All Online Resources

Discover your family's history! Search census, birth, marriage and death records, passenger lists, immigration records, maps, and more from Canada, US, and Europe. To access Ancestry Library Edition, please visit your local Idea Exchange location to use it onsite.

Consumer Reports magazine is one of the most trusted sources for information and advice on consumer products and services. Access full-text issues of the magazine online.

The Canadian Periodical Index offers a vast selection of Canadian reference information. Search more than 700 full text titles, including the Globe and Mail (from 1985) and The Waterloo Region Record (from 2008), as well as the Cambridge Reporter and Cambridge Times. View a full list of titles for CPI.Q 

Creativebug is your online crafting home. Learn how to paint, knit, crochet, sew, and more with online classes taught by experienced professionals and a rich pattern library. Learn something new every day with Creativebug!

Download or stream thousands of free eBooks, eAudiobooks, and magazines to your computer, Kobo, or mobile device. All you need is a valid membership card, an internet connection, and the free software. Magazine checkouts do not count against the 20-item limit.

Read anytime, anywhere. Download or stream eBooks, eAudiobooks, and magazines just for kids to your computer or mobile device. All you need is a valid membership card, an internet connection, and the free software.

Gale Courses offers access to free online learning courses that are available anytime, anywhere. These instructor-led courses begin every month and each course lasts for six weeks. Sign up using your membership card and immediately gain valuable knowledge you can apply to your life or on the job. There’s definitely something for everyone.

An entire reference library at your fingertips! Instantly access hundreds of eBooks and encyclopedias on virtually any subject, including business, geography, literature, history, and science. No checkout or special reader required.

Borrow movies, TV shows, eBooks, eAudiobooks, digital music, and comics to enjoy on your computer, mobile device, or TV. Titles can be streamed immediately with no waiting, or downloaded for offline use. Borrow up to four (4) items per month.

Access over 30,000 films via Kanopy’s online streaming platform. Enjoy watching buzzworthy indie movies, Hollywood classics, international cinema, the Great Courses collection, and thought-provoking documentaries, as well as an entertaining and educational kids’ collection. Stream up to six (6) movies per month.

Enjoy unlimited streaming with Kanopy Kids. With TV shows, movies, and animated story time, you’re sure to find something your little ones will love. Kanopy Kids also features signed stories in ASL and shorts in Hindi and Spanish. 

LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) has more than 16,000 free online courses in business, technology, and creative skills taught by industry experts. Courses are available in more than seven languages. Sign in with your membership card number and four-digit PIN and follow the steps to set up your account. If you previously had a Lynda.com account, your courses will be saved as long as you use the same membership card number for login.

Mobile App Users: The Library ID when you log into the mobile app is ideaexchange

Access full issues of Maclean's Magazine, Canada's preeminent news magazine from 1905-2015. Great for research and projects where you need trustworthy Canadian news and facts.

Niche Academy is an online learning platform offering tutorials on the resources and services available at Idea Exchange. Learn about accessing eBooks through Libby, streaming entertainment online with Hoopla and Kanopy, taking classes through Gale Courses, and much more!

Looking for a good book for elementary school students? Find fiction and non-fiction book reviews, plot summaries, series titles, reading suggestions, and book award winners.

Looking for a good book to read? Find fiction and non-fiction book reviews, plot summaries, series titles, book discussion guides, reading suggestions, and book award winners.

Access full issues of thousands of popular and speciality magazines without the wait from your computer or mobile device. Choose from titles like Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Good Housekeeping, and many more. Includes titles in Chinese, Spanish, German, and more. 

Enjoy unlimited access to over 5,000 newspaper and magazine titles, from more than 120 countries, in over 60 languages. Publications are offered in full-colour, full-page format, just like reading the print version. Access popular magazines such as the Economist as well as current and previous editions of most local and national newspapers, including the Waterloo Region Record, Toronto Star, and the National Post. The Globe and Mail is only available for download onsite at the library. Login every 30 days to keep using the app with these instructions.

Learn a new language from home or on the go with comprehensive learning pathways from Transparent Language. Practice your English or choose from over hundred other languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu, including American Sign Language, Ojibwe, and French. 

Read along with your favourite stories with Tumble Book Library, an online collection of picture books for young and middle readers. Titles include Caillou, The Paper Bag Princess, and many more.