If you have questions regarding any of these Reference services, do not hesitate to contact Josh Olshin,  Reference/Adult Services Librarian, at 781-344-2711 or at jolshin@ocln.org.  The Reference Department of the Stoughton Public Library, headed by Reference and Adult Services Librarian Josh Olshin, provides a full service information resource for all patrons.

For business information, our Business Reference Collection includes mutual fund information via Morningstar, stock information via Value Line, as well as access to business related information found in magazines and newspapers online at our Public Access Catalogs, and through business sites via the Internet.

For parents, we have reference books on home schooling, child care and family issues. To assist students with homework, many resources are available including a large collection of books on countries, biographical dictionaries, and science reference, as well as sites on the Internet.

For children and teens, there are adult reference materials which can be used in addition to the reference materials in the Juvenile and Young Adult Departments.

Health related information can be found in the Reference Book Collection and in health information databases which contain scientific journals, consumer magazine and newspaper articles.  These are available through the library's website and the Old Colony Library Network www.ocln.org by using your library card number as ID.

For all patrons, the Reference Librarian is always ready to give personal help.  Just ask for the Reference Librarian at the main desk.

Stoughton Public Library's membership in the Massachusetts Regional Library System gives you free access to thousands of full-text Periodicals, Newspapers, Reference Books, Health and Business resources.

Gale Databases - Gives you access to 16 Databases containing research articles in thousands of journals.

ProQuest - 19 Local Newspapers including New York Times‚Äã, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Patriot Ledger, and Providence Journal.  See list of all papers covered.

EBSCO Research Databases (provided by the Stoughton Public Library)

Stoughton Public Library patrons can now access a variety of databases that will meet your research needs.  Whether you are looking for a good book to read, an ancestor, a science project or your next car, the library subscription databases are your access to an easily searchable world of information. Click on the link above for instant in-library access.  At home, you must also type in your Stoughton Public Library card number for access.

ConsumerReports.org - Powerful interactive features only for subscribers! Get product Ratings from our world-famous test labs and sort them based on your priorities. Find out which products are best buys and worst performers.

Footnote History and Genealogy Archives - U.S. Federal Census Records, Naturalization Records, War Records, Historical Newspapers, Milestone Documents, City Directories (Major Cities).

NoveList Plus - A comprehensive readers' advisory resource for fiction and nonfiction.  With its intuitive interface and extensive proprietary content, NoveList Plus will help you to answer the question of what to read next.

Auto Repair Reference Center - Contains information on major manufacturers of domestic and imported cars, with repair information for most vintage makes.  Includes specifications and maintenance schedules, labor time guide and estimator, drawings, service bulletins and recalls.

Home Improvement Reference Center - Contains 27 major reference works in full text with photos, drawings and videos. Topics include:  maintenance, remodeling, electrical, plumbing, woodworking, outdoor projects, interior decorating, home and garden.

Literary Reference Center - Information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and timeframes.  Combines information from major respected reference works, books, and literary journals.

Science Reference Center - Contains full text for hundreds of science encyclopedias, reference books, and periodicals. Topics include: biology, chemistry, earth & space science, environmental science, health & medicine, history of science, life science, physics, science & society, science as inquiry, scientists, technology and wildlife.

Cape Cod Times  (11/1/1998-present) - The daily newspaper for Cape Cod and the Islands.

eLibrary - BigChalk eLibrary is a full-text database of consumer-oriented magazines, books, newspapers, newswires, television and radio transcripts, photographs and maps.

Mango - Mango is an online language-learning system that teaches actual conversation skills for many different languages including English

Global Road Warrior - Whether you've got a backpack, briefcase, laptop, or a desk, the Global Road Warrior lets you circle the globe in the blink of an eye. The Global Road Warrior is an international resource for social, cultural, travel, and business information. The database covers 175 countries and territories and includes information on demographics, economy, holidays, currencies, visas, climate, passports, immunization, entry and departure, emergencies, internal travel information, country and regional maps, airports, international dialing guides, and more. To access Global Road Warrior, please click on the link and type in your Stoughton library card number. www.globalroadwarrior.com/index2.asp

Stoughton History - This website is dedicated to providing historical and genealogical information on Stoughton, Massachusetts. The site will be of interest to Stoughton residents, students researching Stoughton's rich heritage, and genealogists researching their Stoughton ancestors. David Allen Lambert, a life-long Stoughton resident and town historian, is the webmaster for this superb Stoughton History website. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Stoughton Historical Society and is the author of the book Images of America: Stoughton (Arcadia Publishing‚Äã, 2001).

If in your searches for books and information you come across the letters SC in the Call No., you should know that it stands for the Stoughton Public Library's Stoughton Collection. This consists of books, manuscripts, microfiche, articles, and even some "realia" (real items, such as a set of buttons commemorating an historical event) dealing not only with Stoughton, but other cities and towns in Massachusetts and New England. This material is kept for its historical and research value and also includes vital statistics, town histories, photographs, military records, and newspapers.  There are also historical maps in the map drawer underneath the stairs.

Whenever anyone is doing genealogical research: that is, trying to trace back a family's historical roots, our Stoughton Collection is the source to use.

The materials in the Stoughton Collection (SC) do not circulate, but are available for use in the library with a form of identification for staff to hold at the main desk. The Stoughton Collection is filed in our Periodical Room, and patrons request items from it which Library Staff will obtain.