Information, facts and figures

NewsBank (external link)

  • Newsbank contains articles published in UK and world newspapers in the last 5 to 25 years (varies with different papers) right up to yesterday's edition.
  • All the major national daily papers and many local and regional ones are included.
  • Plus, new for 2022, Access Global News - Explore diverse perspectives and stay informed on local, national and global topics, people and events in areas such as business, health, education, environment, political and social issues and more. Features a wide variety of credible, vetted news sources from more than 200 countries. 
  • To access these you will need your library card number, NewsBank is available 24/7 on any device.
  • Watch a video introduction to using NewsBank in our library academy (external link).

Oxford English Dictionary (external link)

  • The "OED", Oxford English Dictionary is a historical dictionary and includes the history of individual words as well as present-day meanings.

Oxford Reference (external link)

  • Oxford Reference brings together all the Oxford University Press Companions to, Dictionaries of and Encyclopaedias of, on a wide range of subjects, all in one place where you can browse or search.

Access to Research* (external link)

  • Free, walk-in access to a wide range of academic articles and research in public libraries across the UK
  • Subjects include art, architecture, business, engineering, history, languages, politics, philosophy, mathematics and the sciences.
  • All content provided is digital and can be accessed from our People's Network PC.

*Access to Research is only available within our libraries

Public Information Online (external link)

  • UK and Great Britain Parliamentary publications in PDF format including parliamentary material such as House of Commons and the Lords papers, bills and amendments and Daily Hansard from the 2006/07 Session onwards.

Mario Maps

  • Mario Maps is Lancashire's online mapping service. You can zoom in to any location in Lancashire and find a wealth of information embedded within the map which can be displayed including local services, schools, transport, council facilities, historical maps and photographs and much more.
  • Lots of guides and videos are available to help you get the most from Mario.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (external link)

  • Stories of people who have shaped all aspects of Britain's past, from the fourth century BC to the present day, from royalty to rock stars.
  • Search by place to find out who was born, lived or died where you are. It also includes a special page devoted to Lancashire Lives.

Who's Who and Who Was Who (external link)

  • Published annually as a book since 1849, Who's Who lists people who influence British life, entries including notable figures from government, politics, academia, business, sport and the arts.
  • Who's Who contains over 30,000 autobiographical entries of noteworthy and influential people who impact British life, and Who Was Who over 90,000 entries, for people now deceased.

Which? Online (external link)

  • Consumer product reports and advice guides. Please check availability with your local library. Best buys and test results are not available.

*Which? is only available within our libraries

Recommended websites (external link)

  • Our Good Web Guide is a selection of hundreds of the best websites chosen and checked by library professionals to answer your questions and provide reliable information on a wide range of subjects.