HCPL Academy

What is the Academy?

The HCPL Academy, powered by Niche, is an easy and convenient way to watch a collection of instructional videos on some of our most popular online resources. The videos provide a quick overview of features and benefits, as well as how to get started with them for the first time. Each tutorial video is just a few minutes long so they're easy to watch and understand!

You can also access our collection of virtual programs in the HCPL Academy. Programs are available in a variety of subjects and you can quickly download craft instructions or recipes.

Click here to access the HCPL Academy

Online Resource Tutorials

Unsure of what services an online resource provides? Click on a tile below to watch a short video tutorial overview of the resource. Anytime you see this icon on our website, click on it to view the relevant tutorial. Check back often as we continue to add more tutorials!

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Ancestry

Begin exploring your family tree by searching through billions of public records, including photos and newspaper obituaries.

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brainHQ

Train your brain with exercises to improve attention, brain speed, memory, people skills, and intelligence.

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Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides you with unbiased reports on a variety of products.

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CQ Researcher

CQ Researcher is a database of in-depth reports on politics, social trends, international affairs, and policy issues.

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Credo

Credo Reference is a reference database with millions of articles that covers all major academic subject areas.

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Cypress Resume

Cypress Resume is a service provided by your library that helps you create a professional resume, cover letter, or reference sheet.

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DPLA

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a digital library that aggregates data for millions of books, photographs, films, and more from institutions across the United States.

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Ferguson's Career

Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center is a career exploration and planning resource which includes 3,000 articles and a graduate and undergraduate school finder database.

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Films on Demand

Film's on Demand is a streaming platform with world-class documentaries, award-winning educational films, and instructional videos.

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Gale in Context

GALE databases provide researchers with powerful search tools.

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Heritage Quest

HeritageQuest is a database of genealogical sources, local and family histories, and research aids. It contains records for individuals in more than 60 countries, with coverage dating back to the 1700s.

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Hoopla

Downloadable audio and eBooks on a variety of topics, including language learning, history, biography, classic literature, and more.

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Kanopy

Kanopy is a video-streaming platform dedicated to thoughtful and thought-provoking films. 

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Libby

Interested in streaming content for The Great Courses, IndieFlix, and Qello Concerts? Access these exclusively through the Libby app or online. 

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MedlinePlus

Scientifically-based, peer-reviewed health and wellness information from the National Institutes of Health.

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Morningstar Investments

Morningstar is an investment research website with information on mutual funds, ETFs, market analysis, and portfolios.

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NoveList Plus

Browse dozens of niche genres and use curated reading lists to find your next favorite book.

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NuWav Legal Documents

Access and print a wide selection of professional-quality North Carolina legal documents and forms.

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ProQuest Research Companion

Use simple tools to solve common research problems and watch videos to learn how to find, evaluate, and use resources.

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ProQuest US Newsstream

US Newsstream features detailed indexing to help researchers quickly find the news information they need as well as track news events over time or at location of origin.

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Transparent Language

Learn more than 100 languages on your computer or mobile device, including English, Spanish, French, and Japanese.

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Universal Class

Learn valuable skills and earn CEUs at your own pace in over 500 online courses and programs. 

Virtual Programs

In addition to online resource tutorials, The HCPL Academy is a great way to watch all of our virtual programs in one convenient place!

Program subjects include:

  • crafts
  • storytimes
  • gardening 
  • book talks
  • cooking tutorials

Click here to view a schedule of upcoming events and programs at the library.