Boston Public Library E-Cards

UMass Boston students (and any Massachusetts resident) can apply online for a Boston Public Library eCard.

An eCard gives you remote access to the BPL's fine electronic resources, including databases, downloadable audio, video and music.

Electronic Resources

BPL's 140 online databases are organized by subject and title. Some recommended databases are:

• Dance, Opera and Theatre in Video are three databases of online video performances. Dance in Video contains 250 dance productions and documentaries by the most influential performers and companies of the 20th century. Opera in Video contains 250 of the most important opera performances, captured on video through staged productions, interviews, and documentaries. Theatre in Video contains more than 250 performances of the world's leading plays and more than 100 film documentaries.
   
• D&B Million Dollar contains marketing information provided for more than 14 million U.S. companies. It is particularly useful for manufacturers and larger service firms.
   
• Early American Imprints is considered the definitive resource for researching 17th and 18th century America. It is a digital collection of every book and pamphlet published in America between 1639 and 1800.
   
• LitFinder (also listed as Play Finder, Poem Finder and Story Finder) contains thousands of full-text essays, plays, poems, stories, and speeches with extensive biographic detail and critical analysis. It covers all eras from ancient to contemporary.
   
• ReferenceUSA is a directory of 14 million firms compiled from the yellow pages.  It is  an excellent source for researching small businesses, especially service businesses.