Best of the Web

Websites selected by Santa Clara County Library District staff

Quick Links: Accessible Services | Animals | Arts| Biography | Business | Community | Computers | Consumers | Education | Elections | Employment | Encyclopedia & Dictionaries | Entertainment | Genealogy | Government | Green Living | Health | History | Language Learning | Law | Libraries | Literature | Magazines, News & Media | Maps & Geography | Music | New Americans | Newspapers | Philosophy & Religion | Phone Books & Directories | Reading | Reference | Science & Technology | Search Engines | Seniors | Social Sciences | Sports | Statistics | Student Resources | Taxes | Testing | Theater & Dance | Travel | Vehicles | Weather

Accessible Services

  • Disability.gov
    Provides information on federal resources and programs for Americans with disabilities, their families, and employers. Includes a link to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website which gives design standards, an information line, technical assistance, and a guide to disability rights.

  • Family Village
    From the University of Wisconsin, this well organized directory integrates information, resources, and communication opportunities for persons with disabilities.

  • MossRehab ResourcesNet
    Offers resources for persons with disabilities by category.

  • California Department of Rehabilitation
    This department provides services and advocacy for the employment, independent living, and equality for persons with disabilities. The CA State Personnel Board  assists CA State departments in recruitment, employment, and retention of persons with disabilities including the collection, monitoring, and reporting of employment information regarding the representation of State employees with disabilities.

  • Abledata
    Provides information on assistive technology and disabilities in general, including products and consumer reviews.

  • Access Northern California
    Accessible travel information organized geographically and by categories, including lodging, transportation, museums, performing arts, parks, and sports.

  • Prevent Blindness Northern California
    An index to local organizations and services to help people with vision loss or blindness.

  • PHP | Parents Helping Parents
    A parent-directed family resource center located in San Jose providing guidance, support and services to children of all ages with any special need, their families and the professionals who serve them.

  • Silicon Valley Independent Living Center
    An organization that offers services and resources to individuals with disabilities in Silicon Valley.

  • 2-1-1 Santa Clara County Senior and Disability Services
    A local directory that lists services and information for both seniors and people with disabilities.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Disability
    A list additional disability resources on the web.

  • Special Libraries
    Links to special library services for the disabled including talking books, braille materials, and playback equipment.

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Animals

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Arts

  • Artcyclopedia: the Fine Art Search Engine
    An index to online exhibits and information on museum-quality artists, searchable by artist name, movement, medium, subject, and nationality. Includes links to museums, images, and other online resources.

  • Voice of the Shuttle: Art
    From the University of California, Santa Barbara, this searchable directory includes general art resources, museums, galleries, auctions, artists and works.

  • The Arts Online
    A comprehensive arts directory, which provides links to arts web pages from around the world.

  • Artnet
    A comprehensive site with links to artists, galleries, and events. The research library has articles from the Grove Dictionary of Art covering artists, materials and techniques, and styles and movements.

  • Art History Resources On the Web
    Organized by time period, this site provides information on the history of art as well as museums and research resources.

  • Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
    A chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world, created by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

  • Digital Library for the Decorative Arts and Material Culture
    Provides resources for study and research of the decorative arts, with a particular focus on Early America. Included are electronic texts and journals, image databases, and information on organizations, museums and research facilities.

  • Wikimedia Commons
    An online media file repository making available public domain and freely-licensed educational media content (images, sound and video clips). According to the site, “everyone is allowed to copy, use and modify any files here freely as long as they follow the terms specified by the author; this often means crediting the source and author(s) appropriately and releasing copies/improvements under the same freedom to others. The license conditions of each individual media file can be found on their description page. The Wikimedia Commons database itself and the texts in it are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. More information on re-use can be found at Commons:Reusing content outside Wikimedia and Commons:First steps/Reuse.

  • eHow-Crafts
    Contains step-by-step instructions for crafts such as knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, pottery, and jewelry making.

  • Virtual Library Museums Pages
    A worldwide directory of museums that can be searched by name, type, or location.

  • Art Project by Google
    Explore museums from around the world; discover and view hundreds of artworks at incredible zoom levels.

  • Museums and the Online Archive of California (MOAC)
    Provides browsable and searchable access to digital images from collections held by archives, museums, and libraries throughout California.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Local Area Information: Art Museums
    Links to selected Bay Area art museums.

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Biography

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Business

Company Information

International Business

  • GlobalEDGE
    Michigan State University's Center for International Business Education and Research produces this list of links to worldwide business information. Includes country profiles, statistical and governmental resources, company directories, and business newspapers and periodicals.

  • Export.gov (U.S. Government Export Portal)
    This site presents export related assistance and market information offered by the federal government.

  • OANDA
    Foreign exchange news, conversion rates, and table of exchange.

Local Companies

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Community

  • 2-1-1 Santa Clara
    Untied Way Silicon Valley provides this website and telephone service to connect people to free, non-emergency community, health, and disaster information.

  • Community Information Program
    From the Peninsula Library System, this database includes information on clubs and organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

  • HelpSCC: Information and Referral Database for Santa Clara County
    A searchable database of health and human service providers.

  • Phoenix Data Center
    An index of free and low income services offered in Santa Clara County.

  • Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley
    Find volunteer opportunities, recruit volunteers, and information on voluntarism.

  • VolunteerMatch
    This nonprofit service helps individuals find places to volunteer and helps nonprofits recruit volunteers.

  • Silicon Valley Funders Directory
    From CompassPoint, a searchable database of funders of local nonprofit organizations. Also provides links to other CompassPoint services.

  • Earth 911
    Offers resources on environmental services, events, and information, and a zip code search for community-specific information including local recycling centers and more.

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Computers

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Consumers

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Education

  • The Internet Public Library: Education
    This directory of online educational resources includes K-12 education, higher education, adult education, and more    .

  • Ed.gov
    Led by the U.S. Department of Education with collaboration between federal agencies and the education community, this site is a student-centered information portal of federal services and information on education, careers, government, and more. Also check out the College Scorecard, which provides information on college affordability and value.

  • California Department of Education
    Provides a wealth of information on education issues in California. Includes links to the Academic Performance Index (API) (reports, guides and information on the accountability program measuring the academic performance and growth of schools), Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Results (program information and measurements on how well students are learning basic academic skills), and Content Standards (descriptions of the the knowledge, skills, and concepts that students should acquire in each grade level).

  • Santa Clara County Office of Education
    Includes current news and facts about education related issues, resources for educators, school district resources for families, a public school directory, public education job opportunities, and more.

  • Ed-Data
    Offers clear and comprehensive fiscal, demographic and performance information on California's K-12 public schools.

  • Private School Universe Survey
    Locate private schools throughout the United States with this database from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.

  • Online Guide to Bay Area Private Schools
    A comprehensive guide to private K-12 schools in the San Francisco Bay Area containing school lists by county, links to private and parochial schools and information on private school education in the Bay Area.

  • KhanAcademy

    Free online collection of video tutorials in math, history, healthcare and medicine, finance, physics, chemistry, biology, American civics, computer science, and much more.

  • Coursera
    Offers free cyber courses from both domestic and internatial universities such as Brown, Columbia, Emory, Vanderbilt, and Wesleyan as well as Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of British Columbia, University of London, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Courses are offered on a wide range of topics including Humanities, Medicine, Biology, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Business, Computer Science, and more. In order to enroll in a course users must be 18 years of age and register with a full name and email address. 

  • Home School Association of California
    A statewide non-profit organization that offers information and support to anyone with an interest in homeschooling.

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Elections

Registering to vote in Santa Clara County
Forms are available at:

Local post offices, libraries, city and county government offices and online. Call ahead before you go.

Stay Informed

  • Smart Voter
    From the League of Women Voters of California, this site presents customized, non-partisan information on local and state ballot measures, candidate links, voter registeration materials, past election results, and your personal ballot and polling location.
     
  • Easy Voter Guide
    From the League of Women Voters of California, this site presents nonpartisan information on local propositions, candidates, educational materials, voter registration information in different languages, and a printable guide. 
  • Elections 2012: Vanderbilt University
    A directory of links on the National Elections of 2012 including the issues, advertisements, campaign finance, statistics, polls, interest groups, news coverage, political parties, and more. 
  • Fact Check
    This nonpartisan noprofit "consumer advocate" for voters monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major US political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.
  • Open Secrets
    From the Center for Responsive Politics, this non-partisan, non-profit research group tracks money in politics, and its effect on elections and public policy.
  • Polling Report
    This nonpartisan resource tracks the polls of American public opinion.
     
  • Politify
    Provides a platform for analyzing financial projections based on the budget and policies put forth by each presidential candidate. Analysis can be done for personal data or by community both on the local and national level. 
  • Campaign 2012: C-SPAN
    Follows coverage of news and social media about the candidates and events of the 2012 national elections.

Youth Voting: Tools to help engage young people in elections
Many have noted the increased attention and enthusiasm of young people for elections. A number of on-line resources and tools have been created to encourage, inform and engage youth in the political process, including:

  • ServiceVote, Youth Service America
    This is an interactive website that is a hub for young people to engage in the political proccess by connecting with their peers, voters, and candidates.
  • What Kids Can Do – Youth on the Trail 2012
    This national non profit works to provide a youth perspective on the 2012 Presidential Elections, including: stories about the campaign, the candidates, and youth perspectives on the political process. 

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Employment

  • Vocational Information Center: Career and Technical Education
    A directory of online resources for career exploration, technical education, workforce development, and more.

  • CareerOneStop
    Learn about different careers, find career information, and locate career resources from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Employment and Training Administration. They also developed O*NET, an interactive database for exploring and searching occupations, valuable for workers and students looking to find or change careers.

  • JobStar
    Salary information, careers, job ads, job fairs, and hotlines for Northern and Southern California.

  • The Riley Guide
    One of the first and best job hunting sites on the Net, this site also serves as a how-to guide.

  • Job Hunt
    Employment portal linking to Internet-accessible job resources and services.

  • Occupational Outlook Handbook
    Provides descriptions of jobs, working conditions, training and education requirements, salaries, and employment prospects. From the U.S. Department of Labor.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Career and Job Information
    A listing of web sites for employment searches.

  • California Employment Development Department
    Information on Unemployment Insurance, Disability Insurance, job training, payroll taxes, and labor market information, and occupational guides. Also links to job listings for both employers and job seekers.

  • Work2future
    Local and online resources and services for employers and job seekers in southern Santa Clara County.

  • Nova
    Local and online resources and services for employers and job seekers in northern Santa Clara County. Youth ages 14-24 can find online resources at Youth@Work.

Resume Guides

  • Resume Companion
    A resume builder that does the writing for you, with over 50,000 job phrases to choose from.

  • Susan Ireland’s Resume Site
    Provides help and advice with resumes, cover letters, job interviewing, and job search. Also provides some information in Spanish.

  • Purdue OWL: Workplace Writers
    Resources for workplace writers and people writing during the job search process including  cover letters and resumes.

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Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Encyclopedias

  • Encyclopedia.com
    A collection of online encyclopedias with pictures, facts and videos that provides reference entries from published sources like Oxford University Press and Columbia Encyclopedia.

  • Wikipedia
    I    s a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project with millions of articles on many subjects that anyone can edit.

Dictionaries

  • English Dictionaries from Diccionarios en internet
    Provides a selection of dictionaries for the English language, as well as dictionaries for other languages such as Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and more.

  • The Free Dictionary
    A comprehensive collection of dictionaries by subject including medical and legal together with encyclopedias in various languages. Also includes games such as word matches, spelling bees, quotation of the day, and more.

  • The Visual Dictionary
    Definitions are organized by way of image and grouped into various themes and topics.

  • Wordnik: All The Words
    Is an online dictionary and language resource that provides dictionary and thesaurus content from the 2008 American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Wordnik provides example sentences showing words in context. It allows users to contribute information, such as recorded pronunciations, tags, and suggestions for new words. Flickr images are used to illustrate some words.

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Entertainment

Film & Television

  • AllMovie Guide
    A film and TV database featuring in-depth reviews, biographies and descriptive content.

  • Internet Movie Database
    A comprehensive database of films and TV.

  • Rotten Tomatoes
    Movie trailers, previews, and compiled reviews.

  • Movie Review Query Engine
    Contains links to hundreds of film reviews searchable by title, and lists festivals, recent releases, and selections of the American Film Institute.

  • Chicago Sun-Times: Roger Ebert
    Movie reviews, essays, and interviews from the famous film critic.

  • Hulu
    An online video service that offers a selection of clips and full episodes of  television shows and movies.

  • Free Documentaries
    Free Streaming Independent Documentary Films.

  • TVGuide
    This site offers daily TV highlights, current TV listings searchable by zip code and type of service, and brief articles on news and personalities.

  • Zap2it - TV Listings Guide
    Source for current shows on TV with news, listings, and channel information.

  • Museum of TV
    Includes educational programs and a searchable database of television, radio, commercial and news archives.

Games

  • Games
    Play puzzle, hidden object, arcade games and more!

  • Yahoo! Games
    Play arcade, board, card, and other puzzle games.

  • Gamespot
    A computer and video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, screen shots, movies, message boards and game guides.

  • allgame    
    Entertainment information database for video games.

Events

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Genealogy

Local Genealogy Libraries

Information collected by the U.S. Census from individuals becomes available to the public after 72 years. Some information is currently only available on microfilm.

Many vital records (Birth/Marriage/Divorce/Death) and local government censuses have been microfilmed, and might be available at the local vital records office or through the LDS Church.

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Government

  • GovSpot
    A user-friendly, topical portal to government information.

  • C-Span
    Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network is a private, non-profit company created to provide public access to the politcal process. It provides public affairs programming 24 hours a day in a variety of formats ranging from live tv/radio, and video, to podcasts, blogs, and websites covering international, national, and state/local resources.

International

Federal

  • USAGov :
    The official portal to government information and services, including a link to GovBenefits (a guide to available federal, state, and local benefits and assistance programs); and, a link to Government Forms (find federal forms and applications by agency name).

  • GPO Access
    The Government Printing Office offers this site for accessing many online federal databases such as the Core Documents of U.S. Democracy (major documents of the United States from colonial times to the present) and the United States Government Manual (information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches).

  • USASpending.Gov
    This site provides the public with information on how their tax dollars are spent. Data is collected about the various types of contracts, grants, loans, and other forms of spending by the federal government that is searchable by a number of different known variables, such as by agency, by awardee, or by location.

  • United States Copyright Office
    Information, publications, records, forms, and related information regarding copyrights.

  • United States Postal Service
    Offers zip-code look-up, stamps online, rate calculator, change of address, and other postal services and information.

State

  • State and Local Governments on the Net
    Provides quick access to the home pages of each state. This site also links to national, multi-state, and other organizations related to state government.

  • State of California
    Information on California, including history, travel, business, government, legislature, and state agencies.

  • Department of Motor Vehicles
    This site presents information on vehicle registration, driver licenses, identification cards, and publications including the California Driver Handbook.

  • Unclaimed Property Information
    The California State Controller's Office provides access the searchable database of the California Unclaimed Property Bulletin Board. It also has information on related laws, publications, and forms.

Local

  • Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
    The home page of this regional planning agency owned and operated by the cities and counties of the San Francisco Bay Area includes information on demographics, economy, current issues, the environment, and earthquakes.

  • County of Santa Clara
    A searchable home page on Santa Clara County government including the County Executive's office, the Board of Supervisors, and various county agencies.

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Green Living

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Health

  • MedlinePlus
    Provides consumer health information from various government agencies such as the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health. It also includes health news, drug information , herbal medicine, a medical encyclopedia, and access to medical journal articles, plus much more.

  • CAPHIS – Web Sites You Can Trust
    The Consumer and Patient Health Information Section of the American Library Association presents their top 100 list of health sites.

  • NOAH: New York Online Access to Health
    This searchable directory provides access to consumer health topics and includes definitions, care and treatment, and links to information resources.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
    This is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services. This site is a good source of information concerning the latest health emergencies (especially infectious diseases and foodborne pathogens). It also covers such topics as various diseases and conditions; emergency preparedness; injuries, violence & safety; traveler’s health; and workplace safety & health.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Health Information
    Includes information about prescription drugs, health professionals, nutrition, mental health, and other health topics.

  • MayoClinic.com
    Presents comprehensive health and medical information including sections on Diseases and Conditions A-Z, and Q&A with Mayo specialists.

  • Aetna InteliHealth
    Intelihealth teams up with the Harvard Medical School to provide a wide range of information in order to help you live a healthier life. This covers information on diseases & conditions, healthy lifestyle choices, and health topics that cover every member of the family. It also includes an ‘Ask the Expert’ feature.

  • Family Doctor.org
    The American Academy of Family Physicians presents health and medical information for the whole family.

  • Healthfinder
    From the U. S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, an easy to use gateway to information and web resources on health topics. Includes information in Spanish.

  • Medpedia
    This wiki, edited by physicians and Ph.Ds, is an online collaborative encyclopedia and resource for information about health, medicine and the body that is intended to be a reference source for both medical professionals and the lay-public. Many organizations, such as the Stanford School of Medicine and the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, have united to support this project.

  • Red Cross
    The American Red Cross provides a variety of online print publications. From short and quick reference booklets to comprehensive manuals, they provide information that can help you cope with numerous health-related situations. Included is a manual for Responding to Emergencies, a Babysitting Handbook, a Swimming and Water Safety Manual, and a Wilderness and Remote First Aid emergency reference guide. For a full list view this link.

  • Merck Manuals
    Online access to the authoritative Merck collection of healthcare manuals. They include the Merck Manual Home Edition (medical reference), Manual of Health and Aging, Manual of Geriatrics, Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, and Veterinary Manual.

  • PubMed
    Search for citations and full-text journal articles.

  • National Academic Press (NAP)
    Publishes the reports issued by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. In addition, the NAP publishes more than 200 books a year on a wide range of topics including health and medicine. All PDF versions of books published by the National Academies Press (NAP) are available for free downloading.

  • Lab Tests Online
    Information on clinical lab tests that are part of routine care, as well as diagnosis and treatment of conditions and diseases. This site is from the professional societies representing the lab community.

  • California Nursing Home Search
    This site provides comparative information about the quality of California's nursing homes. The California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform operate a similar website.

  • Santa Clara County Health and Human Care
    This public portal provides access to information on services provided by Santa Clara County covering various health and human services. These services cover such things as having a baby, child care, disease prevention, injury rehabilitation, elder care, and death and bereavement.

  • Santa Clara County Hospitals
    Links to local hospitals.

  • Bay Area Health and Medical Libraries
    Compiled by the PlaneTree Health Library, this list includes health and medical libraries that allow various types of access to the general public. Some are specifically set up to help community members find information, while others primarily serve physicians and offer limited services to the general public. Access policies, open hours, and reference availability vary widely so please call ahead first to inquire.

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History

  • Best of History Web Sites
    Links to hundreds of quality world "history-related" web sites.

  • History on the Web
    From the University Libraries of the University of Washington, this site provides links to world history sites by topic, region, or time period.

  • HyperHistory Online
    Presents world history using a combination of lifelines, timelines, and maps. The information progresses from a quick overview to more in-depth, and can be searched by people, history (of civilizations), events, maps, and options.

  • PBS History Shows
    Watch favorite PBS history programs, covering various subjects in history, online. Choose from full programs, shorts, or previews.

  • Digital History
    An interactive, multimedia site for students and teachers on American
    history -- fun and educational.

  • History Matters
    This site is a gateway to web resources on U.S. history; first-person primary documents in text, image, and audio; and guides to analyzing historical evidence.

  • American Memory (Historical Collections of the National Digital Library)
    This multimedia website contains digitized historical documents, photographs, sound recordings, moving pictures, books, pamphlets, maps and other resources from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions.

  • Primary Documents
    Access to primary documents from throughout American history can be found here. A Chronology of US Historical Documents is from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. The National Archives and Records Administration has its own chronological list of documents, plus background and citation info, at Our Documents-100 Milestone Documents.

  • H-California
    A listing of sites on California history.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Local Area Information: History
    An annotated listing of Internet resources on the history of Santa Clara County and the Bay Area.

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Language Learning

  • BBC Languages
    Provides free learning of seven major languages like French and Spanish with free audio and video programs. Also offers a section called “Quick Fixes” (essential phrases) in 36 languages from Basque to Ukrainian.

  • Livemocha
    A social-networking site, which offers structured lessons for beginner and intermediate language learners. Users get started by clicking on the language they speak and the language they want to learn and then connect with a worldwide community of native speakers to practice reading, writing, and speaking exercises.

  • Language Learning Library
    A basic guide to learning foreign languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

  • WordReference Dictionaries
    Provides free online bilingual dictionaries.

  • Google Translate
    Translate text, webpages and documents by entering text or a webpage URL, or by uploading a document.

  • Activities for ESL Students
    Quizzes, tests, exercises and puzzles to help you learn English as a Second Language.

  • U.S.A Learns
    A free web site funded by the U.S. Department of Education to learn English. Improve basic reading, writing, speaking and life skills.

  • Learn American English Online
    A website for ESL students to improve their English vocabulary and grammar. Learn from seven levels of instruction (in order: blue, red, yellow, green, purple, orange,  and violet).

  • La Mansión del Inglés
    A language learning website aimed at Spanish speakers who want to learn English.

  • Santa Clara County 2-1-1
    A listing of services and programs throughout Santa Clara County that offer language instructions and ESL.

  • ESL (English as a Second Language) Class Search
    Sponsored by the Santa Clara County Office of Human Relations and Immigrant Relations and Integration Services (IRIS), this search tool accesses a database of ESL courses and providers within the county.

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Law

  • Legal Information Institute
    From Cornell Law School, a gateway to extensive materials on law, including court opinions, summaries of legal topics, full text legal journals, and current events.

  • Guide to Law Online
    Part of the site prepared by the Law Library of Congress, this is an annotated guide to international, national, and state government and law sites. The California guide is divided into categories: constitution, executive, judicial, legislative, guide, and general sources.

  • Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet
    From the Library of Congress, this is a searchable database with information on Congress, bills and laws, the Congressional Record, committee reports, and historical documents.

  • Your Public Law Library
    From the Council of California Law Librarians, links designed for self-represented litigants, an online basic research class, plus a variety of links to legal sites. Translated into several languages, including Spanish and Chinese.

  • LawHelpCalifornia.org
    Provides Californians with referrals to free and low-cost legal help organizations and information on legal rights. Information is organized by subject.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Law: Attorneys
    A selection of sites listing attorneys and law firms. Included is the Phoenix Data Center which lists local agencies providing free and low income legal services.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Law: Legal Forms
    A selection of sites offering legal forms.

International Law

Federal Law

  • U.S. Code
    This database contains the general and permanent laws of the United States.

  • Federal Register
    Official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and presidential documents.

  • Code of Federal Regulations
    A codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government.

  • U.S. Supreme Court
    FindLaw's searchable database of the Supreme Court decisions since 1893.

State & Municipal Law

  • California Law
    California law consists of 29 codes covering various subject areas, the state constitution, and statutes. Provides access to California Bills and legislative histories.

  • California Courts
    Maintained by the Judicial Council of California, this site provides information on the California Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, links to County Courts, the Self-help Center, forms, rules and procedures, and current events.

  • Court Resource Center
    From the Santa Clara County Bar Association, a site providing access to local, state, and federal court information covering rules of court, calendars, procedures, and judges profiles.

  • California Code of Regulations
    This database contains all 27 titles with the exception of Title 24 (California Building Standards).

  • California Tenants
    From the California Department of Consumer Affairs, this is a guide to the rights and responsibilities of residential tenants and landlords. It covers such issues as the eviction process, security deposits, and unlawful discrimination.

  • California Local Codes And Charters
    From UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies, this site contains links to California city and county codes and charters currently available online.

Local Resources

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Libraries

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Literature

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Magazines, News & Media

  • Yahoo-News and Media
    A directory with links to newspapers, magazines, radio stations, TV networks, and other news sources by subject, type or region.

  • ABYZ News Links
    A directory to online news sources from around the world. It is primarily composed of newspapers but there are also links to broadcast stations, internet services, magazines and press agencies.

  • DailySource
    A non-profit news site with a mission to provide high quality news and information from leading sources across the Internet.

  • HeadlineSpot.com
    This site provides the latest headlines and links to newswires, newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and online sources by topic and region.

  • CNN Interactive
    A site for current news with feature stories, images, special categories, as well as access to articles from the past year.

  • BBC News
    World edition of the BBC with the latest news, business, and sports, along with international radio and TV.

  • Zap2it.com TV Resources
    Provides an international directory of TV stations, including those that do not have websites.

  • Radio-Locator
    A listing of over 10,000 radio stations worldwide. Can be searched by location and by call letters.

  • MagPortal
    A search engine and directory for finding online magazine articles.

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Maps & Geography

  • Oddens' Bookmarks
    Browse a wide selection of links or search by country and category.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Maps and Geographical Information
    Additional map and geography resources available on the web.

  • Interactive Maps - United States
    Consumer oriented mapping services, including Google, MapQuest and Yahoo, allow users to locate businesses, street addresses, and driving directions.

  • Interactive Maps - International
    Consumer oriented mapping services, including Multimap and ViaMichelin provides street-level maps and driving directions    .

  • Google Earth
    View satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. Need to download the viewer. Not available for in-library use at this time.

  • PCL Map Collection
    From the University of Texas Perry-Castaneda Collection Map Library, an excellent collection of online international maps, including historical maps, city maps, and outline maps.

  • United Nations Cartographic Section
    A very assessable collection of country profile maps, thematic maps, and peacekeeping maps.

  • National Atlas
    Maps that capture and depict the patterns, conditions, and trends of American life.

  • USGS National Mapping Information
    A searchable database of geographic features in the United States. Information includes name, type, elevation, population, latitude and longitude, and links to maps.

  • TopoQuest
    Excellent online source for the U.S. Geological Survey topographical maps. Search by place name or latitude and longitude on this interactive site covering the entire United States.

  • USGS Earthquake Information Center
    From the U.S. Geological Survey,a variety of information on earthquakes around the world. The Earthquake Hazards Program of Northern California provides the latest quake information for California, including real time earthquake maps.

  • ABAG Geographic Information Systems
    Provides hazard planning maps for the 9 Bay Area counties. 

  • Historic Topographic Maps of California
    San Francisco Bay Area -- From UC Berkeley, provides web access to historic topographic quadrangles from 1895 to the present.

  • Map Collections
    Map images from 1500 with a focus on the Americana and Cartographic Treasures of the Library of Congress. Organized by category and searchable by keyword.

  • Map History / History of Cartography
    Listing of over 1,200 image sites for early maps.

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Music

  • MusicTheory.net
    Includes introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, ear trainers, and books.

  • Music Library & Listening Center
    A collection of links to Web resources about the study of folk and primitive music arranged by categories by the University of Washington.

  • AMG All Music Guide
    Comprehensive database of recorded music, this site contains ratings and reviews of more than 400,000 record albums. Search by artist, album, song title, music style, and label. Find information on new releases, biographies of musicians, and discographies of both in and out-of-print titles.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Arts and Entertainment: Music
    Links to a selection of sites for music, including music charts, awards, and song lyrics.

  • Music Collections
    Online index to San Jose Public Library's extensive music holdings available in the Choral Music Collection, Magazine Music Collection, Sheet Music Collection, Songs/Songbooks Collection, and Stock Music Collection.

Local Music Resources

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New Americans

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Newspapers

  • NewsLink
    A News portal site with links to U.S. and foreign newspapers, magazines, radio and television networks.

  • OnlineNewspaper.com
    A web portal with thousands of newspapers from around the world organized by region and country.

  • International News Archives
    A list of links to non-US news archives available on the Web.

  • U.S. News Archives
    Provides links to United States news archives available on the Web.

  • Chronicling America
    Maintained by the Library of Congress as a work in progress this digital resource provides historical newspapers from all the states and U.S. territories published from 1880-1910. Includes a directory or profile of American newspapers published between 1690-present.

  • Google News Archives Search
    Provides an easy way to search and explore historical news about events, people and ideas from around the world. Results can be displayed in other languages. An automatically generated timeline is also available.

  • The Wall Street Journal
    Published Monday through Friday, providing news and financial information. Some content may be available for full-text retrieval for up to two years. As an alternative to searching their online site directly, perform a more precise search in Newspaper Source Plus via EbscoHost to retrieve article title and date. Next copy/paste the desired title into the search box of the Wall Street Journal online edition. Specify a date range to see if full-text content is accessible.

Local Newspapers

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Philosophy & Religion

Philosophy

Religion

  • Virtual Religion Index
    Virtual Religion Index analyzes and highlights important content of religion-related websites.

  • Religions
    Information on featured religions and beliefs provided by the BBC.  The site includes a multi-faith calendar.

  • Internet Sacred Text Archive
    Archive of online books about religion, mythology, folklore and the esoteric on the Internet.

  • Religion and Ethics Newsweekly
    This website complements the PBS program which provides news coverage and analysis of national and international events in the religious world.  It features individual show transcripts, streaming video of weekly reports, full transcripts of interviews with notable guests, related articles dealing with significant issues in religion and ethics news.

  • Pluralism Project: Directory of Religious Centers
    Directory of 4500 religious centers in the United States.  Does not include Christian or Jewish centers.

  • Encyclopedia Mythica
    Internet encyclopedia of mythology, folklore, and religion.

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Phone Books & Directories

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Directories: Telephone Directories
    Provides annotated links to a variety of residential and business directories, including toll-free directories, international directories, and area code information.

  • Country Calling Codes
    An interactive resource to find international dialing code or time zone for any country.

  • All Area Codes
    This site was designed to allow easy look up of area codes of all the states, cities, and other areas serviced under the North American Numbering Plan.

  • Infobel
    A worldwide phone directory of international residence and business listings. Offered in multiple languages.

  • AT&T AnyWho
    A web-based international directory to consumers and businesses with flexible searching options.

  • FindLinks
    Phone numbers for persons or businesses nationwide. Narrow your search by city and state or subject heading. Reverse lookup and email addresses are available.

  • Switchboard
    Phone numbers for persons or businesses. Searches can be made nationwide with just a name, or can be narrowed by city and state. Reverse lookup and email addresses are available.agencies.

  • Internet 800
    This site lists 800 and 888 numbers regardless of long-distance carrier, and is searchable by product, service, and company name.

  • Gethuman
    This site features customer service reviews, tips and information to get contact help and receive better service, as well as a large database of company phone numbers that reach human customer service reps.

  • Non-911 Emergency and Non-emergency Numbers for Santa Clara County Communities

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Reading

  • Bookspot
    A resource for readers, featuring book reviews, news, reading lists, and author and publisher information.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Literature: Books
    Includes links to websites of bookstores, online books and audiobooks, book reviews, and book discussion groups.

  • Overbooked
    Providing information about new and notable fiction and nonfiction. Includes booklists, new book information, and other online resources.

  • Readers Advisory Link Farm
    Extensive list of links to Readers Advisory resources compiled by a Library Science professor. This directory is arranged by type of resource and also by genre.

  • Award Annals: Book Awards
    Lists all the major book awards describing the books and ranking them in their category.

  • Series and Sequels
    A listing of fiction books for adults which are part of a series, or are sequels to earlier novels. Can be searched by author, title and series name or characters.

  • Based on the Book
    Find book, short story, and plays that have been made into movies. Search by book, or movie title. From the Mid-Continent Public Library.

  • BookTour
    Search for author appearances and literary events happening near you.

  • DailyLit
    Read sections of books online or register to have sections of books or audiobooks emailed or sent to your RSS feed automatically.

  • LibraryThing
    Catalog your own library in a virtual bookshelf and discover what others are reading in this online community.

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Reference

  • Librarians' Internet Index
    A searchable, annotated directory of more than 4,700 Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians.

  • Library Spot
    Annotated links to online research tools such as almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, statistics, libraries and much more.

  • Virtual Reference Shelf : Selected Web Resources
    Compiled by the Library of Congress -- A collection of Internet links arranged alphabetically by multiple subject categories.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook
    A directory of highly useful and informative sites arranged by subject.

  • Bartleby.com - Reference
    Provides a collection of reference sources on a wide variety of topics.

  • Santa Clara County Library District - Ask Us
    Our professional and friendly team of librarians is always ready to answer your questions, help you get started with research, find an elusive fact, and recommend a great book. Reference services are free and for all ages. Contact us via text, IM, e-mail, chat or talk with us in person or by phone.

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Search Engines

Search Engine Guides

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Science & Technology

  • Scirus
    Award-winning science-specific search engine with special features to help pinpoint science web pages, peer-reviewed articles, scientific conferences, abstracts and patents. Accesses a large database of scientific, technical, and medical journals.

  • INFOMINE - Biology, Agriculture and Medical Sciences
    From the University of California, this site provides well organized access to important university level research and educational tools on the internet covering most major life, agricultural and medical subjects. Each record includes an annotation and in-depth indexing terminology.

  • INFOMINE - Physical Sciences, Engineering, Computing & Math
    From the University of California, this site provides well organized access to important university level research and educational tools on the internet covering most major subjects in physical sciences, engineering, computing and math. Each record includes an annotation and in-depth indexing terminology.

  • National Academic Press (NAP)
    Publishes the reports issued by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. In addition, the NAP publishes more than 200 books a year on a wide range of topics including engineering and science. All PDF versions of books published by the National Academies Press (NAP) are available for free downloading.

  • SciCentral
    Gateway to over 50,000 sites pertaining to over 120 specialties in science, engineering, and medicine.

  • Science Daily
    This site is an online news source that covers science, technology and medicine. Easily searched by topic, it is updated frequently.

  • TED
    Watch talks and lectures for free. Topics include technology, entertainment, and design. 

  • Cornell Math and Science Gateway
    From Cornell University, this is an annotated subject guide to resources in mathematics and science.

  • Science.gov: Firstgov for Science
    Browse a wide range of subjects in this searchable "gateway to authoritative selected science information provided by U. S. Government agencies, including research and development results".

  • Eric Weisstein's World of Science
    In addition to in-depth encyclopedias of mathematics, physics, astronomy, and chemistry, this site features brief biographies of scientists, who can be searched by gender, historical period, branch of science, nationality, and awards.

  • Animal Diversity Web
    From the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, this is an online database covering the natural history of all types of animals. It includes classification, description, ecosystem roles and conservation status in its coverage of each animal.

  • The Periodic Table of Videos
    Created by the University of Nottingham this site provides a description of all 118 chemical elements in video format.

Local Science Centers

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Seniors

  • AARP
    This American Association of Retired Persons resource will point you toward sites on money, work, legal issues and more.

  • Exploritas
    This nonprofit organization provides affordable and educational adventures for adults 55 and older.

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Social Sciences

  • Open Directory - Science: Social Sciences
    A comprehensive human-reviewed directory of links organized into categories and maintained by volunteer editors.

  • Pew Internet & American Life
    The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, provides domestic and global information on attitudes, issues, and trends.

  • ProCon.org - Pros and Cons of Controversial Issues
    This nonpartisan site encourages critical thinking and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward format.

  • National Academic Press (NAP)
    Publishes the reports issued by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. In addition, the NAP publishes more than 200 books a year on a wide range of topics including behavioral and social science. All PDF versions of books published by the National Academies Press (NAP) are available for free downloading.

  • American Memory
    A collection of primary source materials related to American culture and history. This is an on-going project of the Library of Congress.

  • American Cultural History: The Twentieth Century
    Organized by decade from 1900-1999, this site presents information, suggested print sources and Internet resources on American culture and history.

  • American Rhetoric
    Search the online speech bank for over 5,000 full-text, audio, and video streaming versions of American public addresses.

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Sports

Sports on TV

Local Teams

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Statistics

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Student Resources

  • BJ Pinchbeck’s Homework Helper
    A one-stop hub that provides links to educational resources such as math, science, social studies, languages, history, music, art, and computers.

  • Discovery Education
    Offers free student resources in the form of interactive games, videos, contests, virtual labs and activities on subjects such as science, English, social studies, math and more.

  • KhanAcademy
    Free online collection of video tutorials in math, history, healthcare and medicine, finance, physics, chemistry, biology, American civics, computer science, and much more.

  • Great Web Sites for Kids
    Maintained by children’s librarians of the American Library Association, Great Web Sites for Kids offers hundreds of links to exceptional websites for kids, parents, caregivers and teachers.

  • Create a graph
    Offers bar, line, area, pie and X-Y graphs and charts to create from scratch.

  • ProCon.org
    Is an independent, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity offering pros and cons of controversial issues for critical thinking and education. This is a great resource to use as a starting point for freshman college students as well as teachers when researching a topic on a controversial issue.

  • Science Fair Project Ideas
    Free science fair project ideas for grades K-12.

  • Wolfram|Alpha
    Is an answer engine that provides answers to facts and data across a wide range of topics, including math, science, history, geography, technology, and more.  View the example page for information on how to best perform a query.

  • World Fact Book
    Maintained by the CIA the World Fact Book provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. The Reference tab includes: maps of the major world regions, as well as Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map.

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Taxes

Locating Tax Forms

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Testing

  • Exam Proctoring
    Find libraries that offer exam proctoring.

  • Pensacola State College Library – Test Preparation Guides
    A directory of testing resources for various standardized tests.

  • ETS
    ETS develops, administers and scores a variety of tests for various age groups and subjects. Tests include SAT, GRE, TOEFL, etc. To view a full list of ETS tests, visit the Tests & Products page.

  • 4Tests
    Provides free, online practice exams for high school, college, professional, and standardized tests.

  • TestTrade.com
    A one-stop place for study questions, test preparation materials and examinations concerning college and professional tests.

  • majortests.com
    Practice tests and resources for high school, college and graduate tests.

  • Kaplan Test Prep
    Provides resources on a variety of college, graduate and professional tests. Select a test to search by zip code for services and events, including free event information.

  • The Princeton Review
    Find free online practice tests and search for free practice events by Princeton Review.

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Theater & Dance

  • Performing Arts Encyclopedia
    A guide to the performing arts resources at the Library of Congress (including web presentations) covering collections of scores, sheet music, audio recordings, films photographs, and other materials. It includes databases, and a special Performing Arts Resource Guide.

  • Theater - The New York Times
    The NYT theater coverage including news, reviews, blogs, interviews, and videos for shows from Off Off Broadway to London.

  • Theatre History on the Web
    A gateway to numerous sites of interest to anyone interested in all periods and aspects of theater history around the world.

  • Internet Broadway Database
    Historical and current production information for New York Theater.

  • Playbill On-Line
    Includes United States and London theater listings, industry and celebrity news, seating charts, and links to other theater sites.

  • Theatre Bay Area
    Information on local productions.

  • Voice of Dance
    A global dance directory covering message boards, reviews from top critics, calender listings for dance performances, a local class finder, discount tickets, and more.

  • A History of Social Dance in America
    Using the resources of the American Antiquarian Society this site presents an illustrated history of all aspects of social dance in the the United States.

  • Ballroom Dancers.com
    Learn dance steps  from around the country and around the world using videos accompanied by written instructions. This site allows you to sample music, look up terms, find a partner or a place to dance, plus much more.

  • American Ballet Theatre - Online Dictionary
    An online ballet dictionary with illustrations and interactive features.

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Travel

  • TripSpot
    Features travel guides, transportation, accommodations, destination ideas, maps, and travel news.

  • Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory
    Guide to official tourist information sources, including government tourism offices, convention and visitors bureaus, and chambers of commerce.

  • Karen's Reference Notebook - Travel Information
    A selection of online travel guides and reservation sites.

  • Maps and Geography
    This category includes a selection of mapping services and geographical information.

  • Airtimetable
    Presents airline timetables, arrivals and departures, flight tracker, airline seat maps, and an airline and airport locator.

  • Ships and Cruises
    Provides cruise information including a cruise line directory.

  • Travel by Train
    Links to worldwide railway lines and their schedules, such as the Eurail.

  • Bureau of Consular Affairs
    Information from the State Department about travel in other countries including travel warnings, visa information, passport services, and an index of topics.

  • Transportation Security Administration for Travelers
    From the Transportation Security Administration, this is the traveler and consumer center providing up-to-date and comprehensive information on aviation security.

  • Travelers' Health (CDC)
    This site for international travelers gives vaccination requirements, disease outbreaks, food warnings, and country health information from the National Center for Infectious Disease and Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

  • Elderhostel
    Provides the online catalog of the organization's worldwide educational travel programs for people 55 and over.

  • California Find Yourself Here
    From the California Division of Tourism, this site provides tourist information and links for California including accommodations, attractions, transportation, entertainment, events, and recreation.

Parks - National, State, and Local

  • Recreation.gov
    Find U.S. recreation information and reservations for campgrounds, tours and wilderness areas.

  • U.S. National Park Service
    Find a U.S. National Park, discover history, and explore nature.

  • Park Search
    From L.L. Bean covering America's parks and recreational areas.

  • California State Parks
    The official state site for camping, reservations, and events.

  • Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation
    Find maps and reservation information for 28 recreational areas in the County.

  • Transit 511
    Sponsored by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, this site contains current transit information for the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties including maps, schedules and fares for buses, trains and ferries.

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Vehicles

  • Karen's Reference Notebook – Automobile Consumer Information
    This link provides information on a number of issues related to vehicle purchasing and leasing, including crash test data, car prices, and several buyer's guides. Includes links to Kelley, Edmunds, and Nada.

  • Car Care Guide
    This covers major service and minor maintenance instructions which can be applied to almost every vehicle. The Car Care Council also has the guide in Spanish.

  • ProCarCare
    ProCarCare’s car care guide is a complete reference on maintenance, systems and more. à A car care reference manual providing maintenance recommendations, information on major vehicle systems, and more.

  • carbibles.com
    Learn everything the DIY car enthusiast needs to know about basic car maintenance with detailed information and charts.

  • AutoMD
    Online auto repair manuals and videos include illustrated steps, tools needed and estimated time to finish.

  • Motorcycle Manuals
    Free motorcycle shop manuals and parts manuals can be found here as well as on this Online Parts & Shop Manuals page which organizes them by country.

  • Old Car Manual Project
    This project collects original manuals and car brochures for older vehicles that can be viewed online.

  • Car Crazy Central
    Car enthusiasts will find exciting online TV shows and videos exploring many types of vehicles.

  • Car Talk
    Car advice, tips, troubleshooting, and answers to your car questions from NPR.

  • Best Parking
    A “parking search engine” that helps you find the cheapest and closest parking garages and lots in major North American cities and 79 airports including San Francisco.

Official Services

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Weather

  • World Weather Information Service
    The World Meteorological Organization provides official observations and forecasts from National Meteorological Services in a centralized source.

  • Weather Underground
    This site offers weather information for worldwide locations, including current conditions, hourly forecasts, radar and satellite maps, and historic weather data back to 1945. Find details from the EPA about the UV index.

  • Weather Channel
    From the television weather channel, you can access local, national, and international current weather conditions and forecasts.

  • National Weather Service
    This site provides weather forecasts, watches, and warnings for the United States including the greater San Francisco Bay Area/Monterey.

  • CDC Natural Disasters
    Learn how to prepare for and respond to a variety of extreme weather and natural disasters from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • San Jose Climate Page
    Displays current and historical climate information, records, and sunrise/sunset tables for San Jose, California.

  • Spare the Air in the Bay Area
    Provides current air quality forecasts, ozone levels, and alternative transportation information.  

  • The Old Farmer’s Almanac
    Access weather predictions, long range and weekly forecasts, radar, weather history, and webcams from the source of the print Old Farmer's Almanac.

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