Adults

ALA Book Club Central is an online one-stop-shop for book clubs, featuring everything from author interviews to book recommendations and reviews, as well as discussion questions and tips about how to start and moderate a book club.

What’s Next, Books in Series is maintained by the Kent District Library in Michigan.  This site allows the user to easily search  and print off lists for books in a series.

New York Times Best Seller List

Good Reads is a site for readers and book recommendations, helping people find and share books they love.

20SomethingReads is targeted to people in their 20s.

Bookpage is all about the best new books.

FaithfulReader brings information and features about Christian fiction authors, books, series, and characters.

ReadingGroupGuides has over 4,000 guides available for book discussion groups.

The following sites are maintained by Badgerlink and may be accessed using your library card:

• NoveList provides access to information on fiction titles as well as feature content including author read-alikes, book discussion guides, reading lists and more.
• Literary Reference Center site is a resource for poems, short stories, essays, speeches, and plays as well as criticism on all forms of literature.
• TeachingBooks.net gives access to thousands of resources about fiction and nonfiction books used in the K-12 environment to encourage the integration of multimedia author and book materials into reading activies.

Job Center of Wisconsin, operated by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and the Wisconsin Job Center system, is a Wisconsin-centered employment exchange, linking employers in all parts of the state and in communities that border Wisconsin with anyone looking for a job.  Visit your local Job Centerfor additional, in-person help!

Wisconsin Job Network is a compilation of Wisconsin job opportunities, created from Wisconsin LocalJob Network.

Department of Vocational Rehabilitation provides services to job-seekers who have disabilities.

Wisconsin WORKnet has information about careers with the most job growth and other statistical information that may be helpful to job seekers, along with some job listings.

Pierce County Job Openings

Occupational Outlook Handbook is a guide to career information about hundreds of occupations.

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is for job seeking in Minnesota.

Computer Skill Building

Tech Skills Help is the Indianhead Federated Library System’s site to help connect you to libraries and other agencies that provide help with technology skills.

Goodwill Industries has a comprehensive, free online resource for learning software, typing and mouse skills.

Palm Beach County Library has some excellent and fun exercises to practice using the mouse.

Learning Express Popular Software Skills Center is available free to all Wisconsin residents through BadgerLink, and includes tutorials on the Microsoft Office suite and other tools.

Everyoneon is a part of a federal initiative that will allow you to get connected to Internet access at home, and find places to take classes or get help learning to use the Internet.

Northstar Digital Literacy Project has basic computer digital literacy standards and self-guided modules and assessments in six main areas: Basic Computer Use, Internet, Windows, Mac, Email, and Word Processing.

Other Job Skills

Job Search Writing – Resumes & Cover Letters is from Purdue University.  Learn how to craft resumes and cover letters.

Learning Express Career Center is available free to all Wisconsin residents through BadgerLink, and includes occupation exploration resources and prep for career exams.

Learning Express Adult Learning Center is available free to all Wisconsin residents through BadgerLink, and includes practice for GED exams and other skill-building resources.

Transparent Language Online is a free interactive, online language program that is accessed with a MORE library card.

• 100+ languages (and growing!): From Afrikaans to Zulu, the number of languages available to learners is constantly growing.
• Tablet compatibility: optomized for touchscreen use on Android™ tablets and iPads, Transparent Language Online works on virtually any Internet-connected device or computer.
• Extensive English collection: With paired English materials for speakers of 25+ languages, intermediate- and advanced-level courses, an American Citizenship Test Prep course, and more, we have the tools for every English learner.
• Core skill-building activities: Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are the four pieces of the language puzzle. Put them all together through dozens of learning activities, including pronunciation practice and typing tasks.
• Alphabet lessons: You can’t learn to read or write if you don’t know the alphabet. Get learners started on the right foot with full-length alphabet courses.
• Usage tracking: Real-time, continuously-updated usage reports help you measure ROI through an administrative portal that is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Rocket Languages is a free interactive, online language program that is accessed with an Ellsworth Public Library card.  Choose from 15 languages including English courses designed for Spanish speakers!

• Language Lessons to help you speak naturally
• Culture Lessons so you can understand the people
• Hear It Say It!, Know It!, and Write It! self-testing technology, so you can test your new language skills
• Rocket Record voice comparison technology for every word and phrase used in the course
• My Vocab; a feature that lets you store words for future reference
• My Notes; a feature that lets you add notes and reminders to a lesson
• My Forum, the online space where you can interact with other learners and your Rocket Languages teachers
• The Rocket Languages iOS and Android apps so you can use your course wherever you are

HeritageQuest (provided by Badgerlink) is accessed with a valid library card.

Ancestry Library Edition is free to patrons with a valid library card on library computers only.

Family Search is one of the largest collections of free family history, family tree and geneology records in the world, provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The National Archives has geneology information aids, guides, and research tools.

National Obituary Archive is the world’s largest repository of obituaries and death records.

Wisconsin Geneology Index has records of obituaries published before 1999; births, deaths and marriages before September, 1907.

Pierce County Historical Association collects and preserves archival materials, sponsors and supports various programs, events, and activities of historical interest, and educates the public about Pierce County History.

Rootsweb at Pierce County is a source for local history and resources for Pierce County, Wisconsin.

Recollection Wisconsin is an expanding digital collection featuring thousands of historic photos, postcards, maps, letters, diaries, books, artifacts, oral histories and other digital collections from dozens of Wisconsin libraries, archives, museums and historical societies.

Wisconsin State Historical Society is a great place to start searching for Wisconsin state history and records.

Dan Geister’s Area Voices is a blog from local historian Dan Geister focusing on Pierce County history.

UWRF University Archives and Area Research Center has access to historical materials, local government records, manuscripts, and special collections from four northwestern counties including Burnett, Polk, Pierce, and St. Croix.

Local History Collections of Surrounding Counties

Found in Wisconsin is an index of bibliographic records to digital collections hosted by over 500 libraries, museums, historical societies, genealogical societies, schools, and various cultural organizations around Wisconsin.  Search or browse the 1.200+ index for links into websites containing historic photgraphs, video and sound clips, written documents, maps, newspapers, cemetery indexes, and much more.

The Ellsworth Public library has a limited number of free Federal, Wisconsin, and Minnesota State Tax Forms from January-April.  Forms may be found on the following sites:

Federal tax forms

Federal Withholding Calculator can be used to estimate your current year’s income tax and then cmpare this estimate to your current tax withholding to help you decide if you need to change your withholding from your employer.

Wisconsin state tax forms

Minnesota tax forms

Voting

Where Do I Vote? finds your polling place in Wisconsin.

How Do I Register to Vote? has voter information for Wisconsin residents.

Elected Officials

Your Elected Officials uses zip codes to find and contact your federal, state, and local elected officials, from the League of Women Voters.

Auto RepairSource has repair information including printable instructions and schematics for vehicles from 1945 to the present.  Accessed at home through BadgerLink with a library card.

Edmund’s Automobile Buyer’s Guide

Kelly Blue Book Prices

N.A.D.A. Price Guides represents the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Fuel Economy Guide features updated fuel economy data for new and used passenger vehicles dating back to 1984, allows side by side vehicle comparisons, and offers fuel-saving tips.  Also contains vehicle specific air pollution emissions information and safety ratings.

Vin Decoder identifies the vehicle’s manufacturer, brand, make and model, body style, engine size, assembly plant, and model year for free by inserting the vehicles’s vin number. This free report may also include a vehicle history report, manufacturer’s recalls, previous acccidents, and repairs.

fueleconomy.gov is the official U.S. government source for fuel economy. Find and compare cars, get gas mileage tips, use a fuel cost calculator or find the cheapest gas.

Whether you’re looking for a magazine article, homework help, or home improvement guides, you’ll find what you need on the MORE Online Catalog’s Research Page with most being accessed through BadgerLink. BadgerLink is Wisconsin’s Online Library, providing Wisconsin residents with licensed content not available through regular search engines. Listed below is a small sampling of information found on the MORE Research page:

• Read a newspaper that was printed on the day you were born by accessing NewspaperARCHIVE on BadgerLink
• Deciding on a new appliance – find the ratings in Consumer Reports Magazineon BadgerLink
• Get more information on medications on AHFS Consumer Medication Information on BadgerLink
• Add fun sound effects like an alien spaceship landing to a presentation found on Soundzabound on BadgerLink
• Find adventure books for kids on Novelist K-8 on BadgerLink

Wisconsin’s Digital Library offers free downloadable books, audio books, and magazines and streaming video of popular movies!  Search the usual way or by featured collections including:  Most Popular Titles, Wisconsin Born and Read, Popular Series Titles for Kids,  New Streaming Video, Cooking and Baking, Book Club Picks, New Magazines, New eBooks, New Audiobooks, or Back to School.