Guide to Pioneer - About Pioneer: Utah's Online Library

What is Pioneer: Utah's Online Library?

Pioneer is a virtual library created by the Utah State Library Division in cooperation with Utah's public libraries. It is one component of the statewide Pioneer project, which serves Utah's public schools and academic institutions, as well as patrons of public libraries. In addition to the Pioneer website, which is aimed at all Utah residents, there are two other websites under the Pioneer banner: Academic Pioneer, designed to meet the needs of university and college students, and K-12 Pioneer, designed for primary and secondary school students and teachers. Additionally, Preschool Pioneer, for children ages 3-6, was launched in the fall of 2008. PIONEER was so named to emphasize the two prime components of its purpose: 1) service to Utah residents, and 2) the breadth and depth of information resources contained within.

Why should I use Pioneer?

Pioneer offers a portal to carefully selected internet sites, and creates an information rich home page for finding a wealth of information. In addition, it offers Premium Databases of magazines, newspapers, pictures, biographies, and research aides that are unavailable on the "free" internet. These databases have been provided through the collaborative efforts of the members of the Pioneer partnership. And they are available to you in your local public library or in your own home.

Who pays for Pioneer?

As a taxpayer, you do. Pioneer's databases are purchased with a combination of state and federal dollars. The website is maintained through the facilities of the Utah State Library Division which is a part of the Department of Community and Culture. The other Pioneer sites are also paid for through taxpayer funds.

Why do I need a password to get into your databases at home?

Our premium databases require that you enter your library card barcode (and in some cases, a PIN) or Pioneer Access Code, which you can obtain from your local public library. The licenses purchased for the these databases require that their usage be limited to Utah residents.

A quick tour of Pioneer's front page

The navigation buttons on the top take you to the major sections of Pioneer:

  • Guide to Pioneer takes you to this page. Here you will find detailed information about all aspects of Pioneer.
  • Digital Collections highlights Pioneer's digital media collections and Utah's digital collections. Find audiobooks, ebooks, and videos from OverDrive and NetLibrary. Through Utah's digital libraries, you can find valuable collections such as diaries, newspapers, photographs, manuscripts, literature and more in a digital format which can be viewed and searched.
  • Government Information provides many ways of locating state, county, and city, and federal government information and services online.
  • Research Center highlights premium databases and selected internet resources. The Pioneer databases are research tools that are not available on the "free" web. The links to these databases will go to an "access" page which gives you the choice of using the database in a library or from home. Internet resources are by topic and include both Utah and national resources.
  • Utah Libraries provides a convenient start to search for materials found in Utah's libraries and links to library directories.

Tools, Tips, and Fine Print: The Necessary Stuff

  • Link to Pioneer. Copies of our Pioneer: Utah's Online Library Logo are supplied for this use.
  • Contact Information
    Address: Utah State Library Division, 250 North, 1950 West Suite A, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116-7901. (801) 715-6777.