Popular Online Resources

A variety of sites and information useful for research.

Air Quality Information

Anthrax and Bioterrorism Resources

The following websites provide information about bioterrorism and how to handle the threat of anthrax, and other types of bioterrorism.

General Business Sites

Start-up Information (and Beyond)

  • Business Owners Toolkit - Comprehensive checklist of steps to take to start a business.
  • Kauffman Foundation's entreworld.org - Highly regarded site for all stages of starting and growing a business.
  • Peerspectives - Designed for second stage businesses and entrepreneurs with information to help them get to that next level.
  • Discover Business Online - This site for startups and small business owners includes tools and/or resources needed to solve problems and accomplish objectives. Includes information on online MBA programs.

Associations and Organizations

Online Business Periodicals

  • Entrepreneur - Articles and information on start-ups, franchising, e-commerce, marketing, etc.
  • Forbes - Resources and tools for the entrepreneur.
  • CNN Money Small Business - Articles about and for small business, including links to special issues.
  • Inc.com - Search for articles and view the "Inc 500" list

Citizenship Resources

Coronavirus Information

Coronavirus Disease Information

The following websites provide information about the Coronavirus Disease.

Everyday actions that help slow the spread and protect your and your family.

Practice everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

These everyday habits can help prevent the spread of several viruses.

People who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should contact their health care provider immediately.

Credit Reports and Personal Finance

  • Equifax
  • Experian
  • Trans Union
  • Annual Credit Report - This central site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
  • The Simple Dollar - A personal finance blog that provides frugality and money management tips, ideas for frugal living with high quality of life, disability information, and more.

Delta Conveyance Project

If you have questions regarding the Final EIR or need resources or accommodations in other languages call (866) 924-9955 or email: DeltaConveyance@water.ca.gov.

Driver's License Practice Tests

eBook and Audio Book Resources

A variety of web sites offering electronic versions of books for free. The majority of the books are older ones due to the copyrights expiring.

  • Alex Catalogue of Electronic Texts - This is a large collection of American and English works of literature and philosophy. Examples include works by Charles Dickens, Martin Luther King Jr., Plato, William Shakespeare, Adam Smith, Bram Stoker, Mark Twain, Voltaire, and many more. Books are available as txt or pdf.
  • Baen Books - A number of books from this science fiction and fantasy publisher are free. New titles added every month.
  • Bartleby.com - This is another huge collection of resources. Includes works of fiction, non-fiction, reference, and poetry. Examples include the Columbia Encyclopedia, Bartlett's Quotations, Roget's Thesaurus, works by Jane Austen, Victor Hugo, Homer, Carl Sandburg, Emily Dickinson, Albert Einstein, and many more. Book format is HTML.
  • Books Should Be Free - Free audio books in mp3, iPod, or iTunes formats.
  • Bookyards - A web library that provides of a wide variety of eBooks.
  • Children's Books Online: The Rosetta Project - Provides hundreds of children's books from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Books may be read online or downloaded, and consist of scanned images of pictures and text. Includes books in other languages.
  • UC Press E-Books Collection, 1982-2004 - This collection includes almost 2,000 books from academic presses on a range of topics, including art, science, history, music, religion, and fiction. Access to the entire collection of electronic books is open to all University of California faculty, staff, and students, while more than 500 of the titles are available to the public.
  • International Children's Digital Library - Location for many children's books from around the world and in various languages. Books consist of scanned images of the original. Great subject browsing.
  • LibriVox - Free audio books in multiple formats, including mp3.
  • Manybooks - This site carries a wide variety of eBooks.
  • Online Books Page, University of Pennsylvania - Archives over 800,000 books and includes special features such as Banned Books, Prize Winners, and Women Writers.
  • Open Library - This site includes access to over one million books. It is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published.
  • Project Gutenberg - The granddaddy of archived books. Fiction, non-fiction, reference works, musical scores, and much more. The books come in a variety of formats, including plain text, HTML, and audio.
  • Wattpad
    This site includes stories from both published and unpublished authors. It is a network of user-generated content, similar to YouTube, but for stories. Included are millions of stories that are free and downloadable to computers or mobile devices.

Education Resources

County/State Offices

K - 12 Schools

  • Great Schools - Objective source of elementary, middle and high school information for public, private and charter schools.

Junior Colleges

Colleges and Universities

Online Colleges and Universities

Employment Search Sites

Local and Regional Employment Resources (U.S.)

Jobs in the United States

Newspaper Resources (U.S.)

Employment Resources

Flu (Influenza) Information

Find information about the Flu (Influenza) and learn how you can protect yourself and your family.

Genealogy

Stanislaus County and Local Governments

California State Government

United States Government

Health Sites

  • Familydoctor.org - Health information for the whole family from the American Academy of Family Physicians, including a medical dictionary.
  • Maino Community Health Library - Health library located in Modesto, CA.
  • Healthfinder - A credible, accurate source of information to help Americans choose to live healthier lives.
  • HIV InSite - Provides a wealth of information about HIV and AIDS topics.
  • Lab Tests Online - A public resource on clinical lab testing from the laboratory professionals who do the testing.
  • MedicineNet - Relevant, easy-to-read, in-depth medical information for consumers.
  • Medline Plus Health Information - A service of the National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health
  • MEDLINE - References and abstracts from 4300 biomedical journals.
  • PubMed - Provides access to over 11 million MEDLINE citations back to the mid-1960's and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources.
  • Mesothelioma.com - provides the latest medical information on mesothelioma, awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure, and helps victims connect with legal resources.
  • MesotheliomaGuide - provides patients and their loved ones with resources, answers, and information over a wide spectrum of free assistance options.
  • Mesothelioma Veterans Center - provides information about treatment, clinical trials, and VA benefits to veterans suffering from asbestos-related illnesses.
  • RXList - Internet drug index.

Law Sites

  • ABALawInfo - This site was designed to provide consumers with basic information about the law.
  • California Courts Self-Help Center - This site is intended to help you find legal assistance, learn about California law, work better with an attorney, and represent yourself in some legal matters. This site does not provide legal advice.
  • California Law - The text of the laws of California.
  • California Code of Regulations - The text of the regulations adopted by California state agencies.
  • California Courts - Access to California court forms plus so much more...
  • California State Legislature - Information about the Assembly and Senate of California.
  • Find Law - Free resources in areas such as family law, estate planning and consumer credit.
  • Law Information - This free service from LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell is designed specifically for individuals and small businesses and provides a variety of legal information, attorney selection tips, and much more.
  • Legal Careers - The Martindale-Hubbell Career Center helps attorneys, paralegals, law school students and legal professionals develop their careers and find legal jobs in law firms, corporations and other employers of legal talent
  • Real Estate Attorneys - This free service from LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell provides legal information specific to real estate, including forms, articles, and a list of local real estate attorneys.
  • Stanislaus County Code - Find information about local Stanislaus County codes.
  • Thomas Legislative Information On the Web - United States Legislative information on the web.
  • United States Code

Library Related Resources

People

The following links will help in locating individuals by using their names, addresses, or phone numbers or combinations of that information throughout the world.

Real Estate

The following links will help you in the search for real estate within Stanislaus County.

Stanislaus County Library does not carry any tax forms or reproducible form booklets.

Tax Forms on the Web

Federal Tax Forms: www.irs.gov
State Tax Forms: www.ftb.ca.gov

Your computer must have Adobe Acrobat installed to view or print tax forms. Free download available here.

Where to find Tax Forms Locally

Federal forms
Internal Revenue Service
1700 Standiford , Modesto
Forms: 1-800-829-3676
Help: 1-800-829-1040
Local: 209-900-6760
Online Federal Tax Forms and Publications

California Tax Forms
Employment Development Department
629 12th Street, Modesto
209-576-6122

State Franchise Tax Board
31 E. Channel, Suite 219, Stockton
1-800-852-5711
Online California State Tax Forms and Publications

Other places to get tax forms:

  • Some copy stores will have reproducible forms and instructions.
  • Some post offices and Department of Motor Vehicles may have forms.

We encourage you to call before driving to any of these places to verify forms are available.

Tax forms by Telephone

Federal
1-800-829-3676
TDD: 1-800-829-4059

For more information visit the IRS website.

State
1-800-338-0505 - Touch tone phone only; recorded message 24 hours
1-800-852-5711 - Rotary and Touch tone: Monday-Friday 6 am - Midnight
TDD: 1-800-822-6268 24 Hours

Tax Forms by Mail

Federal
IRS Western Area
Distribution Center
Rancho Cordova, CA 95743-0001

Federal Tax Forms can also be ordered online and mailed to you. For more information visit the IRS website.

State
Tax Forms Request Unit
Franchise Tax Board
PO Box 307
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-0307

State Tax Forms may also be ordered online and mailed to you. For more information visit their website.

Questions and Help

Federal
1-800-829-1040
State
1-800-852-5711

Teletax

Refund information and recorded information.

Federal
1-800-829-4477
State
 1-800-338-0505

Transit Resources

  • Amtrak - Homepage for the national passenger train service. Routes, maps, schedules, ordering tickets online, prices, and more.
  • Bay Area Rapid Transit - Bay Area mass transit system. Site includes schedules, route maps, fee information, and more.
  • Modesto Area Express - Modesto's local bus system. Site includes schedules, routes, fees, and more.
  • Turlock Public Transit - Transit info for the city of Turlock, including dial-a-ride services and bus lines.

Water Conservation Sites

  • City of Modesto Water Conservation Information - Information on the water conservation program, along with web resources for additional information.
  • Save Our Water - A statewide program aimed at helping Californians reduce their everyday water use. The program offers ideas and inspiration for permanently reducing water use.
  • Sunset Magazine - A variety of gardening and landscaping ideas.
  • Water Conservation Garden - A site dedicated to water conservation and the sustainable use of related natural resources.
  • Water - Use it Wisely - This site includes more than 100 ways to conserve, and includes games and other fun ways for children to learn about conservation.

West Nile Virus Information

The following websites provide information about the West Nile Virus.

Web Tutorials for Software

The following websites have online tutorials to help learn Microsoft Office products, computer basics, Internet basics, career development, online site navigation, and more.

  • Alison - Free courses in Microsoft Office, computer basics, job searching, career development, and much more.
  • Excel Easy - A free Excel tutorial that includes basics, functions, data analysis and VBA.) on how to use Excel. Also included are related examples and features.
  • Excel Training - Free tutorials for Excel 2013 .
  • GCF LearnFree.org - This site offers free online courses in Microsoft Office, computer basics, Internet basics, and much more.
  • Microsoft Training - Free tutorials from Microsoft.
  • TechBoomers - Learn how to use popular websites.
  • WebsiteSetup - A free online resource for learning everything related to websites, including creating websites, blogs, and online stores.

Zika Virus Information

The following websites provide information about the Zika Virus.