Mariposa County Library - Using the Library

Online Catalog

Borrowing Materials

Library Areas

Reference Collections

Reference Collections

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Online Research & Reference
The library subscribes to many services, including newspaper and magazine databases, which are not available free on the Internet. If you have a valid Mariposa County Library card, you may use almost all of the following databases from home.

ValleyCat – Search the online catalog for listings of all materials available in all the libraries of the San Joaquin Valley Library System.

Ancestry: Library Edition – accessible only inside the library – Online source for genealogical and historical research. This database of records from the US Census; military records; court, land and probate records; vital and church records; directories; petitions for naturalization; passenger lists and more, is accessible in all libraries.

Learning Express Library: Online Test and Course Resources – A completely interactive online learning platform of practice tests and tutorial course series designed to help patrons, students, and adult learners succeed on the academic or licensing tests they must pass.

Live Homework Help – Free online tutoring is accessible every day from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. This service connects students in grades 4–12 to qualified tutors via the Internet. Students and parents can connect to online tutors as often as they need help. Requires a valid Mariposa County Library card. See Live Homework Help Tech FAQ for computer requirements.

NewsBank – Access full-text articles from nationwide newspapers and magazines. NewsBank's America's Newspapers features electronic editions of record for local, regional, and national US newspapers – all in one easy-to-search database. NewsBank's America's News Magazines features coverage of US and international news, business, lifestyle, entertainment, sports, and science and technology from familiar magazines.

ReferenceUSA – Database of public, private, small, medium, and large companies providing information for millions of US and Canadian businesses. It's updated monthly, and is searchable by state, city, zip code, SIC code, and yellow page headings. Also contains millions of US and Canadian residential listings.

San Joaquin Valley & Sierra Foothills Photo Heritage – Historical photograph collection of nearly 3000 digital images created by the San Joaquin Valley Digitization Project.

History & Genealogy Links – The library's links to websites providing information on history and genealogy of the Mariposa County region. Databases and other information contained in these websites is vast and ever-increasing.

Web Searching – The library's links for general Web research.

Reference Questions and Interlibrary Loan services are available to library users for difficult-to-find information and materials.

General Reference
Reference collections contain books and other materials that cannot be checked out, but are available for use in the library and for photocopying. The main library's general reference collection includes current health and medical reference books, automotive repair manuals, up-to-date encyclopedias, state and federal tax publications, California and regional US telephone books, Blue Books, regional government agency publications, and more. Library staff can assist in finding information in the library's reference collection, and library users may wish to submit a reference question.

California Collection & Local History
Mariposa County Library's main library has an extensive collection of California reference books with an emphasis on local and regional history. Miscellaneous files and documents of local historical significance are also available for use in the library. Photocopies can be made from these resources. A strict procedure is followed for accessing California Collection books. The books are for library use only, and library staff removes the requested books from locked shelves. User must leave his/her driver’s license or photo ID at the front desk and sign for each book requested. Licenses or IDs are returned when books are returned to the front desk.

Genealogy Reference
The main library has a separate collection of genealogy reference books, which includes Passenger and Immigration Lists Indexes. Local genealogy reference materials can be found in the Local History collection, as well as via microfilm and microfiche. Ancestry: Library Edition, a database for use in genealogical and historical research, is accessible inside all libraries.

Microfilm & Microfiche
Two microfilm and microfiche readers with printers are available for use near the circulation desk in the main library. Accessible via microfilm and microfiche are issues of the Mariposa Gazette newspaper from 1854 forward, local historical court and government records, census records from 1850 to 1900, and the Mariposa County Great Register of Voters from 1867 to 1904. Mariposa County Library cardholders can request microform materials from other libraries via interlibrary loan. The items are sent to our library on loan and can be used by the borrower in the library.

Maps
Regional US Geological Survey topographic maps, regional road maps, US Forest Service maps, Bureau of Land Management maps, world maps, and more, are available for use in the main library.