Librarians are often guilty of playing favorites. We have our favorite subject areas, authors and books, genres and yes, even electronic resources. Online platforms we refer to over and over again for their unique content or special tools that support our patrons with their research. Here is a short list of some of our favorites, all of which are available from home with your NYPL library card,  from the research librarians of the New York Public Library.
 

African American Historical Serials Collection

It can often be difficult for historians to locate small African American publications from the past. This resource includes allows you to search hundreds of local publications to learn about black life and activism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. —Julie Golia, History, Social Sciences, and Government Information, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Ancestry.com

This site is a clearinghouse for genealogy research, featuring vital records, such as immigration, census, military, birth, and death records. You can search by name and other access points, and also browse collections. It's an invaluable site for family research and also research on individuals that can yield amazing results.  —Amanda Seigel, Dorot Jewish Division, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
 

Communist  Historical Newspaper Collection

This database documents the history of communist, socialist, and Marxist thought in the United States. Spanning 1917 to 2013, it includes The Daily Worker, The Ohio Socialist, and others. If you want to incorporate perspectives not represented in mainstream media into your historical research, or see the past century through the eyes of workers who never lost sight of their ideals, try this.  —Nora Dolliver, General Humanities Reference, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Crime, Punishment, and Popular Culture

This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in 19th century crime, or in an aspect of 19th century life in America and Europe. There are over 2 million pages of primary source materials, including police gazettes, penny dreadfuls and trial transcripts. —Rhonda Evans, Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division, Schomburg Center
 

Flipster

A virtual newsstand with access to more than 100 of the latest issues of popular magazines including O: The Oprah Magazine, Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, English and Spanish language editions of People, and so much more. With this service, you can peruse magazines with an easy to use interface across all of your favorite devices, from your home computer or your mobile device, with online or offline viewing. Offline viewing is available via the Flipster app for iPads, Android tablets, and Kindle Fire tablets. Stay home and keep current with all your favorite magazines. Flip through the pages and explore new titles. Get loss with the great articles, photographs and useful tips.  —Maira Liriano, Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
 

Harper's Bazaar Magazine

In full text and full color The Harper's Bazaar Archive offers patrons the entire run of the magazine from its first issue in 1867 to the present day. A wonderfully illustrated resource, patrons have the option to browse issues or to search years worth of fashion, design, arts, women's studies, advertising and many other topics of American popular culture, beginning from the mid 19th century onwards.  —Elizabeth Rutigliano, General Research Division, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance

If you're looking for the largest collection of dance magazines in one place, this database should be your first stop. In addition to scholarly journals, you'll also have access to more popular titles like Dance Spirit, Dance Today, the Dance Magazine College Guide, and Dancing Times.  —Arlene Yu, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, Library for the Performing Arts

NAACP Papers

This digitized archival collection contains over two million documents from NAACP regional offices dating back to the early 20th century through the 1970s. Within this collection researchers can find documents from NAACP Major Campaigns including their work in support of ending discrimination in education, voting, housing, employment and armed forces. Also contained are records from the Students Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Congress For Racial Equality (CORE) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and documents from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s FBI file.  —A.J. Muhammad, Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division, Schomburg Center

Oxford Bibliographies

One of the best resources when investigating new areas of study or deepening knowledge of your current field, Oxford Bibliographies provides easy access to extensive, peer-reviewed bibliographies on an enormous range of academic subjects within the Humanities and Social Sciences, from 'A Priori Knowledge' to the 'Zoot Suit Riots' and everything in between.  —Kate Cordes, Reference and Outreach, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
 

Pravda

Pravda ("Truth") was the official voice of Soviet communism and the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1918 and 1991. Throughout the Soviet era, party members were obligated to read Pravda. Now you can read it online.  —Bogdan Horbal, Slavic & East European Collections, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
 

Very Short Introductions

Are you looking for a brief intro to a topic but want just a little bit more than your average reference article? Oxford's Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects —from Islam to sociology, politics to classics, and literary theory to history.  —Rhonda Evans, Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division, Schomburg Center