Information, facts and figures

NewsBank (external link)

Newsbank contains articles published in UK and world newspapers in the last 5 to 25 years (varies with different papers) right up to yesterday's edition.
All the major national daily papers and many local and regional ones are included.
Plus, new for 2022, Access Global News - Explore diverse perspectives and stay informed on local, national and global topics, people and events in areas such as business, health, education, environment, political and social issues and more. Features a wide variety of credible, vetted news sources from more than 200 countries.
To access these you will need your library card number, NewsBank is available 24/7 on any device.
Watch a video introduction to using NewsBank in our library academy (external link).

The "OED", Oxford English Dictionary is a historical dictionary and includes the history of individual words as well as present-day meanings.

Oxford Reference brings together all the Oxford University Press Companions to, Dictionaries of and Encyclopaedias of, on a wide range of subjects, all in one place where you can browse or search.

Free, walk-in access to a wide range of academic articles and research in public libraries across the UK
Subjects include art, architecture, business, engineering, history, languages, politics, philosophy, mathematics and the sciences.
All content provided is digital and can be accessed from our People's Network PC.

*Access to Research is only available within our libraries

UK and Great Britain Parliamentary publications in PDF format including parliamentary material such as House of Commons and the Lords papers, bills and amendments and Daily Hansard from the 2006/07 Session onwards.

Mario Maps is Lancashire's online mapping service. You can zoom in to any location in Lancashire and find a wealth of information embedded within the map which can be displayed including local services, schools, transport, council facilities, historical maps and photographs and much more.
Lots of guides and videos are available to help you get the most from Mario.

Stories of people who have shaped all aspects of Britain's past, from the fourth century BC to the present day, from royalty to rock stars.
Search by place to find out who was born, lived or died where you are. It also includes a special page devoted to Lancashire Lives.

Published annually as a book since 1849, Who's Who lists people who influence British life, entries including notable figures from government, politics, academia, business, sport and the arts.
Who's Who contains over 30,000 autobiographical entries of noteworthy and influential people who impact British life, and Who Was Who over 90,000 entries, for people now deceased.

Which? Online (external link)

Consumer product reports and advice guides. Please check availability with your local library. Best buys and test results are not available.

*Which? is only available within our libraries

Our Good Web Guide is a selection of hundreds of the best websites chosen and checked by library professionals to answer your questions and provide reliable information on a wide range of subjects.