56 Digital Resources

Captures the details of more than 38 million people, and provides insights into life in the 1920s.

The 1921 Census of England & Wales is a population census taken in June 1921 and paints a picture of the population nearly 100 years ago. It holds information on every household, vessel, institution and overseas residencies that were part of England and Wales in 1921 plus the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

Available only in the Palmerston North City Libraries.

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

A resource for family history researchers.

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.

Content with a focus on Australia and New Zealand.

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

Find articles from newspapers, magazines, and reference books covering current events, business, politics, sports and many other subjects.

Australia/NZ Reference Centre Plus combines Australasian magazines, newspapers, and reference books to create the largest collection of regional full text content available to libraries in Oceania. This database includes leading Australian, New Zealand and international magazines and newspapers in full text; full text reference books; more than 90,000 full text biographies and an Image Collection of more than one million photos, maps and flags. Titles include the Dominion Post and the Manawatu Standard.

Art market information for Australian and New Zealand forthcoming auctions, past auction results from 1969 to the present, market statistics, news and opinion.

The Australian Art Sales Digest is a database of over 650,000 works of art by more than 12,000 artists who are listed as having either lived or worked in Australia or New Zealand and an additional 36,000 other artists, that have had art offered for sale by auction in Australia and New Zealand over the last 30 years. The AASD is an indispensable tool for valuers, art consultants, auctioneers and collectors.

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

Stream thousands of award-winning documentaries, tv series and films from around the world.

Beamafilm is a movie streaming service for documentaries, and independent features. Their collection of award winning movies and festival favourites will inspire and entertain you.

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 limit search results to G, PG or E rated titles on a Beamafilm account.

Stream from your TV, computer or device.

A resource to encourage and monitor reading.

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.

A great starting point for anybody researching notable figures in history.

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.

Access thousands of eBooks and eAudio titles for adults, young adults & children.

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!

The Critical Issues Collection provides online access to books addressing the big issues facing New Zealand today: housing, inequality, climate change, child poverty, the environment, migration, and more.

One authoritative resource of life on these islands, from earliest beginnings to present day. Comprising 90+ titles from over 30 years of history and biography publishing from Bridget Williams Books.

This popular encyclopedia provides up-to-date and age appropriate information for patrons of all ages.

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

Explore 300 years of history through local, regional and national newspapers from the British Library’s collection.

Offering online access to millions of pages of British and Irish newspapers dating from the 1700s to the early 2000s. The British Newspaper Archive is a fantastic resource for everyone interested in history and for family historians. Newspapers from the British Library’s vast collection are scanned daily, making it one of the largest online collections of newspapers anywhere in the world.

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.

Palmerston North City Council archives hold records on the development of the city from 1878. You can search a list of what we hold on this database.

Archives Central is a fully-searchable catalogue of Council Archives, including a growing collection of digitised archives, sourced from participating New Zealand local authorities.
The purpose of Archives Central is to make Council archives more accessible for the community and easier to use.
Click on the logos above to view your chosen council’s homepage and search their listings; or use the search box at the top right of this page to search over the whole site.

Clear Pronunciation teaches you the 43 sounds of English.

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.

Club Sandwich is a Palmerston North City Library initiative, connecting you with clubs in Palmerston North.

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.

The community archives hold records of local families, businesses and organisations. You can search a list of what we hold on this database.

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.

Access leading business and technical publications in the computer, telecommunications, and electronics industries.

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.

Creativebug offers online video arts and crafts workshops and techniques. Learn how to paint, knit, crochet, screen print, sew and more.

Enjoy unlimited access to 1000s of online arts and crafts classes taught by renowned artists and creative experts. Classes never expire, so 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.

Coverage includes thousands of searchable recipes, and industry information.

Find a variety of information from major cooking and nutrition magazines as well as key reference titles.

Answers inquiries about environmental concerns, with coverage of more than 5.4 million articles from more than 300 journals and books.

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 constantly updated family history and genealogy website.

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.

This collection provides support for research in areas such as drama, music, art history, and film-making.

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

Combines thousands of titles, authors, read-alikes, award winners and librarian’s favourites.

Books & Authors has expert book reviews, recommendations, author biographies and more. Let them help you find your next great read.

Learn how to start, finance, or manage your small business.

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.

A step-by-step online planning tool for starting, managing and optimizing a business or nonprofit.

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

Create an account to access this resource.

A database of encyclopedias and reference sources within the Gale eBooks platform. For multidisciplinary research.

Access general interest magazines and key serials in a single resource. Best for general research.

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.

Whether you’re researching a disease or health issue, a drug or herb, or you just need some basic health information this is the place to start.

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. Topics of Interest include COVID-19.

Save time and search across more than one Gale eResource at once.

This collection provides information for gardening enthusiasts and professionals.

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

givME offers access to scholarships and awards for individuals.

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.

Integrates news, global viewpoints, reference materials, country information, primary source documents, videos, statistics, and more in a single search.

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.

An online version of the printed repair manuals.

Unlimited access to the world’s best car and motorcycle repair manuals. Haynes Manuals AllAccess has over 900 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.

Covers such topics as architectural techniques, tool and material selection.

This collection has more than 200 home improvement-focused titles for both hobbyists and professional carpenters . Many subject areas are covered.

The National Library of New Zealand's searchable database that contains abstracts and descriptions of articles from over 1000 New Zealand periodicals and newspapers.

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.

Kanopy is an on-demand streaming video service.

Kanopy offers quality, thoughtful entertainment. 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.

Kanopy's play credit system was replaced with a new ticket system on November 1, 2023.

Instead of play credits, 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.

Borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines to read on your phone or tablet using the Libby app, by OverDrive.

Our OverDrive collection includes thousands of fiction and nonfiction digital books, 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

LinkedIn Learning for Library offers free access to thousands of online courses.

LinkedIn Learning for Library, helps users learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Library members have access to a video library of top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts.

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).

On Manawatū Heritage you can search, share and download thousands of photographs, archives and other items about the Manawatū.

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.

Learn about Palmerston North through themed heritage tours. This app allows the whole family to explore our history by foot, bicycle or car.

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).

Learn a language, with more than 70 world language courses available (including English).

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.

Information from magazines, reference books, databases and newspapers.

An online reference system providing full text magazines covering an extensive range of subject areas including business, health, education, fitness, sports and leisure, personal finance, general science, multicultural issues, DIY and fashion.

Covers all aspects of the past and current state of military affairs.

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.

A collection containing digital content from National Geographic.

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.

Provides access to a wide range of international newspapers from around the world.

This full-text newspaper resource, provides access to more than 2,000 major world newspapers including Australian and New Zealand publications. Updated daily.

Explore Aotearoa New Zealand's audiovisual archive.

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 can help you find your next great read in your favourite genre. It includes adult, young adult, children's, easy fiction, nonfiction and audiobooks.

NoveList Plus is a comprehensive readers' advisory solution for fiction lovers. With an intuitive interface and extensive content, NoveList Plus answers the question: What should I read next?

The Palmerston North City Library app

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.

An online collection of digitally scanned New Zealand material from the 19th and 20th centuries.​

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.

Provides access to scholarly journals and magazines that analyse and contribute to popular culture.

The Popular Culture Studies database offers useful information for researchers in social science, history, art or liberal arts courses.

Covers current events, sports, science and health issues.

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.

Online access to thousands of newspapers and magazines.

PressReader provides unlimited digital access to over 7000 newspapers and magazines from 120 countries (including New Zealand) in 60 languages on your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. As well as current issues, there are back issues available.

Stuff Ltd has restricted access to their magazine and newspaper titles through PressReader. Their titles which include the Dominion Post and the Manawatu Standard are no longer available to be read from home, and are only available using a Library computer, or using a phone or device on the Library wifi.

All other titles by other Publishers are unaffected.

Preparation and practice resources for learning English.

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.

Access information on the latest developments across a range of scientific disciplines.

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

Search nineteenth and twentieth-century archives from the Smithsonian.

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.