Online resources
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You can use our online resources for homework, study or general interest. You will find reliable information from some of the world's leading publishers.
All the resources are free. You will need your Barnet library card and a PIN to use some of our digital services. If you have forgotten your PIN and need to change it or wish to reset it, this can be done online.
By using these sites you are entering into a direct relationship with the provider, not with London Borough of Barnet. For further details of how your information is used and what data they collect about you, please check the provider's privacy statement and notices before sharing any personal data.
We also have thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks available to borrow for free.
Biographies
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Find information about individuals and groups of people who have shaped the history of the British Isles over 2,500 years.
Who's Who and Who Was Who
Search the latest edition of Who's Who and more than 100,000 records of people from Who Was Who (people who have died).
Books
Who Else Writes
Find new authors to try by searching for those you know and love.
Find recommendations for great children’s books based on your child’s favourite authors.
Dictionaries
Oxford English Dictionary
Search the respected dictionary of the English language to find out the origin and use of words.
Encyclopaedias
Britannica Junior
Information aimed at 6 to 10 year olds.
Britannica Student
You can search content for students aged 10 to 14 years old.
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Access the full Encyclopaedia Britannica and Britannica Book of the Year, including images.
Encyclopedia Judaica
The authoritative resource covering all subjects related to Judaism and Jewish people and culture.
Oxford Reference Online
More than 170 reference books in one place. Quick answers on a vast range of subjects.
Family history
You can use this popular family history website to search UK family history records. Access to this resource is only available from a library computer.
Specialist genealogy site for research into Jewish family history.
Languages
Language courses
Online language learning packages
Life skills
Go Citizen
New service to help you prepare for and practice the British Citizenship test.
Theory Test Pro
Prepare for your driving theory test with official test questions and hazard perception videos.
Develop your digital skills
Free courses from Learn My Way and Google Digital Garage.
Music
Our brand new classical music streaming service offers fantastic live concerts, operas and ballets from across the world.
Newspapers and magazines
Changes to The Economist magazine on Libby and PressReader
The Economist will no longer be available on Libby from 1 February 2023. This removal is due to changes required by The Economist that are not compatible with Libby’s magazine service.
The Economist will continue to be available on PressReader, although you can only borrow the title for 24 hours. To renew your loan, you will need to visit a Barnet library and login to PressReader using the library's hotspot. Hotspot loans will also be limited to 24 hours.
We apologise for this inconvenience which is beyond our control.
Download the Pressreader app, sign in with your library card for free then read from thousands of newspapers and magazines from 100 countries in 60 languages. After 60 days log out and sign in again.
Choose from The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Jewish Chronicle, Empire, Elle and lots more.
You can also download a step by step guide to help get you started on the desktop version.
Download the Libby app or use the Overdrive website to borrow eComics and eMagazine titles such as:
- New Scientist
- National Geographic
- Radio Times
- and lots more
Search for newspaper articles from UK and European newspapers with this archive dating back to the 1990s
Research
Access to research
Access to a wide range of academic articles and research on subjects including art, architecture, business, engineering, history, languages, politics, philosophy, mathematics and the sciences.
Access to this resource is only available from a Barnet library computer.
Oxford bibliographies
Find out about bibliographies on British and Irish literature, including topics such as Arthurian Literature and John Keats.
You can also research Victorian literature including bibliographies on gender, Charles Dickens and many more.
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