eCard or full-service card

In-library use only

Coverage of the US and UK, including census, vital, church, court, and immigration records, as well as record collections from Canada, Europe, Australia, and other areas of the world. This resource is a strong complement to HeritageQuest Online. 

How it works

Getting Started Tutorial

Features

• To have your records waiting for you when you get home, use the "Send Document" feature. 
• The Learning Center has guides for beginning searchers as well as tips for the advanced searcher.
• Download blank ancestral charts and correspondence sheets to keep track of your research.

Access message boards with over 25 million posts on more than 198,000 boards. The comments, advice, feedback, and information posted by fellow genealogists and researchers may prove invaluable to your own research.

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Presents topically-focused digital collections of primary sources such as photos, newspapers, letters, diaries, ephemera, and more. Collections cover a broad range of topics of importance to U.S. and California history. 

Access to nearly 300 collections in many categories including:

•       African American Studies
•       Business History
•       Colonial U.S. History
•       County and Regional History
•       Cultural Studies
•       Environmental Studies
•       Law and Legal Studies
•       Native American Studies
•       Social History
•       Women’s Studies

Access to this resource is made possible by the California State Library.

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Comprehensive coverage of the African American experience from the early 18th century to the present day. Sourced from more than 19,000 American and global news sources, including over 400 current and historical Black publications. 

This primary source collection offers an expansive window into centuries of African American history, culture, and daily life—as well as the ways the dominant culture has portrayed and perceived people of African descent.

Provides full-text searching as well as access to content by Topic, Event, and Eras in African American History. Updated daily.

New collection from NewsBank.

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Through HelpNow, live real-time homework assistance is available from qualified tutors using state curriculum and standards.

24/7 assistance is available in English and Spanish for Language Arts and Mathematics. 

Every day between 10:00 am and 10:00 pm, assistance is available in core K-12 subjects in the following languages:

• English
• Spanish
• Mandarin
• Cantonese
• Vietnamese
• Tagalog

This service includes writing assistance, support for adult learners, and live chess tutoring. 

Intro Video

This program is supported with funds provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Librarian.

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Connect with a Live Job Coach to get assistance with searching, applying, and preparing for jobs. Brush up on your interview skills. Find templates to build an effective resume and submit your document to the resume lab and get suggestions on how to make improvements. 

New Enhancements to JobNow include Job Matching experts and Life Skills Coaches. After completing a questionnaire, the Job Matching experts will provide the job seeker with available positions matching their skills, interests, and preferences. Brainfuse Life Skills Coaches are live experts who assist people with essential skills, such as time management and budgeting.

Live help is available daily 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., excluding holidays. 

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FREE live online assistance for veterans and their families. 

VetNow supports your community's veterans and their families with navigating the VA
bureaucracy, providing academic tutoring, and employment transition assistance. Live
navigation support is available, and all navigators are veterans.

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

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Una enciclopedia en dos partes con portales para estudiantes de primaria y secundaria.

Acceso proporcionado por cortesía de la Biblioteca del Estado de California.

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A three-part multi-subject encyclopedia with portals for elementary, middle, and high school students.

Access provided courtesy of the California State Library. 

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Get detailed information on vehicle maintenance and repairs. Includes diagnostics, step-by-step repair procedures, maintenance schedules, wiring diagrams, recalls, and more.

Video instructions

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Expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background for more than 200 literary classics. From eBook platform, browse by Category such as Literature and Criticism. View online or create an account for offline use. 

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Downloadable eBooks with an emphasis on independent publishers. enki eBooks can be checked out for up to 21 days. You can check out 20 enki titles at a time.

Always-available collections: Encyclopedias; Recovered Classics; Short Stories & Essays; Library Journal SELF-e Select: a best-of self-published collection!

enki eBooks are compatible with the SimplyE app and on PCs and Macs. The SimplyE app consolidates Contra Costa County Library's OverDrive, enki, and public domain eBooks and eAudioBooks into a single collection.

Help desk for technical issues with enki or SimplyE  

Getting Started Video

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Find age-appropriate articles and facts with easy-to-browse categories organized by popular topics, full-text magazines, and topic overviews.

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Full-text for popular middle school magazines. Includes biographies and historical essays. Contains primary source documents, photos, maps, and flags. Designed to meet the unique needs of its users, Explora supports both student research and classroom instruction.

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Contains the full-text of high-quality articles, covering a wide-range of subjects for research papers, class projects, and homework. Includes biographies, primary sources, newspapers, reference books, and images.

Intro Video

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Your favorite magazines like Consumer Reports, The New Yorker, People, Popular Mechanics, Rolling Stone, Sunset, TIME, Wired and more are available on your computer or mobile device. Complete issues with full-color images and articles. No check-out required, just click and read.

Titles available on Flipster: Advocate, American Craft, Ask, The Atlantic, Best Colleges, Bicycling, Black Beauty & Hair, Black Enterprise, Black Girls Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, Bon Appetit, Book Links, Booklist, Bust, Casual Game Insider, Christian Science Monitor Weekly, Clean Eating, Consumer Reports, Consumer Reports Buying Guide, Consumer Reports on Health, DIVERSEability, Do It Yourself, Dwell, Entrepreneur, Essence, Food & Wine, Food Network Magazine, Forbes, Fortune, Gay Parent Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Health, HGTV Magazine, Hispanic Network Magazine, How it Works, InStyle, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Men's Health, Mountain Bike Action, Muse, The Nation, Native Max, New Moon Girls, The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, Newsweek Global, Organic Gardener, People, People en Español, Poets & Writers, Popular Mechanics, Real Simple, Rolling Stone, School Library Journal, Science News, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens Workbook, Southern Living, Sunset, Teen Black Girls Magazine, TIME, Us Weekly,  The Week, and Wired.

• Need help getting started? Watch this tutorial video for help. 
• Flipster - Frequently Asked Questions

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Focuses on the study of sustainability and the environment. Topics include ecosystems, global warming, food safety, and introductions to environmental disasters.

Includes sources such as topic summaries, scholarly articles, statistics, conference proceedings, news and magazine articles, podcasts, videos, industry reports, and consumer data.

Access to this resource is made possible by the California State Library.

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Allows students to manipulate 3D interactive models to visualize and understand biology, chemistry, earth, and space science concepts.

Interactive content is not supported on mobile devices. To access this content, please use a desktop web browser. 

Gale Interactive Science Activities (Video Tutorial)

Access to this resource is made possible by the California State Library.

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A comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids. The resource delivers an essential collection of genealogical and historical sources—with coverage dating back to the 1700s—that can help people find their ancestors and discover a place’s past.
The collection consists of six core data sets:

• U.S. Federal Censuses feature the original images of every extant federal census in the United States, from 1790 through 1950, slave, veteran, and non-population schedules, and more related content. 
• Genealogy and local history books provide more than 7 million digitized page images from over 28,000 family histories, local histories, and other books. 
• Revolutionary War records provides access to the complete NARA Series M804 collection - Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, a collection of an estimated 83,000 application files from officers and enlisted men who served in the Revolutionary War in all branches of the American military: army, navy, and marines.
• Freedman’s Bank Records, with more than 480,000 names of bank applicants, their dependents, and heirs from 1865–1874, offers valuable data that can provide important clues to tracing African American ancestors and researching the Reconstruction Era.

Links to the following content are also available:

• U.S. Congressional Serial Set records the memorials, petitions, private relief actions made to the U.S. Congress back to 1789, with a total of more than 480,000 pages of information.
• Periodical Source Index Archive published by the Allen County Public Library, is recognized as the most comprehensive index of genealogy and local history periodicals. It contains more than 2.3 million records covering titles published around the world since 1800.

Guide to using Heritage Quest

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The experience and impact of Hispanic Americans as recorded by the news media. This collection is sourced from more than 17,000 American and global news sources, including over 700 Spanish-language or bilingual publications. The time period Hispanic Life in America covers is from the early 18^th century to today. 

New collection from NewsBank.

Video--How to Use Hispanic Life in America

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Features online tutorials, practice tests, and eBooks to help students of all ages. Offers job search and workplace skills improvement, skill building in reading, writing, math, and basic science, career certification and licensure exam prep (including the California Basic Educational Skills Test [CBEST], California Subject Examinations for Teachers [CSET], California Real Estate Salesperson exam prep, ServSafe California Food Handler practice exams, and the California Police Officer Exam, college and grad school entrance test prep, GED test prep, and more. 

Go directly to one of the Centers within LearningExpress Library:

• Adult Core Skills
  Helps adults achieve their personal, education and career goals by offering resources to help them improve their basic skills in reading, writing, and math, and prepare for the U.S. citizenship exam.

• Career Preparation
  Are you preparing for a professional exam? Are you curious about a particular occupation or looking to improve your workplace skills? Choose the Career Preparation Center and begin your path to a bright future.

• College Admissions Test Preparation
  Getting into college is an important step to building a strong future. First, you must do well on your college admission tests and write a personal essay that highlights your special talents. Use this center to get the resources you need to achieve your college preparation goals.

• College Students
  Provides valuable resources that help college students strengthen their academic skills, prepare for placement tests, and get ready for graduate school entrance exams.

• Computer Skills
  Learn the basics of using a computer, navigating the internet, and using popular software programs from Microsoft and Adobe. Achieve basic to advanced skills in word processing, creating spreadsheets and databases, implementing design, and more.

• Grade 4-8 Educator Resources
  Elementary and middle school teachers: Supplement classroom instruction with curriculum-aligned materials in math, reading, writing, and social studies.

• High School Equivalency Center
  If you are preparing for the GED test, HiSET or TASC exams, the High School Equivalency Center's practice tests, interactive tutorials, and eBooks will help you reach your goal.

• High School Students 
  Find resources to help you build classroom and homework skills in math, English language arts, social studies, science, and technology.

• Job & Career Accelerator
  Explore detailed information on over 1,000 different occupations. Match your interests and skills with the career that's best for you. Search local and national job postings. Create professional resumes and cover letters. Practice and master interviewing skills. 

• Recursos Para Hispanohablantes
  Herramientas de aprendizaje, carrera, y ciudadanía en español. Este centro ofrece a los adultos que están muy ocupados los recursos para mejorar sus habilidades básicas, ganar sus credenciales de GED o ser ciudadano estadounidense.

Getting started video

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

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Read eBooks and listen to eAudiobooks on your phone or tablet using the Libby app, by OverDrive. You can send your borrowed eBooks to your Kindle eReader. Learn more. 

Libby Help

Libby Tutorial

Check out up to 6 titles at any time— total includes all formats. You can have up to 10 holds. 

Sign up for a one-hour webinar presented by staff at OverDrive to learn about Libby and engage in Q&A

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Enter card number and last name (instead of PIN)

Choose from thousands of online courses to learn in-demand skills from real-world industry experts. Learn business, creative, and technology skills to achieve your personal and professional goals. New courses added each week. 

After creating an account, you can watch videos, create playlists, bookmark pages, and obtain certificates of completion. Please note the Library version of LinkedIn does not capture any personally identifiable information from patrons; therefore, they are unable to include names on certificates of completion.

For support:

• Visit LinkedIn Learning for Library Patron FAQ 
• Watch this tutorial on LinkedIn Learning for Library 
• Library ID for LinkedIn Learning app is contracostacountylibrary
  https://www.linkedin.com/learning-login/go/contracostacountylibrary
• If you change your library card number you will lose any playlists you saved with your previous card.

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

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A comprehensive database that provides the most relevant information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and time-frames. Content includes plot summaries, essays of literary criticism, author biographies, book reviews, classic and contemporary poems and short stories, and author interviews.

Coverage List

Literary Reference Center Plus Help

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In this resource you will find the National Geographic Kids magazine 2009-present (three-month embargo); more than 500 National Geographic Kids books; 900 kid-friendly, downloadable images; and more than 200 videos. It offers endless opportunities for kids to explore amazing adventures in science, nature, culture, archaeology, and space. Best for children aged 6–14.

Watch tutorial

Access to this resource is made possible by the California State Library.

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Your Contra Costa County Library card gives you 72-hour complimentary access to the digital edition of The New York Times. 

Get started:

• Go to the New York Times account page.
• Enter your library card and last name if outside the library.
• Create Your New York Times Account or Log In if you already have an account with this provider.
• Off-site access is available through 72-hour passes. To continue using this resource, log in again.  (You will only be asked to create a user account the first time you access this content.)
• Enjoy from any location, on any web enabled device, by just logging into NYTimes.com with that same email and password.

Note:

• In-library use provides full-text online articles from 1981 – present. Due to publishing restrictions, articles from 1923 – 80 are not available for on-site access; however, patrons can access 5 articles per day from this date range via remote access.
• The Crosswords app is not included; however, crosswords from the past week, as well as a handful from the archive, are available in the Crosswords section. The Cooking app is not included, but patrons can access recipes via the Food section.

Access to this resource is made possible by the California State Library.

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Explore and stay informed on local, national, and international topics, people and events in areas such as business, health, education, jobs and careers, political and social issues, and more.

Read full-page, full-color versions of hundreds of national, international, and California newspapers with NewsBank's Image editions. Search for a specific title and select the "Image" format when available.

• East Bay Times daily image edition from 12/18/18 - present.
• San Francisco Chronicle Collection - Search current and archived issues with full-color newspaper pages, full-text articles, and content only published online. The daily image edition is available from 2017 - present. 

Contra Costa Times is available from 6/1/95 - 4/4/16. Obituary articles are included, but obituary notices are not.

Black Life in America - The experience and impact of African Americans as recorded by the news media, 1704 to today. Discover hard-to-find articles from historical and current sources with information on people, issues, and events that shaped and continue to influence conversations about race, equity and diversity.

Hispanic Life in America - This collection is sourced from more than 17,000 American and global news sources, including over 700 Spanish-language or bilingual publications. The time period Hispanic Life in America covers is from the early 18^th century to today. 

View tutorial

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Choose the best titles for your reading list! Find "read-alikes," reviews of both fiction and nonfiction titles, plot summaries, book discussion guides, recommendations, articles, and more. Includes selections for kids, teens, and adults. 

Get started with a quick lesson

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Downloadable bestsellers, classics, fiction, and nonfiction. Loan period is 7, 14, or 21 days; it's your choice at the time of checkout. You can have 6 titles checked out at any time— total includes all formats. You can have up to 10 holds. 

You may check out a maximum of one Lucky Day item from OverDrive at a time with a loan period of 14 days. 

You can recommend up to 5 titles every 30 days. 

Libby is an app by OverDrive that is available for Android and iOS devices. 

Support:

• OverDrive offers a Help section to answer your questions.
• Libby Help
• View Getting Started
• View tutorial - Libby - eBooks, AudioBooks, and More
• Contact Front Line Tech Support for further questions. 

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Downloadable eBooks and eAudioBooks for children. Loan period is 7, 14, or 21 days; it's your choice at the time of checkout. You can have up to 6 titles checked out at any time-total includes all formats. You can have up to 10 holds.

OverDrive also offers a Help section to answer your questions. Contact Front Line Tech Support for further questions. 

The Libby, by OverDrive app is available for Android and iOS devices. 

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Downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks, just for teens! Every book lover is sure to find an enjoyable title, available for download to the device of their choice, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can check out up to 6 Overdrive titles for 7, 14, or 21 days; it's your choice at the time of checkout. You can have up to 10 holds. 

OverDrive also offers a Help section to answer your questions. Contact Front Line Tech Support for further questions. 

The Libby, by OverDrive app is available for Android and iOS devices. 

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Provides students with a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. Hundreds of topics, each with an overview, point, counterpoint, and critical thinking guide.

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PressReader is a newspaper and magazine service that provides unlimited access to 7,000+ current publications from over 120 countries, in 60 different languages. Publications include The Economist, La Opinión, World Journal, Times of India, El Diario, La Razón, China Daily, Der Tagesspiegel, The Guardian, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Variety, Newsweek, and Popular Science.  (Please note: issues for The Economist are limited to a 24-hour checkout period and can be checked out again once the 24 hour period is up.)

Read online or download. No limits on downloads. Provides up to a 60-day backfile and the ability to perform keyword searches across all titles. Instantly translates articles into 18 languages. Listen to content out loud.

Use PressReader in your browser

Click on PressReader and enter your library card number and last name (instead of PIN), if needed. If you are in a Contra Costa County Library location you may see language indicating you are at a "PressReader Hotspot." This designation should provide you with access to all of the PressReader content.

To use the full features of PressReader, such as creating collections, saving articles, and reading offline, create a personal account from the sign in page using your email address.

Use the PressReader App

1. Download and open the PressReader app
2. Tap on "Libraries & Groups"
3. Search and select “Contra Costa County Library”
4. Enter your library card number and last name (instead of PIN)
5. Tap on Sign in

After you’re authenticated, you have access to the app for about 48 hours. When your two days are up, just repeat the process.

More Help

For a quick orientation to PressReader, watch the Niche Academy Tutorial 

PressReader Help Center

PressReader Support Site

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Provides brief reports on countries. Learn about the land, history, people, customs, lifestyle, society, and government. Find recipes by country, printable flags and maps, and audios of national anthems.

The Kids Edition features reports on the U.S. states and country reports written for elementary students with easy-to-understand information and fun facts. 

Training Video

Access to this resource is made possible by the California State Library.

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General reference collection of periodical and digital media content with editorial guidance for novice researchers. Includes newspapers (Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times), magazines, scholarly journals, books, videos and audios, dissertations and theses, reports and more. 

eLibrary Help

Access to this resource is made possible by the California State Library.

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Provides video instruction on the important concepts in information literacy. Develop your research skills with these tutorial videos:

• How to find information
• How to evaluate information
• How to use information

Grades 9+

Watch an overview on Research Companion

Access to this resource is made possible by the California State Library.

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A general reference database for upper elementary and middle school learners, researchers and educators covering curriculum areas such as reading, language arts, current events, science, social studies, history, health and technology. Includes age-appropriate newspaper, magazine, book and website content. Grades 3-9

SIRS Discoverer Help

Access to this resource is made possible by the California State Library.

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Delivers the pros and cons on social issues with relevant, credible information. Analyses and opinions are hand selected from thousands of national and international sources such as newspaper and magazine articles, videos, charts, maps, statistics, primary sources and government documents. Grades 6-12

SIRS Issues Researcher Help

Access to this resource is made possible by the California State Library.

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Lists periodicals (journals, magazines, newspapers, etc.) available through many of the Library’s online databases, and links you to the databases that hold their articles. Search for a specific publication or browse by topic area. 

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Reference USA is now Reference Solutions by Data Axle. This is a name change only and all the content and functionality of this resource is the same.

Search the directory of U.S. businesses, company leaders, parent companies, and subsidiaries. Includes U.S. healthcare listings, job and internship listings, and white page listings. Find contact information, sales, and employee figures. Create marketing plans, conduct competitive analysis, raise funds, and locate people. 

Check out this tutorial video to get started

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Includes 30 languages and offers over 50 hours of foundational immersion instruction at every language level. Learning is structured around core lessons to build reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills and focuses on activities to refine grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. 

If you are new to Rosetta Stone, watch this video.

On your computer:

1. 1. From our homepage, click on “Digital Resources” on the top navigation bar. 
   2. Under Learning, click on ‘Rosetta Stone.”
   3. Click on the link into “Rosetta Stone Library Solution,” create a free Rosetta Stone account, and select a language you would like to learn.

On mobile device: 

1. Download the Rosetta Stone app:
   Apple
   Android
2. DO NOT launch the app. Instead:
3. Open your browser on your mobile device and follow steps listed above under "On your computer."
4. After you Sign in and click on “Launch Rosetta Stone Foundations,” the app should launch automatically.

If you experience trouble setting up Rosetta Stone, please contact their customer support team by emailing support@rosettastone.com or by completing this form.

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This collection covers a wide-range of technology topics including Coding, Business & IT, and Certification.

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This resource features interactive, animated stories, puzzles and games. There are stories by well-known authors, original stories, classic fairy tales, puzzles and games in English, Spanish, French and a mobile version. Some bilingual stories are also available. You can have stories play automatically, or click through at your own pace.

Access the Wall Street Journal from anywhere.

Get started:

• Use this link to create your account. Password parameters are 5-15 characters, at least 1 capital letter, 1 number, and no special characters.
• Your access will be available for the next 3 days.
• After 3 days, come back and click the above link again and login as an existing user with the same username and password you originally created.

You will have access to: 

• Unlimited articles on WSJ.com
• A four-year archive/article search
• The digital version of the daily paper
• More than 30 newsletters and alerts
• Informative videos and podcasts, featuring interviews with WSJ editors and notable influencers

The default search is for the last 90 days of articles. The Advanced Search feature lets you search articles for the last four years.

This service is available via any web browser (such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge) on your computer or device, however it is not available via the WSJ app.

IMPORTANT: You are not permitted to share the sign-on credentials with any other person whatsoever. Any violation of this clause will result in Dow Jones terminating access for our library.