools to deliver practical conversational skills and valuable cultural insight for new languages. Lessons include strategically placed memory-building exercises to help users remember what they are learning in addition to critical thinking exercises, which help them to intuitively understand the language and adapt it to similar conversations.

You need to create a profile, and then link to our Library with your library card for free access to all Mango lessons.

It’s aim is to be a base for the basics of Māori Language. It includes guides to alphabet, pronunciation, waiata, phrases and more.

MasterFILE Complete from EBSCO offers the largest collection of popular full-text magazines, reference books and other highly regarded sources from the world's leading publishers. 

You'll find information covering virtually every general interest subject area, including business, health, fitness, education, sports and leisure, personal finance, science, multicultural issues, DIY and fashion.

Search scholarly journals, magazines, and reports covering all aspects of past and present military affairs. The database offers content in key subject areas including governmental policies, the socioeconomic effects of war, the structure of the armed forces and more. Updated daily.

MyHeritage Library Edition contains billions of historical documents from over 48 countries, including Australia and New Zealand. Available in 42 languages, MyHeritage Library Edition is the largest, most internationally diverse family history research database in the world.   New content is added to the database daily, with millions of historical records added every month.

Content includes censuses, military records, photos, immigration and passenger lists and so much more.

Includes the complete run of the magazine from 2009 to the present. Provides authoritative, age appropriate digital content suitable for younger readers.

National Geographic Virtual Library includes the complete archive of National Geographic magazines from 1888 to the present, National Geographic : People, Animals and the World and National Geographic Kids. Along with a cross-searchable collection of National Geographic books, maps, images and videos.

This full-text newspaper resource, provides access to more than 3,000 major world newspapers including Australian and New Zealand publications. Updated daily.

Ngā Taonga and Palmerston North City Library invite you to explore Aotearoa New Zealand's audiovisual history. Previously known as MediaNet, Ngā Taonga is Aotearoa New Zealand's audiovisual archive. Explore an ever-growing local collection of films, radio, television, sound recordings, props and documents spanning 120 years of Aotearoa New Zealand's sound and moving image history.

Novelist Plus helps readers of all ages find books that match their reading level and interests.  It includes fiction, nonfiction and audiobooks.  

Use it to find read-alikes for your favourite titles and authors.

Opposing Viewpoints is a premier online resource covering today’s social issues. This cross-curricular database supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes. It's informed, differing views present each side of an issue and help learners develop critical thinking skills, and the confidence to draw their own conclusions.

Search the catalogue for items to borrow or place holds. View and renew items you have checked out. You can link accounts and keep track of the whole family's books. Access e-books and other online resources. Read the latest library news and see upcoming events. Connect with us on social media.

Papers Past provides access to digitised newspapers, periodicals, letters, diaries and parliamentary papers from all regions covering the years 1839 to 1945. Includes the Manawatu Standard from 1883 to 1945.

This database provides a strong focus on current events, sports, science and health. Chosen by public library search results, titles are compiled by what our users are searching for most.

PressReader provides unlimited digital access to over 8000 newspapers, books  and magazines from 120 countries (including New Zealand) in more than 60 languages on your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. As well as current issues, back issues are available.

Stuff Ltd have restricted access to their magazine and newspaper titles through PressReader. Their titles which include The Post and the Manawatu Standard are not available to be read from home.

Covers topics of philosophies and religions in one collection.  Researchers will gain valuable insight about the impact religion has had on culture throughout history, including literature, arts, and language.  

Road to IELTS by Clarity English is organised into four skill areas, one for each paper in IELTS. In each skill area learners can prepare effectively for their test by reading information about each paper, getting advice from IELTS experts on video, and practising specific question types using the interactive practice exercises and the mock papers.

Gale's authoritative reference content is merged with full-text magazine, academic journal, and news articles; experiments, images, videos, audio files, and links to vetted websites organised into a user-friendly portal experience.

Remain current with the latest scientific developments in the biological sciences, computing, engineering, technology and more. Updated daily.

All 296 volumes of bound material, covering the period 1672-1737, are presented in digitized format here. The collection charts the history of the development of the press in England and provides invaluable insight into 17th and 18th century England.

This database provides access to the following collections from the Smithsonian - Evolution of flight 1784 - 1991, Trade Literature and Merchandising of Industry, World's Fairs and Expositions, Visions of Tomorrow, and the Smithsonian and Air & Space magazine archive.

Story Box Library gets kids excited about reading, inspires their imaginations and lets them have fun with stories, improving their language and literacy skills along the way. Activity time ideas are available for every story in the collection. With an ever-growing library, suitable for preschool and primary school aged children, it really is Storytime, Anytime!

To login, click on Library and then choose Palmerston North City Library from the menu. Enter your Library card and PIN.

Download the Story Box app from your app store. Click "Log in with Library Access" then enter your Library card and PIN.

The Māori Language Commission was set up under the Māori Language Act 1987 and continued under Te Ture Reo Māori 2016 / Māori Language Act 2016 to promote the use of Māori as a living language and as an ordinary means of communication.

Since its first publication in 1843 the Economist has presented timely reporting, concise commentary, and comprehensive analysis of global news every week.  Full-colour images, multiple search indexes, and the facility to browse each and every issue,  all combine to offer a unique source covering the 19th and 20th centuries.

The Times newspaper has offered readers in-depth, award-winning, objective coverage of world events since its creation in 1785 and is the oldest daily newspaper in continuous publication. With more than 12.5 million articles available, the archive supports research across multiple disciplines and areas of interest, including business, humanities, political science, and philosophy, along with coverage of all major international historical events.

TumbleBooks are animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. TumbleBooks are created by taking existing picture books, adding animation, sound, music and narration to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you. TumbleBooks also includes National Geographic videos and games.

World Book Online is a suite of online research tools that includes encyclopedia articles, primary source collections, educator tools, student activities, pictures, audio, and video, complemented by current periodicals and related websites.