Exploring the Reference Department

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Exploring the Reference Department
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Reference Sources

• Reference Collection
• specific portion of a librarys collection
• Generally non-circulating cant check items
  out
• Usually much smaller than the circulating
  collection
• Different scope of information
• Overview
• Facts/Statistics
• Not read from cover to cover

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Reference Sources

• Reference books are useful for
• The first steps in researching a topic
• Leading you to more complete information on your
  topic (e.g. subject bibliographies,
  encyclopedias).
• Supplementing your research or term paper, with
  factual/statistical information

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Types of Reference Sources

• Biographical Sources
• Whos Who
• Biography Index
• Geographical Sources
• Atlases
• Gazeteers
• Statistical Sources

• Almanac
• Bibliography
• Chronology
• Concordance
• Dictionary
• Encyclopedia
• Handbook
• Quotation Book

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Dictionaries

• Dictionaries (general)
• Abridged 130,000-180,000 entries Websters
  Collegiate Dictionary
• Unabridged over 265,000 entries Websters
  Third New International Dictionary

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Dictionaries

• Etymological dictionary gives history of words
  from date they were introduced into a language
• Oxford English Dictionary (OED) 30 volumes!
• Bilingual dictionary definitions of words in one
  language given in another.
• Cassells French English English French
  Dictionary

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Dictionaries

• Subject Dictionaries
• These give definitions of terms used in a
  particular subject area
• Dictionary of Personality and Social Psychology
• Dictionary of Marketing Terms
• Search the Library Catalog to find subject
  dictionaries
• biochemistry dictionaries as a LC Subject
• nursing and dictionaries as a keyword search

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Dictionaries

• Other types
• Abbreviations Acronyms
• Rhyming
• Synonym
• Slang
• Usage

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Encyclopedias

• General Encyclopedias
• Informational articles covering every field of
  knowledge
• Useful for early stages of research
• Many also available online
• Foreign Encyclopedias
• Useful for language practice, another viewpoint
• Brockhaus Enzyklopadie (in German)

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Encyclopedias

• Subject Encyclopedias
• Coverage is limited to a specific subject area
• Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural
  Anthropology
• Search the Library Catalog
• anthropology and encyclopedias
• economics and encyclopedias

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Finding subject dictionaries and encyclopedias

• Do keyword searches in the Library Catalog.
• "topic" AND dictionaries            botany AND
  dictionaries
• "topic" AND encyclopedias        civil rights AND
  encyclopedias
• The Library of Congress uses the plural of
  dictionary and encyclopedia in the subject
  heading for each of these types of sources.
• For example, The encyclopedia of civil Rights in
  America has the following subject headings
• African Americans -- Civil rights -- History --
  Encyclopedias.  
• Civil rights movements -- United States --
  History -- Encyclopedias.  
• Civil rights -- United States -- History --
  Encyclopedias.

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Electronic Reference Sources

• Reference collection is comprised of both print
  and electronic sources
• Periodical databases
• Online Encyclopedias
• LexisNexis-Reference
• Online Almanacs Directories
• Use the Find It List on the Librarys home
  pageClick Reference Sources