Genealogy Research Available in the Library
The library provides access to Ancestry® Library Edition and FamilySearch from within the library. You can view the full image of genealogic documents free of charge from any library computer or print them for 10 cents a page.
Ancestry® Library Edition is distributed by ProQuest and powered by Ancestry.com. You can search billions of records in census data, vital records, immigration records, family histories, military records, court and legal documents, directories, photos, maps, and more. These documents detail the lives of individuals from North America, the UK, Europe, Australia, and other regions as far back as 1300.
FamilySearch includes over 6 billion searchable names and 2 billion images of historical genealogical records. Over 300 million free genealogical records and images are added online yearly from all over the world. FamilySearch also manages the famous Family History Library in Salt Lake City. It has amassed billions of birth, marriage, death, census, land and court records from more than 130 countries to help you discover and make family connections.
You can also use My Heritage in the library or from home using your Nebraska driver's license or a password provided by the library.
Additional genealogy research sites:
Cemetery Research Tools
Cyndislist.com
Deathindexes.com
Family Histories - Research Tools
Family Histories - Researching Military Service Records
Findagrave.com
Other Resources
Consumer Protection/Identity Theft/Scams
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information: Identity Theft
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information: Scam Alerts
Coursera provides free access to more than 5,000 courses, Professional Certificates, and degrees from world-class universities and companies.
DigitalLearn provides instruction on using a computer, searching the Internet, online security, job skills, social media, and more.
Driving-Tests.org provides free online Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) practice tests for your driver's license including 10 car practice tests, 6 motorcycle practice tests, 1 CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) practice test, 2 online driver’s manuals (car and motorcycle), and an FAQ section with detailed answers to 100+ DMV-related questions. The site allows users to hear selections read aloud, make them into MP3s, translate pages into other languages, magnify text, and mask sections of the screen for greater visibility on driving practice tests.
Fantastic Fiction provides lists of all of an author's works and groups them by series.
Food Pantries in Cass County - list provided by SENCA.
Free Legal Aid
Free Legal Answers allows low-income individuals to request brief advice and counsel about a specific civil legal issue (non-criminal) from an approved volunteer lawyer. It also links to additional websites with free legal help.
Legal Aid of Nebraska provides free legal representation to underprivileged citizens and a COVID-19 Disaster Relief Hotline, 1-844-268-5627.
Juvenile Series and Sequels is maintained by Mid-Continent Public Library in Missouri.
Khan Academy is a source of math, science, computer programming, history, art, economics, and more free online classes. Prepare for SAT, MCAT, GMAT, NCLEX-RN, and other standard tests.
Local Jobs is a list of jobs within a 25 mile radius of zip code 68048 from theNebraska Department of Labor's NEworks website.
Mitchell 1's ProDemand provides procedures, wiring diagrams, and specifications for repairing cars, trucks, and large equipment. Access this information from any library computer with a password provided by library staff.
NEBRASKA DISASTER Resource Guide - a consolidated guide for Nebraskans in need of disaster relief resources, including summaries, hotlines, and other contact information for more than two dozen community organizations as well as state and federal agencies involved in recovery assistance.
Nebraska Newspapers lets you browse old Plattsmouth and other select Nebraska newspapers online.
NebraskAccess offers free 24/7 access to websites selected by librarians, full-text government publications, and Nebraska historical resources. Nebraska residents are also provided with free online access to thousands of full-text magazine, journal, and newspaper articles, biographical and business information, genealogical resources, and more.
New York Public Library's TechConnect Virtual Classes help people of all ages become more confident in their computer skills. A library card is not required.
Newspapers.com is provided by Ancestry and includes over 21,200 newspapers from the 1700s to the 2000s, including most Nebraska newspapers.
NoveList Plus is a complete readers' advisory resource for fiction and non-fiction titles.
OverDrive and the Libby app allow you to download or read online ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines on a wide variety of devices. This service is free to anyone with a Plattsmouth library card.
PDF Converter - iLovePDF.com converts pdf's to Word and other formats, creates pdf's from other formats, and merges pdf's for free online, including OCR if needed.
Plattsmouth newspapers can be searched on several websites:
Nebraska Newspapers covers 1865-1939.
Newspapers.com covers 1857-2008.
Plattsmouth Community History Archive covers 2009-2021. This project was made possible in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
ProCitizen is a citizenship prep course with 100 instructional videos.
Pronunciator is a language-learning service which uses real-life situations and actual conversations with native speakers to more effectively teach a new language. Log in with your library card number and Pronunciator will keep track of your progress in learning any of the 163 languages and 143 English-as-a-Second-Language courses! Learn in the comfort of your home or use an app on your mobile phone or tablet. ProTour features virtual city tours for those planning a trip and can be found after you select a language.
Senior Planet from AARP provides live online classes designed for seniors aged 60 and over. Learn about Finance, Wellness, Fitness, Computers and Technology, and much more, and find a real community of fellow life-long learners.
World History Online features free world history articles, maps, and videos from prehistoric times to present day.
WorldCat provides details on items owned by libraries worldwide.
Free eBooks and Online Audiobooks
Audiobooks.org - free audiobooks
The Chronicles of Now - short fiction torn from today's headlines
Digital Public Library of America (Open Shelf)
Free Computer Books (with links to other sites)
Ghost City Press - pdf's of their annual Micro-Chapbook series and poetry
International Children's Digital Library
LibriVox - free audiobooks
ProPlay - free professionally-produced stage plays
Other Links
Ted E. Bear Hollow (part of The Collective for Hope) provided the library with grief kits for children and teens. They also offer grief services in the form of workshops and camps.