Creative Writing

Ancestry Library Edition is an academic version of ancestry.com.

PolicyMap provides data through interactive maps about communities and markets across the U.S., for research, market studies, business planning, site selection, grant applications, and impact analysis. Videos and tutorials about using PolicyMap are available on the Support Page. For information on PolicyMap datasets, visit Data Indicators.

Social Explorer is a web-based platform that provides interactive access to demographic data from trusted sources, including the U.S. Census (1790–present) and the American Community Survey. Users can create customizable maps, charts, and reports on topics such as population, income, education, and housing. The platform is designed to make complex spatial data accessible for research, analysis, and visualization. It offers features suitable for both novice users and experts. For additional guidance, see the Social Explorer guide.

USGS National Geologic Map Database provides maps and related data about: geology, hazards, earth resources, geophysics, geochemistry, geochronology, paleontology, and marine geology.

Rosetta Stone is back! Users may now access Rosetta Stone through a course shell in Canvas with the following URL https://canvas.vt.edu/enroll/KN77HJ.

Rosetta Stone is a language-learning platform offering instruction in 25 languages through an immersive approach. It features interactive lessons, TruAccent® speech recognition to refine pronunciation, and tools for naturally building vocabulary and grammar skills. The platform includes flexible learning options, and is designed to support learners at various levels.

For assistance, please contact Edward Lener, lener@vt.edu, and Craig Whetten, whettenc@vt.edu

Artstor is a digital library of rights-cleared images from museums, archives, and individual collections including works of art, architecture, design, and other forms of visual culture. It provides tools for viewing, organizing, and presenting images, as well as for creating image groups and saving citations.

Fastcase provides access to primary law (state and federal), cases, statutes, regulations, court rules, and constitutions. You can search by case or keyword. You can view how many times a case has been cited.

American National Biography provides full-text biographical entries on more than 18,700 individuals from all periods of American history, along with over 2,700 illustrations and more than 80,000 hyperlinked cross-references. The resource includes access to The Oxford Companion to United States History, which offers entries on political, diplomatic, and military history as well as social, cultural, and intellectual trends; science, technology, and medicine; the arts; and religion. Additional articles in ANB Online provide historical context through coverage of significant events, social movements, ideologies, natural disasters, and notable sites. Users can access links to related content where available. Please note: Access is limited to one concurrent user; if access is unavailable, wait and try again later.

Biography Index Retrospective indexes citations to biographical articles, book chapters, interviews, profiles, and obituaries covering more than 300,000 individuals, including public figures, writers, artists, scientists, educators, military leaders, and others. The database includes over 627,000 citations from 1946 to 1983, with entries reflecting the perspective of the time. Content includes interviews, letters, diaries, memoirs, book reviews, bibliographies, and exhibition reviews. A subject-specific thesaurus supports precise searching.

Biography in Context provides access to over 650,000 biographical entries covering international figures from all time periods and areas of study. It includes videos, audio selections, images, primary sources, and magazine and journal articles alongside reference content. Search for people based on name, occupation, nationality, ethnicity, birth/death dates, places, or gender as well as by keyword and full text.

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is an illustrated collection of more than 57,000 specially written biographies of the men and women from around the world who shaped all aspects of Britain's past. Includes deceased persons only.