Free Online Library Resources by State (ELM, TEL, AVL & More)

Q: Are these statewide library databases really free?

Yes. They are funded by state and federal library funds. With a free library card, or in some states an in-state connection, you pay nothing to use them.

Q: Do I need a library card to use my state’s online library?

Usually yes, you sign in with your library-card number. A few state portals authenticate by location, so you can use them from an in-state device without a card. Getting a card is free for residents.

Q: What can I actually get with these resources?

Depending on the state: research databases, magazines and newspapers, encyclopedias, learning and test-prep tools, genealogy resources, and free e-books and audiobooks through apps like Libby.

Q: My state isn’t showing a single portal — what do I do?

A handful of states offer free databases and e-books through local libraries rather than one branded website. Visit your public library’s site and look for Research or Digital Library.

Most states give every resident free e-books, audiobooks, and research databases with a library card. Here’s each state’s statewide digital library — all 50 states plus D.C.

By Megan Carter, Library Resources Editor · Updated August 7, 2026

In this guide

What is a statewide online library?
Free statewide library resource in every state
How to access your state’s free resources

What is a statewide online library?

Almost every U.S. state funds a statewide digital library: a free collection of research databases, magazines, newspapers, e-books, and audiobooks that any resident can use — usually just by signing in with a local library card, and in some states simply by being in-state. These programs are paid for with state and federal funds, so they cost you nothing on top of your taxes.

They go by different names in every state — ELM in Minnesota, TEL in Tennessee, the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL), NC LIVE in North Carolina, GALILEO in Georgia — but the idea is the same. The table below lists the free statewide resource for all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with a link to each state’s library directory.

Free statewide library resource in every state

State	Free statewide online library
Alabama	Alabama Virtual Library (AVL)
Alaska	SLED: Statewide Library Electronic Doorway
Arizona	Reading Arizona & the Digital Arizona Library (DAZL)
Arkansas	Traveler
California	SFPL Digital Collection (Libby, Kanopy & Discover & Go)
Colorado	Colorado State Library digital resources (via CLiC — Across Colorado Digital Consortium & AspenCat)
Connecticut	researchIT CT
Delaware	Delaware Libraries digital collection (Libby / Delaware Library Catalog)
District of Columbia	DC Public Library digital resources
Florida	Florida Electronic Library (FEL)
Georgia	GALILEO & PINES (Georgia Public Library Service)
Hawaii	HSPLS Digital Collections & Databases
Idaho	LiLI (Libraries Linking Idaho)
Illinois	Illinois Reliable Information Sources (IRIS)
Indiana	INSPIRE
Iowa	Bridges eLibrary
Kansas	State Library of Kansas eCard
Kentucky	Kentucky Libraries Unbound
Louisiana	Louisiana Library Connection
Maine	Digital Maine Library (formerly MARVEL! — Maine State Library / Maine InfoNet)
Maryland	Sailor / Maryland's Digital Library
Massachusetts	Boston Public Library eCard (Library for the Commonwealth) — with Commonwealth eBook Collections via the Massachusetts Library System
Michigan	Michigan eLibrary (MeL)
Minnesota	ELM (Electronic Library for Minnesota)
Mississippi	MAGNOLIA (Mississippi Library Commission)
Missouri	Missouri Libraries 2 Go (MOLIB2GO)
Montana	MontanaLibrary2Go (Montana State Library, on OverDrive)
Nebraska	NebraskAccess
Nevada	Nevada State Library statewide databases + Nevada State Library OverDrive collection (Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records)
New Hampshire	New Hampshire Downloadable Books (Libby / OverDrive)
New Jersey	JerseyClicks (New Jersey State Library)
New Mexico	El Portal (New Mexico State Library)
New York	NOVELny (New York Online Virtual Electronic Library)
North Carolina	NC LIVE
North Dakota	North Dakota State Library Online Library Resources
Ohio	Ohio Web Library
Oklahoma	Oklahoma Virtual Library
Oregon	Answerland
Pennsylvania	POWER Library
Rhode Island	AskRI.org
South Carolina	DISCUS – South Carolina's Virtual Library
South Dakota	South Dakota Titles To Go
Tennessee	Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)
Texas	TexShare Databases
Utah	Utah's Online Public Library
Vermont	Vermont Online Library (VOL) & the Palace Project
Virginia	Find It Virginia
Washington	SPL Digital Collection (Libby / OverDrive, Kanopy & hoopla)
West Virginia	WVInfoDepot
Wisconsin	BadgerLink
Wyoming	GoWYLD.net

How to access your state’s free resources

In most states you reach these tools through your public library’s website: look for “Research,” “Databases,” “Digital Library,” or “eBooks,” and sign in with your library-card number and PIN. Some statewide portals (such as Florida’s FEL or New Jersey’s JerseyClicks) work automatically when you’re connected from an in-state internet address, with no card required. For e-books and audiobooks, most states use the Libby app (OverDrive), and many also offer hoopla or Kanopy.

A few states — including Colorado and North Dakota — don’t brand a single statewide consumer portal. Instead, residents reach free databases and Libby e-books through their local library and the state library’s consortium. The result is the same: free access with a library card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these statewide library databases really free?

Yes. They’re funded by state and federal library funds. As long as you have a free library card (or, in some states, an in-state internet connection), you pay nothing to use them.

Do I need a library card to use my state’s online library?

Usually yes — you sign in with your library-card number. A few state portals authenticate by location instead, so you can use them from any in-state device without a card. Either way, getting a library card is free for residents.

What can I actually get with these resources?

Depending on the state: research and reference databases, full-text magazines and newspapers, encyclopedias, learning and test-prep tools, genealogy resources, and free e-books and audiobooks through apps like Libby.

My state isn’t showing a single portal — what do I do?

A handful of states offer their free databases and e-books through local libraries rather than one branded website. Just visit your public library’s site (find yours in our directory) and look for “Research” or “Digital Library.”

Megan Carter

Megan Carter is the Library Resources Editor at Public-Libraries.com, where she researches and explains how to get the most out of America’s public libraries — from library cards to free digital resources.