Online research databases

Our online research resources include general and specialised information and databases, covering a range of topics.

 

Online learning and research

Step 1.Membership details

To access some of our databases, you'll need your library membership number (located on your library card) and password. Forgot your password?

If you're not already a member, you can join the library either online or in person. 

Step 2.Download an app or install software

To access some of our some e-resources, you'll need to download an app to your device or install software on your computer.

Click on the platform names below for instructions on how to access them.

General

Access all of the Gale databases:

Your Coffs Harbour Library card also grants you access to the wide range of resources from the State Library of New South Wales, including eBooks.

Investigates and reports on products, services and consumer issues in Australia.

For use on library computers only. Please see staff for access.

Coffs Coast Heritage: Our stories is a website which is created by staff and the community to tell in-depth stories of life on the Coffs Coast. It is maintained by the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum.

Coffs Coast Heritage: Our stories

You can also follow the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum on Facebook

Coffs Collections is a web service providing free access to local historical and cultural materials that can be accessed online.

The collection includes documents, maps, photographs, films, oral history recordings of local people and artefacts held by the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum. It also provides links to heritage collections relevant to our region hosted elsewhere. 

Coffs Collections also includes images of the artworks held by the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery and City-commissioned public art.  

Access Coffs Collections

Cross-search the In Context databases and Gale OneFile: News database.

HeinOnline’s Core for Australia and New Zealand is an entire digital library containing the full text of more than 3,000 law and law-related journals, access to U.S. federal and state case law, thousands of classic legal treatises, and a wealth of government publications.

Among the package’s many databases, access the Acts of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Australian Law Reform Commission Library, Statutes of the Realm, and more—all are exact replicas of the original print publications and all are fully searchable.

Please note this resource is available for in-library use only!

A powerful tool for research that brings 100+ years of quality National Geographic Society publications to the library in a cross-searchable platform that fits the way today's students and patrons conduct their research.

Access World News Research Collection 2025 by NewsBank is now available for members of Coffs Harbour Libraries.

Newsbank's Access World News Research Collection 2025 Edition sets a new standard for library research resources. With an unprecedented combination of global, regional and local news, including a unique merging of news formats (full-text articles, web-only content, PDF image editions), this resource meets the unique needs of communities, staff and patrons. Without training, users can easily select and search a single or multiple news sources across a state, region or country, or choose to search all the sources in the database.

NewsBank's YouTube channel also has a series of introductory and how-to videos, for example:

  • How to conduct a Basic Search – video
  • How to narrow your search – video

Visit Newsbank Access World News Research Collection 2025

The following quick-links (bookmarks) are listed on the Library’s landing page:  

  • The Australian/Weekend Australian;
  • The Sydney Morning Herald/ Sun Herald;
  • The Daily Telegraph/ Sunday Telegraph (Sydney);
  • The Coffs Coast Advocate;
  • Coffs Coast Independent;
  • Seniors Coffs Coast;
  • The Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga);
  • The Illawarra Mercury (Wollongong); 
  • The Newcastle Herald;
  • The Land;
  • New South Wales state package (all NewsBank-licensed newspapers in the state)

The Trove digitised newspapers service allows free online access to historic Australian newspapers digitised as part of the Australian Newspapers Digitisation Program, a collaborative program between the National Library of Australia and the State and Territory libraries to digitise out of copyright newspapers. The service includes newspapers published in each state and territory from the 1800s until the mid 1950s. It is an evolving service with new content added progressively. The service provides full text searching of newspaper articles which have been scanned from microfilm. Enhancement of the content by users is allowed through correction of text and tagging of articles.

No login required.

Access the encyclopaedic knowledge of World Book today - anywhere, anytime. This fabulous resource includes World Book eBooks, Early World of Learning, the classic World Book Encyclopaedia suited to all levels (Kids, Student, Advanced), and Timelines.

Health

Gale Health and Wellness

Access full-text medical journals, magazines, reference works, multimedia, and much more. This comprehensive consumer health resource provides authoritative information on the full range of health-related issues, from current disease and disorder information to in-depth coverage of alternative medical practices for researchers of all levels.

Literature

Answer the age-old question, “What do I read next?” Search and match reading interests to books, authors, genres, or topics.

Gale Books and Authors

Find up-to-date biographies, overviews, full-text criticisms, audio interviews, and reviews on writers from all eras.

Gale Literature Resource Center 

Statistics and demographics

CHCC Community Atlas 

Key socio-demographic characteristics for the Coffs Harbour LGA presented as interactive maps at the CHCC Community Atlas. 

CHCC Community Profile

CHCC Community Profile provides demographic analysis for the Coffs Harbour LGA based on results from previous Censuses. Also included here is CHCC Population Forecasts which looks into what is driving population change in the community and how the population, age structure and household types will change.

Visit CHCC Community Profile.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics

Access the ABS' full standard product range on-line, including Census data. This is complemented by the City's Community Profile data tailored specifically for the Coffs Harbour local government area.

Visit The Australian Bureau of Statistics.

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