Exclusive resources - list by subject

We have subscribed to these exclusive reference resources - you get the benefit!

If you use these resources outside the library, you will be asked to enter your library card number to gain access. There is also an A to Z listing of all these electronic resources.

Special resources by subject:

ART | BIOGRAPHY | BOOKS | BUSINESS | LAW | LEARNING AND CAREERS | MUSIC | NEWS & MAGAZINES |  SOCIAL ISSUES

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Quick reference & encyclopaedias

Credo Reference - wide range of high quality reference books, searchable through a common interface. More about Credo Reference...

Encyclopaedia Britannica - famous encyclopaedia with links to evaluated websites, a dictionary, and national statistical profiles, with students' and children's editions. More about Encyclopaedia Britannica...

Gale Virtual Reference Library Over 120 eBooks on Arts, Humanities and Sciences.  More about Gale Virtual reference Library...

KnowUK - directories and information sources on all aspects of life in this country. More about KnowUK...

Oxford English Dictionary - the most extensive dictionary of the English language and its origins. More about the OED...

Oxford Islamic Studies - find out more about Islam and the Qur'an from over 3000 articles from dedicated scholars.

Oxford Language Dictionaries - translate words between the English, Chinese, Spanish, French, Italian and German languages, and hear how they are pronounced! More about Oxford language dictionaries...

Oxford Reference Online - over 200 reference books from the Oxford University Press. More about ORO...

Art

Oxford Art - combines Grove Art with its 45,000 articles with the Oxford Companion to Western Art, the Encyclopaedia of Aesthetics and the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms.

John Johnson Collection - 65,000 items of printed ephemera. Particularly strong on advertising and 19th Century entertainment materials, including tickets, programmes and playbills, but also including popular topographical, satirical and humorous prints.

Biography

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - new edition of the most authoritative collection of British biographies (over 50,000 entries). About the ODNB...

Who's Who and Who Was Who - directory of the noteworthy and influential, plus Who Was Who: 100,000+ entries from the archives of Who’s Who dating back to 1898.

Books

Contemporary Authors - biographical and comprehensive bibliographical information on more than 100,000 modern authors. More about Contemporary Authors...

Business

COBRA - the complete business reference adviser, including opportunities, markets, financial and legal information. More about COBRA...

Kompass - this Worldwide directory covers thousands of companies and their products; exporters, importers, suppliers and more. [Inside the library] [Outside the library] More about Kompass...

Marketline - in-depth information on companies and markets from around the world. More about Marketline...

Law

CANs Advice Notes - user-friendly summary of the laws of England, Wales and Scotland. More about CANS...

Learning and Careers

IVY: Online Independent Learning - computer and business skills for personal and small business use. Note that you must register at any Westminster library before you first use Ivy. More about IVY...

Life in the UK practice tests - use this resource to prepare for the British Citizenship test (requires pre-registration).

Adult Directions Online - Careers service matching your stated work interests and preferences to suitable careers and occupations. Users must first register in a Westminster library , where they will be issued with a username and password for use with the system.

First Steps - Aimed at absolute beginners, First Steps will hold your hand through a tour of the Personal Computer, from using a mouse, through understanding the keyboard, to installing new software and upgrading hardware.

Music

Music Online Reference - music reference resources from Alexander Street Press, including Classical, African American and World music, plus a scores library. More about Music Online Reference...

Naxos Music Library - listen to over 26,000 CDs from Naxos and other labels. Classical, jazz, nostalgia, world and pop. Read sleeve notes, glossaries and fun stuff. More about Naxos Music Library...

Oxford Music Online - combines Grove Music (Music & Musicians, Jazz, and Opera) with the Encyclopaedia of Popular Music, the Oxford Dictionary and Companion.

News & magazines

The Economist -  fully searchable complete facsimile edition of the weekly paper covering politics, current affairs, business and trade, from 1843 to 2006.

The Guardian and Observer - searchable facsimile archive of The Guardian and The Observer from 1791 to 2003. (Note that the default date format is mm/dd/yyyy)

Illustrated London News - searchable facsimile archive of the magazine stretching from 1842 to 2003. More about Illustrated London News...

Infotrac Custom Journals - 50 specialist and trade journals. You can search any one, or across the whole range. More about Infotrac Custom Journals, including list of titles covered...

Library Press Display - newspapers from around the world, online before the print edition.

NewsUK - a huge searchable archive of national & regional newspapers and magazines. About NewsUK...

The Times Digital Archive - a fully searchable facsimile edition of the Times covering 1785-1985.

UK Press Online - fully-searchable facsimiles of the Daily Mirror from 1903 to the current issue. Also Daily & Sunday Express and Daily Star.

Social Issues

Issues Online - aimed primarily at students wishing to gain a better understanding of the world around them and the issues which affect their lives, but useful to anyone researching social issues.