Reference Resources
E-REFERENCE COLLECTIONS
Course Hero
Course Hero offers millions of crowdsourced notes, study guides, practice tests, and more - tagged to specific courses at schools around the world.
Crash Course
Informative and entertaining videos exploring a variety of academic subjects, from World History to Math and Computer Science.
Digital Learn.org
Video tutorials featuring classes in using technology and attaining digital literacy skills.
Digital Public Library of America
A portal to the digital collections of hundreds of libraries, museums and educational organizations. Find maps, art, manuscripts, books and more.
Directory of Open Access Journals
Peer reviewed professional research in a whole range of fields, free and available in full-text.
edX
Free online classes available from dozens of universities like Harvard and Rice University.
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
Collection of authoritative encyclopedia articles covering all areas of information.
GCFLearnfree
Video tutorials on many useful subjects from basic math to personal budgets or job search strategies. The Microsoft Office tutorials are outstanding!
HathiTrust Digital Library
The HathiTrust Digital Library brings together the immense collections of partner institutions in digital form, preserving them securely to be accessed and used today, and in future generations.
HippoCampus.org
Free educational videos, test prep, simulations and more covering topics in math, science, social science and humanities.
History Reference Center
Reference books, encyclopedias, non-fiction books, and journal articles; includes biographies of historical figures, photos, and maps.
Internet Archive
Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more. It includes access to the “Wayback Machine” for viewing older websites and instructions for 3D printing objects.
Khan Academy
Created by experts, Khan Academy’s library of trusted, standards-aligned practice and lessons covers math K-12 through early college, grammar, science, history, AP®, SAT®, and more. It’s all free for learners and teachers.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
Photographs, documents, motion pictures and sound recordings that tell the story of America's Past.
Literary Reference Center
Plot summaries, synopses, work overviews, articles of literary criticism book reviews, poems, short stories, novels, interviews, and images concerning thousands of authors and their works.
Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment
This free assessment of basic skills needed to perform tasks on computers and online employs online, self-guided modules in eight areas: Basic Computer Use, Internet, Windows Operating System, Mac OS, Email, Microsoft Word, Social Media, and Microsoft Excel.
The Online Books Page
Listing over 3 million free books.
Open Culture
A platform for access to online courses, e-books, audio books, music, and videos for both entertainment and learning.
Open Educational Resources
Browse Open Educational Resources
Project Gutenberg
A source for free classic books, including milestones in history, scientific writing and great literature. E-book and audio formats available.
Research Starters - Business
Comprehensive, yet concise summary articles on business topics.
Research Starters - Education
Comprehensive, yet concise summary articles on education topics.
Research Starters - Sociology
Comprehensive, yet concise summary articles on sociology topics.
SAGE Open
Open access to scholarly articles in a range of disciplines.
Skill UP Mississippi Educational Resources
Skill UP Mississippi has curated teaching resources for Adult Education and English as a Second Language (ESL) educators.
Study.com
With over 30,000 video lessons and other resources, you're guaranteed to find what you need to study.
Study Stack Flashcards
Challenge yourself with flashcards in a whole range of subjects and levels. Make your own, or choose from sets others have shared. Decks can be turned into puzzles and games.
Additional Web Resources
ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviations.com
Browse by category, word, or abbreviation.
Acronym Finder
Offers extensive listing that can be searched by acronym, abbreviation or by keyword.
ALMANACS & FACTS
City-Data.com
Informative profiles of cities in the United States and Canada. This site gathers information from government, social and industry websites and presents a detailed picture of what it is like to live and work in these communities.
Creative Commons
A website dedicated to browsing the web for fair use materials with a range of options and sites.
Infoplease
Infoplease has been providing authoritative answers to all kinds of factual questions since 1938.
Guinness Book of World Records
Official site of Guinness World Records, the ultimate authority on record-breaking achievement, providing information about superlative facts and feats.
Old Farmer's Almanac
Traditional source since 1792 containing practical facts about everything from a sunrise table and best fishing days to planting charts and weather forecasts.
ATLASES & GAZETEERS
Anyplace America
Topographic maps and photos of over 1.25 million water, land and man-made landmarks in the United States.
Mapquest
Online maps and driving directions.
U.S. Board on Geographic Names
National mapping information by the U.S. Geological Survey.
BIOGRAPHY
American Presidents
In-depth information reviewed by prominent scholars on each President and Administration.
Find A Grave
Search engine for locating the graves of the famous and non-famous.
Mississippi People
A Wikipedia page that highlights the accomplishments of some of the extraordinary people of Mississippi.
Nobel Laureates - The Nobel Prize Internet Archive
This site maintains information on all winners in all categories.
People in the West
This interactive biographical dictionary provides concise profiles of the men and women featured in THE WEST, as well as information about many individuals who are mentioned only in passing.
Pulitzer Prizes
This site contains the complete list of Pulitzer Prize winners and nominated finalists from 1917 to the present. Site also contains the full text of winning entries in the Journalism categories from 1995 through the present.
CAREER & JOB INFORMATION
Best Resume Formats for 2020
Choosing the proper resume format is a crucial step for job hunters. Learn about the three standard resume formats, and how to pick the best format for your resume.
Career Advice - Monster
Job Hunt Strategy. Resumes & Letters. Interviewing. Salary & Benefits. In the Workplace. Career Development.
CareerExplorer by Sokanu
A career matching platform that helps people find their ideal career.
Career How to Guide
The Wall Street Journal's career site offers a wide variety of career-related information. Be sure to visit their College/MBA site.
CareerOneStop
Brought to you by the American Job Center, this free resource brings everything together in one place for you to research industries and occupations, job postings, resume and interview tips and tons more. It really is OneStop shopping for your career search.
Career Outlook
Site created and maintained by U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a plethora of information about a large number of occupations.
High Demand Jobs in 2021 & Beyond
Find fulfilling careers and choose the right educational pathway for their needs.
Holland Code Quiz
The Holland Code is a system to classify jobs into job categories, interest clusters, or work personality environments. This particular quiz is from Rogue Community College's Counseling Department.
How to Write a Cover Letter
Curious how to write a cover letter, or simply need to make one fast? We’re here to help. Enjoy our expert covering letter guide, as well as our free cover letter examples at your leisure.
Interview Advice
How best to prepare for interviews, which interview types are most frequently used by recruiters, how to approach answering the more typical interview questions, and the competencies that your interviewers might aim to assess.
Job Interview Questions
This website provides a broad range of topics that deal with job interviews. We know that you would like to be prepared, and this is why we've elaborated different sections related to other topics such as resumes, education degrees, additional courses, translations, jobs, salary negotiations, etc.
Journal of Technical Education and Training
A peer reviewed journal that publishes articles concerning Technical & Vocational Education and Training.
MDES Resume Preparation
Tips on writing an effective resume.
Mississippi Department of Employment Security
Information on job searching for Mississippi. Also access to WIN job centers.
O*NET Online
This site offers an extensive exploration of careers.
Occupational Information Network
The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) is a free online database that contains hundreds of occupational definitions to help students, job seekers, businesses and workforce development professionals to understand today's world of work in the United States.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Insights into different kinds of jobs, their requirements, working conditions, pay, and prospects for employment.
PrepStep
Build basic workplace skills and prepare for occupational and/or standardized tests.
Purdue OWL: Job Search Writing
Tips from Purdue's Online Writing Lab to help you prepare for the different types of writing you will do during the job search process.
USAJOBS - Resource Center
All federal job opportunities with a position description and instructions how to apply.
What Can I Do With a Major In...
University of North Carolina-Wilmington's Career Center has comprehensive career guide to majors.
ZipRecruiter
ZipRecruiter is a leading online employment marketplace.
COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
American Association of Community Colleges
Information about community colleges and the educational opportunities they provide.
Big Future: College Board
Guide to preparing for, selecting, and paying for higher education.
Campus Security Data Analysis
Provides rapid customized reports for public inquiries relating to campus crime data.
FinAid
Comprehensive site offering financial aid assistance to the college student including loans, scholarships, grants, and military aid opportunities.
Peterson's College Guide
A search tool for some of the best colleges and universities, articles, and resources to help you find the right school, contact admissions officials instantly, excel on tests, and pay for college.
University HQ
Online resource for finding top rated colleges, scholarships, potential salaries, and helping you find the right career.
COUNTRIES
CIA World Factbook
Provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities.
Country Studies
Presents a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of countries throughout the world.
CURRENCY & CALCULATOR
Cost of Living Calculator
Enter your current city and where you'd like to move. You are shown your two cities side-by-side in all the categories you need, such as taxes, housing, food, and other costs.
Online Calculators, Conversion Tools, Measurements & Tools
Calculation & conversion tools, tide charts, and weight and measurement data.
Universal Currency Converter
Perform currency and foreign exchange calculations using live, mid-market rates.
DICTIONARIES
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
Includes over 18,000 entries that reveal the etymologies, trace the origins and otherwise catalog “words with a tale to tell.”
Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus
Quick and easy access to a well-recognized language resource. Definitions, synonyms, pronunciation, word history, Vocabulary building games and more.
OneLook Dictionary Search
Searches 745 dictionaries on various subjects with one click.
WordReference Online Language Dictionaries
Translation help for several of the world's most widely spoken languages.
ENCYCLOPEDIAS
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, as its name implies, proposes to give its readers full and authoritative information on the entire cycle of Catholic interests, action and doctrine.
E-How
eHow.com is an online community dedicated to providing visitors the ability to research, share, and discuss instructional solutions that help complete day-to-day tasks and projects.
Encyclopedia Britannica
An online version of the famous Encyclopedia Britannica.
Encyclopedia Mythica
An online encyclopedia dedicated to mythology, folklore, and religion in six major geographical regions.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
A wiki-style Encyclopedia on Philosophy kept up to date by leading experts in the field.
Symbols.com
Symbols.com contains more than 1,600 articles about 2,500 Western signs, arranged into 54 groups according to their graphic characteristics.
Webopedia
The only online dictionary and search engine you need for computer and Internet technology definitions.
MISSISSIPPI
Census 2010 / Mississippi
Provides information for researchers interested in using Census data for administration, planning and decision making, or demographic research.
MAGNOLIA
Information Resources supported by the Legislature of the State of Mississippi and its Public, School and Higher Education Libraries.
Mississippi Blue Book (2012-2016)
Mississippi Official & Statistical Register.
Mississippi Blue Book (2016-2020)
Mississippi Official & Statistical Register.
Mississippi Code
Laws and Statutes of the state of Mississippi.
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
Explore our states heritage through digitized collections of newspapers, photos, and original documents. Witness how History is made!
Mississippi Department of Education
The Mississippi Department of Education web site.
Mississippi Department of Employment Security
Department dedicated to decreasing unemployment and offering training services.
Mississippi Department of Revenue
This website provides access to online filing services and information about taxes in Mississippi.
Mississippi Development Authority
Mississippi Development Authority's mission is to foster a strong state economy and vibrant communities through innovation, use of talent and resources to improve our citizens' lives.
Mississippi Government Portal
Official web portal for the State Government of Mississippi. Learn about our current governance and find out how to contact our representatives and state agencies here.
Mississippi History Now
A new article is posted each month and previous articles are archived on the site. The web site continues to grow as a rich source of Mississippi history.
Mississippi Libraries
Founded by the Mississippi Library Commission to provide services to libraries, the government, and the general public.
Mississippi People
A Wikipedia page that highlights the accomplishments of some of the extraordinary people of Mississippi.
Secretary of State of Mississippi
Includes Mississippi Code and constitution.
NEWS
ABC News
Breaking News, Politics, Online News, World News, Feature Stories, and Celebrity Interviews.
AllSides - Unbiased Balanced News
Balanced News from the Left, Center and Right
Clarion Ledger
The Clarion-Ledger Jackson, MS news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classified ads.
CNN
Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment, and Video News.
C-SPAN.org Videos
Educational videos from the venerable cable network, organized by subject.
Fox News
Breaking, Latest and Current News.
New York Times
Breaking News, World News, and Multimedia.
Washington Times
Politics, Breaking News, U.S. and World News.
QUOTATIONS
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
A collection of passages, phrases, and proverbs traced to their sources in Ancient and Modern Literature.
Lib Quotes
A great collection of sourced quotations by philosophers, writers, politicians and many more. 100% sourced quotations.
Quotations Page
Over 26,000 quotations online from over 3,100 authors.
STATISTICS
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The BLS is an independent national statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public.
Data.Census.Gov
This is the search platform for information from the US Census.
FedStats
Gateway of statistical information divided by links to statistics and links to statistical agencies.
Fifty States
Easy to search information about the history, economy, and geography of the U.S. States.
National Center for Health Statistics
Includes all kinds of statistical health-related information.
STATS
Non-partisan and non-profit which advocates scientific and statistical methods as the best way of analyzing and solving society's problems.
STUDENT SUCCESS
A Look into College Student’s Financial Journeys
College Financial Planning Center from BestColleges.com
Active Reading
This site is hosted by Dartmouth College and offers tutoring forums and learning strategies.
Advice and Guide to Student Credit Cards
Information to help you make more confident decisions on Credit Cards from MoneyGeek.
The Balance Careers Cover Letter
General guide on cover letter writing for students, including examples and helpful links for different types of cover letters.
The Balance Careers Resume
Guide for college student resume writing, includes examples and a template to help understand formatting for a resume.
Better Money Habits
Build your financial know-how with free tools and information to help you make more confident decisions.
Big Future: College Board
Guide to preparing for, selecting, and paying for higher education.
CashCourse
Online personal finance tools to help you build real-life-ready financial skills.
College on a Budget
CollegeAffordabilityGuide.org was launched in 2013 by Degree Prospects.
College Student Study Skills Guide
This comprehensive guide explores the best methods for taking notes and preparing for exams and provides concrete strategies for dealing with test anxiety.
Credit Card Insider: Student Credit Cards
Credit Card Insider was created as a resource for consumers, by consumers.
EveryDollar
EveryDollar is free budget software accessible from your computer and iPhone.
Fool Proof
This site assists students in making decisions.
Fun to Type
Games to improve keyboarding/typing skills.
Guide to College Clubs & Organizations
Student clubs are a fantastic way to find friends and grow academically, socially, and personally during college. This guide offers all sorts of clubs, including art, political, and culture clubs that might be a perfect fit for you.
Guide to Understanding College Life
This guide surveys major aspects of college life. It covers topics such as choosing a place to live, managing social activities, and navigating work and scholarship applications. The guide is intended to give potential college students an idea of what to expect in college.
How to Improve Your Memory
This site offers brain boosting and improving memory tips as well as numerous topics to assist the college student adjust to a new environment.
How to Make College More Affordable
Blog post from BestColleges.com
Indeed Cover Letter
A breakdown of what goes into a cover letter, specifically a cover letter for students. Includes examples, templates, samples, and videos.
Indeed Memo
Guide to writing a memo with a breakdown of examples and an example template.
Indeed Resume
Guide for college student resume writing with helpful breakdown of what to include in a resume and several YouTube videos that go over resume writing.
Learning Styles Questionnaire
Hosted by North Carolina State University this site offers a series of questions that are designed to provide the student with the best way to study and retain information based on the answers provided.
Managing Time and Money
Hosted by Dartmouth College this site offers printable calendars, schedules and planners for students.
Managing Your Time
Site provides handouts, planners, videos, and links to help students learn how to better manage their time.
Mental Health Guide for College Students
As a college student, it's crucial to stay mentally healthy. This guide will give you several things you can do to stay ahead of mental health issues, tips to live your best life and places you can go when you need a hand.
MoneySmarts @ Indiana University
Site established as part of an overall program to assist students to make informed financial management decisions and decrease overall student debt.
Monster Cover Letter
This page includes links to example cover letters for specific career fields.
Monster Resume
Extensive list of links to guides and articles that cover all aspects of resume writing including help for specific careers, resume dilemmas, and common mistakes made on resumes.
Multiple Intelligences
This link provides information on multiple intelligence types. Offering links for various personality tests.
My Money
This website is a product of the Congressionally chartered Federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission.
My Next Move
My Next Move is an interactive tool for job seekers and students to learn more about their career options.
Practical Money Skills
To help consumers and students of all ages learn the essentials of personal finance, Visa has partnered with leading consumer advocates, educators, and financial institutions.
Purdue Online Writing Lab - Resumes
PurposeGames
Create and play online quizzes.
Resume Builder
Quick and Easy Online Resume Builder.
Resume Genius
Make a professional resume in 12 minutes.
SQ3R Reading/Study System
Hosted by Virginia Tech this site offers tips on how to focus on and comprehend what is being read.
Student Guide to Healthy Eating in College
Healthy eating can increase your mental sharpness, physical ability, and even your GPA. This guide covers the basics of nutrition and gives tips for eating well on campus.
Student Success Workshop Outlines
This site offers outlines and handouts on how to handle specific topics that college students face or deal with such as stress, time management, decision making and home sickness.
Study Stack
Study Stack is a fun link for students to use in preparation of weekly quizzes or final exams. The site offers basic areas of study as well as foreign language and standardized test guides. Flash cards and quizzes and games can be created by students and reviewed at any time on any device.
Unabridged Student Counseling Pamphlets
The site offers a collection of pamphlets on day-today issues faced by students.
VARK Questionnaire
This site offers various types of questions for the student to answer about preferences and then uses the answers to provide learning and study strategies.
What Impact Does Seasonal Affective Disorder Have on College Students?
Mental health in college students is gaining attention. Use this guide to learn more about seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression.
STYLE MANUALS
APA Format (OWL Writing Center - Purdue)
Guide to Citation Style Guides
MLA Format (OWL Writing Center - Purdue)
THESAURI
Roget’s International Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases
A thesaurus of over 85,000 hyperlinked cross-references with each word being related to its neighbors and each part related to the whole.
TIME & CALENDARS
Daylight Saving Time
Its history and why we use it.
Perpetual Calendar
A calendar that can be generated that is good for a span of many years.
This Day in History
Find out what happened this day in history.
Time Zone Converter
Time zone tools and time zone converter.
US
Cost of Living Calculator
Enter your current city and where you'd like to move. You are shown your two cities side-by-side in all the categories you need, such as taxes, housing, food, and other costs.
The Appalachian Trail
An informational resource devoted to the world's longest hiking-only trail - the Appalachian Trail. As the world's longest hiking only trail, the AT traverses most of the eastern US.
United States Government Portal
Portal to federal government information, including the Government Printing Office, jobsite for seeking employment, and contact information for organizations and agencies.
United States Zip Codes
The most comprehensive resource for United States zip code data. You can look up extensive data about every zip code in the country such as real estate and housing data, population demographics, employment statistics and school information.
WEATHER
National Weather Service
WEIGHTS & MEASURES
Common Equivalent Weights and Measures
Lists equivalents to common units of measurements, such as acres to kilometers and yards.
Conversion Factors
Gives conversion factors, including changing acres to hectares, BTU/hour to horsepower, centimeters to inches, degrees to radians, feet to miles, furlongs to feet, liters to gallons, and more.