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Subscription Databases

The Plainfield Public Library subscribes to several online databases that are available to the public. If you have any questions regarding the databases or access, please contact the Reference Desk.

"In Library Use" databases are accessible for the public on the library’s own computers.

"Remote Access" databases can be accessed from home using a Plainfield Public Library card.

Database Name	Description	In Library Use	Remote Access
	JerseyClicks is New Jersey's statewide portal that features federated searching of the statewide full-text databases offered by the New Jersey State Library.

	HeritageQuest source document holdings have soared to over 250,000 titles strong, making it America's largest genealogical information provider.

	ProQuest Historical Newspapers provides access to The New York Times back to 1851. News stories, editorials, graphics and advertisements are all available in full-page digital images.

	America's Newspapers provided by NewsBank provides access to full-text articles from more than 700 U.S. newspapers in one easy-to-search database.

	With more than 5 billion names and 4,000 searchable databases, Ancestry.com is the #1 online source for family history information, including the web's largest collection of historical records.

	The Auto Repair Reference Center provides information on most major manufacturers of domestic and imported vehicles, with repair information for most vintage makes starting as far back as 1954.

	Wilson Biographies Plus Illustrated contains more than 111,000 biographies and obituaries and more than 32,000 photographs of the subjects. Many of the biographies are enhanced with full text, abstracts, and citations from H. W. Wilson databases.

Local History Online Databases

	Photograph Collections Complete Information on Photograph Collections The Plainfield Public Library's historic photograph collections include over 20,000 individual photographic prints, negatives, slides and glass plates by over a dozen local photographers from the 1870's to thepresent.

	Plainfield Postcard Collection The Plainfield Postcard Collection contains 2,000 postcards with 1,000 unique images. The Chase collection and the Ricketts collection make up the core of the library's holdings, depicting Plainfield in the early 1900s.

	Detwiller Blueprint Collection This unique collection of 15,000 architectural drawings and blueprints documents the rich history of Plainfield's architectural development. It includes residences, houses of worship, businesses, and multifamily dwellings from 1887 to the present. The drawings have been microfilmed and digitized for preservation and Internet access.

	Plainfield City Directories The Local History department holds city directories from the 1870s through 1982, when current phone books came into existance. The city directories are available in print, on microfilm and in an online searchable PDF format. Because of copyright issues, city directories are only available online in the library; please contact the Reference Desk or Local History department to make an appointment for assistance using the online city directories.