Literature & Reading 

Alexander Street is a hub for scholarly resources in streaming video, audio, and text formats, fostering research, teaching, and learning across various disciplines. Key offerings include:

• History: Explore extensive historical documents and multimedia resources.
• Literature & Language: Investigate a wide range of literary works and linguistic studies.
• Music & Performing Arts: This is their largest collection and includes a large mix of music genres and performers (Classical Music, Opera, and Jazz).
• Social Sciences: Explore aspects of human society from various sociological and anthropological perspectives.

This platform also offers advanced search functionality and full video transcripts. Access this resource using our special link.

Beanstack is like a smart watch or fitness tracker for your reading goals. The app version has many built-in features like a barcode scanner and timer to make this process very easy—it's way better than paper and pencil!

• Log your reading progress by page, minute, or book, it's up to you.
• Beanstack can also send book recommendations by email based on your reading interests.
• We also use this site for our summer reading program and other online events.  

Learn how to create a Beanstack account and use the app or website.

Sign up to get book recommendations in your email box.

• For adults, teens, and children.
• Browse award winning, subject, and best selling lists.
• New book notifications.

Download books and audiobooks to your favorite device.

• eBooks and eAudiobooks.
• Adult bestsellers and nonfiction titles.
• Children and teen collections.

Check out the Getting started with Boundless video series and Boundless FAQs if you need help.

Comics Plus Children’s Library is appropriate for Ages 5-14:

• Readers: Beginning and emerging readers in elementary school; active readers in upper elementary and middle school; reluctant and remedial readers of all ages.
• Formats: Early readers and picture books to traditional comic books, manga, and comic strips.
• Key Titles: Adventure Time; Archie Comics; Avatar: The Last Airbender; Awkward; Big Nate; Bone; Chicagoland Detective Agency; Disney Descendants; Disney Fairies; Djeliya; Fairy Tail; Fuku Fuku Kitten Tales; Geronimo Stilton; The Legend of Zelda; Lucy the Dinosaur; Lumberjanes; Mail Order Ninja; Minecraft; My Little Pony; Quince; The Sisters; Sonic the Hedgehog; Stranger Things; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; They Called Us Enemy
• Key Publishers: ABDO, Archie Comics, Andrews McMeel, Capstone, Cartoon Books, Classics Illustrated, Immedium, Junior Yen, Kodansha, Lerner, Manga Classics, Papercutz, Rosen, Saddleback Educational

Every title is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on your computer, tablet or phone -- no holds or wait lists required.

Enjoy unlimited access to thousands of graphic novels, manga and comics from a variety of library-friendly publishers. The Comics Plus Full Catalog allows you to access content for all ages, including adult content.

Every title is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on your computer, tablet or phone -- no holds or wait lists required.

Enki Library is an eBooks platform created by libraries in California with great content from indie publishers.

• You do not need a library card to access: it's freely available to anyone on the internet located in California.
• If prompted, enable location services on your phone or web browser.
• Enki borrowing will not appear in your Palo Alto library account.

Research database covering:

• Business
• Computers
• Current Events
• Economics
• Education
• Environmental Issues
• Health Care
• Hobbies
• Humanities
• Law
• Literature and Art
• Politics
• Science
• Social Science
• Sports
• Technology

Download and stream digital content to your computer or device:

• Streaming movies & TV.
• eBooks
• eAudiobooks
• Graphic novels
• Music albums
• Medici.tv (7-day checkout)

Limit 3 checkouts per month per library card.

We invite you to also try Hoopla's BingePass collection, which allows unlimited streaming of an entire series for seven days with just 1 checkout. Every three months you will also find the Bonus Borrows collection featured on their homepage. Bonus Borrows do not count against your 3 checkout per month limit and are a great way to try something new.

Libby, provided by Overdrive, is a platform for eBooks, audiobooks, magazines and streaming video.

• Almost 3000 eBooks
• Over 3600 audiobooks
• Over 3000 magazines such as The New Yorker, Discover, National Geographic, Forbes, and Newsweek

Libby also provides additional streaming services:

• Qello concert and performance streaming, plus films on music. 
• Indieflix films and documentaries from emerging filmmakers 
• Great Courses college-level lectures and literature

Access:

1. Click the Libby Link
2. Follow the prompts to sign in with your library card. We are a member of the Northern California Digital Library (NCDL).
3. Note that you may need to scroll down or click the "more" button to see our library in the list.

Check out the Libby FAQs if you need help.

Enjoy picture books with your children in a variety of languages.

• Unlimited access to thousands of digital picture books.
• 70+ World Languages together with English translations.

Book recommendation service for K-8 readers:

• Notification services
• Fiction and non-fiction recommendations
• Mood-based recommendations
• Core Curriculum recommendations

Book recommendation service:

• Notification services
• Fiction and non-fiction recommendations
• Mood-based recommendations

Project Gutenberg offers free eBooks and audiobooks.

There are several file formats for download, including the ones compatible with Kindle (mobi), as well as Nook, Kobo or iBooks (epub).

Enrich your reading experience for children's and young adult literature.

• Author interview, read-alongs and explanations of their work
• Reader's advisory
• Teacher and librarian resources

Teaching Books provides multimedia resources for exploring a wide range of children's and young adult literature and authors, with instant access to educational content.

• Short movies
• Audiobook readings
• Book discussion guides