Described here are just some of the resources that libraries can offer in support of a researcher's needs. Online Catalogs A library's collection of books, journals, videocassettes, audio cassettes, CDs, CD-ROMs, Internet links, etc. is often compiled into a catalog. Thanks to the Internet, Web interfaces have been created that permit users from anywhere in the world to log on and see what useful items a library may possess. It is an ideal opportunity to expand a user's universe of known resources and broaden the base from which subsequent research is done. Important caveat - not every item in a library catalog is necessarily available to everyone who would like to use it.
Libraries have policies and guidelines that govern who has access to materials.
With that in mind, however, it may be worth searching some of the online catalogs listed below to see what new things can be discovered. The Library of Congress' catalogs are available from this page as well. These databases can be one standalone database or a collection of several databases. There is one for almost every known subject or discipline, often the problem can lay in finding it and then being able to afford to search it. Many of these larger and more powerful databases count libraries, law firms, and other institutions as clients, and the cost of research on these systems are often passed directly to the person requesting the search.