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Community Links & Resources

Use the list of resources below to find information about state and local resources.

Books and Reading

  • Goodreads: Social site for browsing, rating, and sharing books.  Free account required for creating book lists & reviews.
  • LibraryThing:  Create virtual shelves to keep track of your book collection online, and share & review books with other members.
  • NPR Books:  Book reviews, lists, and author interviews from National Public Radio.
  • New York Times Books:  Book news, author interviews, and up-to-date New York Times Bestseller lists.
  • Project Gutenberg:  Free downloadable eBooks in a variety of formats.  These books are all in the public domain and yours to keep free of charge!  Includes many classic titles and authors.
  • LibriVox:  Free downloadable audiobooks read by LibriVox volunteers.  Available in several languages.  These audiobooks are all in the public domain and yours to keep free of charge!
  • Oprah's Book Club:  Popular book recommendations and reading guides selected by Oprah.
  • Common Sense Media "Best of" Lists:  Children's book selections by the non-profit organization to assist parents with evaluating kids' media, with ratings for education value, positive messages, violence/scariness, and language.  Film, game, music, and website ratings also available.
  • WorldCat:  Search library book collections worldwide.  A great site for finding other libraries that have the book you need.

Local and Neighborhood Websites

Government and Current Issues

Learning and Research

  •  The Handbook of Texas Online: The Handbook of Texas Online is a multidisciplinary encyclopedia of Texas history, geography, and culture sponsored by the Texas State Historical Association and the General Libraries at UT Austin.
  • Khan Academy:  Free online tutorials & interactive lessons.  Covers subjects such as math, reading, history, & programming, plus test preparation & college readiness.
  • EdX:  Access to university-level MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) from various institutions, featuring free online interactive lessons taught by university professors.
  • MIT OpenCourseWare:  Free open courses from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, available in a variety of subjects & multiple languages.

Health and Wellness

  • Health Insurance Marketplace:  Get information on eligibility and insurance plans, and sign up for health insurance via the Marketplace.
  • MedlinePlus: Trusted health information from the National Library of Medicine, in a searchable & easy-to-read format.
  • Centers for Disease Control & Prevention:  Disease information & public health research from the CDC.
  • HealthFinder:  Health information from over 1,000 government & non-profit organizations, brought together by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.