Offers free and open access to digitized local histories, photographs, newspaper clippings, maps, and other archival materials—serving as an educational resource for genealogists, local researchers, and community members interested in exploring the collective heritage of Urbandale, Iowa.
Explore census, military, immigration, vital, land, and probate records, court documents, photographs, passenger lists, and more.
Remote Access: In-library use only.
Access reviews, comparisons, ratings, and information on thousands of consumer products and services.
Remote Access: Contact the Library to obtain the required user ID and password. Remote Access Link
Enjoy unlimited access to 4,000+ hours of crafting and hobby content in 20 different creative disciplines including woodworking, cake design, sewing, and even fitness!
Remote Access: A valid Urbandale Public Library card is required.
Searchable, full-text access to the Des Moines Register from 1871 – recent. (Please Note: New Des Moines Register Editions can take about a week to be added.)
Remote Access: A valid Urbandale Public Library card is required.
Funded in part by a generous donation from the Urbandale Public Library Foundation.
Explore American genealogical and historical sources dating back to the 1700s, including local and family histories, interactive census maps, and the Periodical Source Index of genealogy and local history magazines.
Remote Access: A valid Urbandale Public Library card is required.
*The library's subscription with Library Speakers Consortium will expire at the end of 2025. The recordings from previous author talks will be available until January 1, 2026.
Enjoy new, live-streamed bestselling author events each month, concluding with interactive Q&A sessions with the author. Browse upcoming author talks and register for an event to watch from the comfort of your home or come into the library to watch on one of our computers. All author talks are recorded and can be watched on-demand a few days following the conclusion of the live event.
Sponsored by the Urbandale Library Foundation.
This language-learning platform offers over 70 languages, as well as English as a second language courses in more than 20 languages. Mango aims to build real-world language skills by emphasizing proficiency through commonly used phrases, pronunciation through voice comparison technology, and cultural understanding through insights. (You must first create your account using a computer – it won’t allow you to create an account using a tablet or smartphone. After you have set it up you can access your account through a web browser or by downloading the app!)
Remote Access: A valid Urbandale Public Library card is required.
Access reliable, up-to-date health information, anytime, anywhere, for free. Produced by the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library, Medline Plus brings you information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues (over 1000 health topics) in English and Spanish. It also has a growing collection of multilingual materials in almost 50 languages.
Click the following link to access current and past digital issues of NIH MedlinePlus magazine.
This database provides a wide range of study materials to help test-takers, including flashcards, practice tests, and guides, covering subjects from foundational education to specialized trades and advanced academic fields. Create an account to access and save progress.
Review investment information on more than 23,000 stocks and mutual funds plus expert advice on building and analyzing an investment portfolio.
Remote Access: A valid Urbandale Public Library card is required. Remote Access Link
Niche Academy is an online learning platform that includes how-to videos for common library services like Libby, Beanstack, and Mango Languages to name a few. Niche also offers tutorials for various free online resources and platforms like getting started with popular social media, how to take free college level classes with MIT OpenCourseWare, using Google Docs suite, and more.
Enjoy book reviews and read-alike recommendations for readers of all ages.
Remote Access: Contact the Library to obtain the required user ID and password. Remote Access Link
The People’s Law Library of Iowa is meant to be an easy-to-understand, basic information website about the law with the assumption that the user has no prior knowledge of law or legal topics. This website can be a good starting point for understanding some legal issues. It seeks to help users find primary law, so anyone can read the original text being summarized, and to collect and link to accurate, authoritative sources, like the Iowa Judicial Branch or Iowa Attorney General websites, for example.
The People’s Law Library is not legal advice, nor is it a replacement for a lawyer. The contents should be read as providing basic, introductory information only.
(Previously called “Standard and Poor’s Outlook”)
Drawing from the deep expertise of CFRA’s widely respected staff of strategists, researchers, and analysts, The Outlook identifies the developments and trends that affect stock performance and makes recommendations on when to buy, hold, and sell.
Remote Access: Contact the Library to obtain the required user ID and password.
Review stock analysis and investment research on companies, industries, markets, and economies.
Remote Access: A valid Urbandale Public Library card is required.
