Research Guide: Consumer

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Library Collection

Selected Subject Headings

Consumer Education

Consumer Education -- United States

Consumer Protection

Consumer Protection -- United States

Selected Print Sources

Best Baby Products. R649.122 Gord

Consumer's Guides.

Consumer Reports.

eBooks

Selected eBooks

The Buy-it-right Business Products Guide: Ratings, Rankings, and Everything You Need to Know About the Best Products for Almost Every Business Need.

Reference Resources

Key: Free resource Requires library card Contact library In library only

Auto Repair Reference Center
Topics include Repair Procedures, Service Bulletins and Recalls, Wiring Diagrams, and Labor. ARRC also includes a comprehensive Care & Repair Tips website.

FindArticles
LookSmart's FindArticles is a vast archive of published articles that you can search for free.

FirstSearch
Databases: ArticleFirst, Electronic Collections Online, ERIC, GPO, MEDLINE, PapersFirst, Proceedings, RILM Music Abstracts, UnionLists, WorldAlmanac, and WorldCat.

Gale InfoTrac
Includes General Reference Center Gold and OneFile - Full-text news and periodical articles.

Gale's Ready Reference Shelf
Gale's Ready Reference Shelf contains 355,000 records and comprises three files: Organizations, Publications, and Databases.

LearningExpress Library
Take online practice exams in many areas including EMS, ESL, GED, and US citizenship.

MedlinePlus
Health information from the National Library of Medicine. Search health topics, drug information, dictionaries, directories, and other resources. En Español.

NewsBank
Full-text articles from national and international newspapers, includes: America’s Obituaries & Death Notices, America’s Newspapers, and Access World News.  Orlando Sentinel archives.

PubMed
PubMed is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that includes over 17 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles back to the 1950s.

ReferenceUSA
Detailed information on more than 12 million U.S. businesses and 102 million U.S. residents. Login help.

TheStreet.com Ratings
Evaluates the financial strength of more than 13,000 institutionsand the risk-adjusted performance of over 20,000 mutual funds and more than 6,000 stocks.

ThomasNet
Online version of directory listing 165,000 US and Canadian manufacturers and their products.

Value Line
Online version for stock & investment information.

See all of our Reference Resources.

Google Scholar searches for peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts, and articles.

Internet Guide

Automotive

AAA Fuel Cost Calculator - Estimate the amount and cost of gas needed to complete a trip.

Automotive News - Auto data, stories, marketing, news, remarketing, forums, and classifieds.

AUTOPEDIA - Autos, Boats, Trucks, Minivans, Motorcycles, RVs, SUVs and the Lemon Law.

AutoSite - Research and purchase new and used vehicles.

Autotropolis - New and used vehicle reviews, photos, user forums, blogs, and a wiki.

AutoWorld - Research, finance, insurance, and maintenance information.

The Car Place - Reviews, print libraries, lists of award-winning vehicles, and search for vehicle.

Car Talk - Tom and Ray (Click and Clack) on buying, selling, and maintaining cars.

CarsDirect.com - Research, build your car, finance, and order your car online.

Crashtest.com - Auto safety, car buying, crash test results, financing, insurance, and more.

Edmunds.com - New car prices, used car pricing, and auto reviews.

IntelliChoice - Research new and used cars and trucks, Car Buying 101, Top 10 lists, news.

Kelley Blue Book - Used car blue book values and new car pricing.

NADAguides.com - Used car blue book values, new car prices, and quotes.

Orlando Gas Prices - Highest and lowest gas prices, averages, graphs, news, polls, and more.
 

Building and Construction

Florida Building Code Online - Information, training, license search, and links.

National Association of Home Builders for Consumers - Home buying, maintenance, remodeling.
 

Business and Banking

Bankrate.com - Mortgage rates, CD rates, auto loans, credit cards, mortgages and more.

Better Business Bureau - Check companies, file complaint, or see business and consumer guides.
 

Charitable Organizations

American Institute of Philanthropy - Charity Rating Guide & Watchdog Report, hot topics.

Charitable Choices - Charities by categories, charities serving Washington DC and California.

Charity Navigator - Search or browse charity rankings database, articles, philanthropy news.

Community Foundation of Central Florida - Manages and invests donor funds for charities.

Give.org - Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance information on non-profit organizations.

GuideStar - Search for nonprofits, Form 990, disaster relief, news & links, and newsletter.

Independent Charities of America - Guide to national and international charities.

Network for Good - Search by keyword or state to donate or volunteer, select a cause.

State Charities Databases on the Web - Index by state of United States online charity databases.
 

Community Services

2-1-1 Community Resources - Social services in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties.

Do-It-Yourself - Instructions on how to stop unwanted junk mail, email, and phone calls.

Florida Department of Financial Services - Consumer Guides, government resources.  En Español.

Internet Nonprofit Center - For and about nonprofit organizations, faq, and online action center.

National Fraud Information Center - Telemarketing and Internet fraud, scams, and alerts.

Safety on the Internet - Parent and kid online safety information.

The National Unclaimed Property Database - Database of unclaimed money and property.
 

Homes and Real Estate

Homeownership Preservation Foundation - A nonprofit to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators - Search for unclaimed property.

Orlando Regional Realtor Association - Realtor search, buying and selling, Orlando information.

Real Estate Brokers - HUD information, initiatives, resources, and tools.

Renters' Rights On-Line Handbook - Florida tenant/landlord relations guide from Florida PIRG.
 

Insurance

A.M. Best Ratings & Analysis - Life/health, property/casualty, international insurance companies.

Florida Department of Financial Services - Consumer Guides, government resources.  En Español.
 

Products and Services

AnnualCreditReport.com - Free credit report from the three national credit reporting companies.

Consumer Action Website - Federal Citizen Information Center with Consumer Action Handbook.

Consumer Guide - Automotive, electronics, home & family, and home office information.

ConsumerReports.org - Unbiased evaluations of thousands of products.

ConsumerSearch - Directory and search engine of product reviews, FAQ, and index of products.

Consumer World - News, resources, customer services, travel, bargains, and shopping information.

Cost-of-Living Calculator - Calculates the cost-of-living based on the Consumer Price Index.

Earth 911 - Environmental portal to local information such as recycling, products, evemts, news.

econsumer.gov - For cross-border e-commerce complaints.  Español, Deutsch, Français, Korean.

Epinions - Search for unbiased reviews and personalized recommendations, write reviews.

Federal Consumer Information Center - By topic, consumer help, recalls, scams.  En Español.

FirstGov for Consumers - Resource for consumer information from the federal government.

Florida Department of State - State Library Consumer Information - Links by subject.

Food and Drug Administration - News, safety alerts, product approvals, and reference room.

Homefair.com - Real estate, mortgage loans, relocation, moving, van line, and apartments.

Identity Theft Resource Center - Victim and consumer resources, scam alerts, laws, FAQs.

International Society of Appraisers - Find an appraiser, also public forum, and consumer's guide.

The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide - A starting point for for recycling information.

Junkbusters - Self-defense against privacy-invading marketing.  Español, Deutsch, Français.

Monstermoving.com - Moving information, mortgage and finance, living and shopping.

MyMoney.gov - Government site dedicated to teaching the basics about financial education.

PackTrack - All-in-one package tracking with UPS, FedEx, Airborne, and more.

Priceline.com - Discount airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, long distance, and home financing.

Recalls.gov - Products, vehicles, boats, food, medicine, cosmetics, and environmental product recalls.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission - Product recalls, report a product.  En Español.
 

SCPL del.icio.us tags for Consumer