Expand Your Cultural and Culinary Horizons Without Leaving Home

Written by Kirk Johnson, Materials Services Division

Prince William Public Libraries’ Digital Library offers a wealth of subscription databases, educational programs, and streaming and downloadable media. The spectrum of possible interests and subjects you can pursue through these online resources is as broad as the subjects covered by our book collection.

We have a suite of four “AtoZ” databases from World Trade Press that focus on national and international cuisines and cultures. Each of them is very intuitive and easy to navigate, and the two covering cuisines—AtoZ Food America and AtoZ World Food—are well worth checking out, particularly if you’re searching for unique recipes, a use for a novel ingredient, or a dinner party theme.

The other two databases in the series focus on culture, and both are excellent resources for students needing reliable, vetted online information.

AtoZ the USA offers ample information, including demographic and economic data, on the United States at the national and state levels. The database includes information on all American territories and the District of Columbia. The information is mainly from official government sources, and references are provided for homework.

AtoZ World Culture does the same thing as AtoZ USA but for the rest of the world. It has demographic, geographic, political, military, economic, and religious information, among other things. Like the other databases in this series, it is easy to browse and can be cited for research purposes.

It’s worth noting that PWPL also has a residential and business information database called AtoZdatabases, which is a separate product made by a different company. AtoZdatabases is also a free database in PWPL’s Digital Library, offering job search, reference, and mailing list information, including 65 million business and executive profiles. It is ideal for sales leads, mailing lists, market research, employment opportunities, and more.

Whether you want to make a Pad Thai or research your upcoming trip to Thailand, be sure to first visit the “AtoZ” resources on PWPL’s Digital Library at pwcva.gov/digitallibrary.