As an artist and hobby-historian, I have been trying to find a way to access some academic databases (specifically Early English Books Online http://eebo.chadwyck.com/home ) to view high-resolution scans of very old books and manuscripts. Most seem to only be available to academic institutions. My local library doesn't have a subscription to such an "obscure" catalog as this. Is there some kind of organization that assists the public in accessing these databases? Edit: I'm in the United States.
You can go to your local University, assuming you live within driving distance of one. Most institutions have access to this as it's fairly well known (although I understand why your municipal library is less inclined to buy access to it). Most public universities will let you browse for free.
I think you can login via MyAthens, provided you are a member of your national library.
For example, I can access EEBO (which is indeed a great resource) if I go via the National Library of Scotland MyAthens login.
Thanks for all the suggestions. After a lot of searching, I stumbled upon The Renaissance Society of America which offers it's member's access to EEBO and discounts on JSTOR. Well worth the membership fee!