This guide will list some of the resources available at the COD Library that you can use to find information when doing research on Geography topics. A list of various topics can be found below.
COD Geography Academic Program
COD Counseling Help
Over on the right are some other research tools that you can use to find information.
Be sure to ask for help at the Reference desks if you have questions or problems.
Geographic Literacy: Maps for Memorization. General G 1021 .H 28 2001
Geography: A Very Short Introduction. General G 70 .M 376 2008
Geography Basics. Reference G 116 .G 475 2004
Geography for Dummies. General G 116 .M 58 2022
Geography for Nongeograhers. General G 128 .S 655 2010
Geography: History and Concepts: A Student's Guide
Human Geography for Dummies. General GF 47 .T 743 2024
Human Geography: The Basics. General GF 41 .J 65 2012
I Wish I Knew That: Geography: Cool Stuff You Need to Know. General G 133 .D 63 2012
Physical Geography: The Basics. General QE 28.2 .H 635 2011
Ten Geographic Idas that Change the World. General G 70 .T 37 1997
The World of Maps: Map Reading and Interpretation for the 21st Century
Global Education Research Guide
Information about the various aspects of the cultures of other countries can be found by clicking here.
U.S. Relations with Other Countries Information
Atlas Mind Map - for related concepts and terms
Map Mind Map - for related concepts and terms
The COD Library has a very limited number of fold out maps, located in our Flat Files. Please ask for assistance at the downstairs Reference Desk.
Most atlases are located upstairs in the General Collection, with some are also downstairs in the Reference Collection. Most atlases have a call number that starts with a "G" or "GA". Other Atlases of specific places or topics or time periods can be found under different call numbers, so use the Library Catalog to find all of these items. In the Library Catalog search box, combine the word Atlas with some other keyword, like this example: atlas AND world war
If the location for an atlas is listed in the Library Catalog record as ATLAS STAND, that is located beside the stairs near the Media Lab on the lower level.
Is your research topic too big to cover in a short paper? Is your topic so specific that sources will be hard to find?
Before you even begin your research, start the process with reference sources-- in the Library's Reference Section or online in our databases. Reference books, like subject encyclopedias, can give you a head start and make your research easier in the long run. Use reference sources to:
Chicago: A Chronological & Documentary History, 1784-1970. General F 548.3 .F 87 1974
Chicago History Timeline. Online.
Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs: A Historical Guide. Reference F 548.18 .K 43 2008
Chicago: Webster's Quotations, Facts, and Phrases. Reference F 548.36 .C 455 2008
Chicagoland 6-County Atlas. Ready Reference G1049 .C5 A6
The Encyclopedia of Chicago. Online and Reference F 548.3 .E53 2004
Encyclopedia of Urban America: The Cities and Suburbs. Reference HT 123 .E5 1998
The Directory of Chicago Area Ethnic Organizations and Media. Reference F 548.9 .A 1 D 57 2012
Encyclopedia of the Chicago Literary Renaissance. Reference PS 285 .C 47 P 56 2004
Encyclopedia of Urban Cultures. Reference HD 108.5 .E 53 2002
The Geography of Illinois. (Douglas Clay Ridgely, University of Chicago Press,1921)
Illinois Biographical Dictionary. Reference CT 232 .I 448 2008
Illinois Encyclopedia. Reference F 539 .I 45 2008
Municipal Codes. Click on the city name to find the municipal code.
Place Names of Illinois. Reference F 539 .C 35 2009
Pronunciation Guide for Illinois Place Names. (Donald E. Brown, University of Illinois, 1957)
Terminal Town: An Illustrated Guide to Chicago's Airports, Bus Depots, Train Stations, and Steamship Landings. General HE 310 .C 45 S 258 2014
A list of other guides to Chicago's neighborhoods and suburbs.
Chicago is a huge and ethnically diverse city that has long been divided into many diverse neighborhoods, which are officially known as Chicago Community Areas (CCA's). The Community Areas all have numbers assigned to them by the city government, although these numbers are usually not mentioned in journal or news articles. You need to know the number of the community area in order to do effective research in many databases and reference publications. Click on this link to see a map of the Chicago Community Areas.
What is Gentrification?
What is a Neighborhood?
What is an Ethnic Neighborhood?
America's Changing Neighborhoods : An Exploration of Diversity through Places.
Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs: A Historical Guide. Reference F 548.18 .K 43 2008
The Chicago 77: A Community Area Handbook. Reference F 548.6 .Z 36 2014
Chicagoland 6-County Atlas. Ready Reference G1049 .C 5 A6
The Directory of Chicago Area Ethnic Organizations and Media. Reference F 548.9 .A 1 D 57 2012
The Encyclopedia of Chicago. Online and Reference F 548.3 .E5 3 2004
The Ethnic Handbook: A Guide to the Cultures and Traditions of Chicago's Diverse Communities. General F 548.9 .A1 E 87 1996
The Newberry Library Chicago Neighborhood Guide. A bibliography covering books, articles, maps and websites for the Chicago neighborhoods.
The general call number for books about DuPage County is: F 547 .D9.
DuPage County Cultural and Historical Sites Inventory. Reference F 547 .D 9 D 87 1996
DuPage County Historical Museum. This library, located in Wheaton, has a large collection of DuPage County history books as well as plats of survey for the county.
DuPage County QuickFacts from the U.S. Census
DuPage County Website
DuPage Roots. A history of DuPage County. Reference F 547 .D 9 T 49x 1985
Family Maps of DuPage County, Illinois: With Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Reference F 547 .D 9 B 69 2007
History of DuPage County, Illinois. (1874) by Rufus Blanchard
A History of the County of DuPage, Illinois. (1857) by C.W. Richmond. Reference F 547.D 9 H 578 2010
Inventory of Historical Landmarks in DuPage County: Interim Report. Reference F 547 .D 9 I 5 1974
The Phoenix Land: The Natural History of DuPage County. General QH 105 .I 3 L 3 1995
Wheaton Public Library. The Wheaton Public Library has a large collection of local history and geneaology resources.
Other local libraries in the county will have information on their towns. A list of public libraries in DuPage County can be found here: DuPage County Libraries
An Atlas of Biodiversity : Chicago Wilderness, A Regional Nature Reserve. Reference QH 105 .I 3 S 95 1997
Chicago Community Areas. Map of the 77 Chicago Community Areas.
Chicago: Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Interactive and downloadable maps for the city of Chicago.
Chicago, Illinois, and Regional Demographics and Maps. This Governors State University Library website has links to detailed information on Chicago geography, census reports, and demographics.
Chicago in Map: 1612 - 2002.. General F 548.3 .H 96 2005
Chicago Transit Authority. Online route maps for buses, METRA, and the "EL."
Chicagoland 6-County Atlas. Ready Reference G 1049 .C 5 .A 6 2003
Chicago's Wealth Divide, from Crain's Chicago Business
City of Chicago Police Districts and Community Areas.
Cook County, Illinois: Maps and Gazeteers. Extensive collection of historical maps for Cook County.
Illinois Digital Map Library. Digitized county maps, mostly from the 1800's, sponsored by the U.S. Genealogy Web Project.
Illinois Historic Maps. From the University of Texas map collection.
Maps of 2000 Census Tracts for Northeastern Illinois. Atlas Stand.
Old Maps Online: Chicago Area. Digitized historical maps of the Chicago area from the late 1800's to the early 1900's.
Radical Cartography: Chicago Boundaries. Dot mapping technique shows the racial transition in Chicago from 2000 to 2009, with an overlay of the CCA boundaries.
Chicago's Wealth Divide, from Crain's Chicago Business
Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC)
South Suburban Genealogical and Historical Society
State and Local Government on the Net. Search thousands of state agencies as well as city and county governments.
See also the related Urban Studies section down below, especially the Background Readings.
Economic Geography Mind Map - for related concepts and terms
Facilities Location Decisions for Business
Political Economy Terms online.
REFERENCE BOOKS
Atlas of British Social and Economic History (1700-1988) General Collection HC253 .A86 1989b
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Terminology: A Multilingual Directory.
Books on the general topic of Economic Geography can be found at the "HF 1025" call number area in the General collection.
Other books on the economic geography of specific places or topics or time periods can be found under different call numbers, so use the Library Catalog to find these items.
COD Academic GIS Certificate Program
What Is GIS?
GIS DAY in November!
Geography and Visual Information background reading
Geography: Electronic and Digital Resources background reading
Remote Sensing background reading
Spatial Relationships background reading
C.O.D. Library materials on Geographic Information Systems
List of Case Studies on Geographic Information Systems
REFERENCE WORKS
A to Z GIS: An Illustrated Dictionary of Geographic Information Systems. Reference G 70.212 .A 86 2006
ARCGis Living Atlas of the World
ARCUSER online GIS magazine from ESRI.
Bibliography for GIS, from ESRI.
The Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science (CSISS)
DuPage County Government GIS department.
Encyclopedia of Geographic Information Science.
Encyclopedia of Geographic Information Science
The ESRI Press Dictionary of GIS Terminology. Reference G 70.212 .E 87 2001.
Geospatial Platform. Lots of information from the Federal Government.
GIS Cafe. Lots of different kinds of useful information.
GIS Commons: An Introductory Textbook on Geographic Information Systems.
GIS Training/Education Community Information Page, from ESRI.
GIS for Housing and Urban Development. U.S. National Research Council 2003.
GIS Research Methods: Incorporating Spatial Perspectives.
Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) GIS Information.
Illinois Geographic Information Systems Association (ILGISA).
See also the section above on finding U.S. State information.
The Illinois State Geological Survey. The main source of cartographic information in the state.
The Illinois State Water Survey. The main source for information on rivers and lakes in the state.
The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia. Reference F 351 .A 534 2007
American Regional Cultures: The Midwest Region. General F 357 .M 59 2004
The Artesian Waters of Northeastern Illinois. (1919)
DuPage County Interactive Map of Communities.
Environmental History of the Northeast and Midwest United States. General GF 504 .N 86 C 85 2005
Gazetteer of Illinois. Reference F539 .P36 1993
The Geography of Illinois, by Douglas Clay Ridgeley (1921)
Geography of the Middle Illinois Valley, by Harlan H. Barrows (1925)
Geography of the Upper Illinois Valley and History of Development. (1916)
How to Read Illinois Topographic Maps.
The Illinois Atlas and Gazetteer. Reference Atlas Stand G 1405 .D 4
Illinois Digital Map Library. From the U.S. Genealogy Web project.
Illinois Encyclopedia. Reference F539 .I45 2008
Illinois Fire Insurance Maps from Sanborn
Illinois: A Geographical Survey. Reference F 541.8 .I 45 1996
Illinois Geography quick facts.
Illinois: Webster's Quotations, Facts, and Phrases. Reference F 539 .I 548 2008
A List of Illinois Place Names. Reference F 539 A 3 1968
Origin of the Names of Stations on the Line of the Illinois Central Railroad Co.
Place Names in the Midwestern United States. Reference F 351 .P 58 2000
Place Names of Illinois. Reference F 539 .C 35 2009
The Prairie Province of Illinois: A Study of Human Adjustment to the Natural Environment. (1931)
Pronunciation Guide for Illinois Place Names. (Donald E. Brown, 1957)
Spring Place Names and Historic Data on Springs, Licks and Selected Water Wells in Illinois : A Two Part Compendium. Reference F 539 .R 44 2008
Latin America and Transnational Organizations
Organization of American States
See also the Library Research Guide on Mesoamerica
An Atlas and Survey of Latin American History.
Atlas of Mexico. Reference G 545 .P 535 2018
Brazil Today : An Encyclopedia of Life in the Republic. Reference F 2504 .B 73 2012
Dictionary of Latin American Cultural Studies.
Encyclopedia of Colonial Latin America
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Latin American and Caribbean Cultures. Reference F 1406 .E 515 2000
Encyclopedia of Early Modern Latin America (1820's to 1900)
Encyclopedia of Modern Latin America: 1900 to the Present.
Encyclopedia of Pre-Colonial Latin America
History Atlas of South America. General G 1701.S 1 E 4 1998
Iconic Mexico: An Encyclopedia.
Latin America and the Caribbean: Atlas of Our Changing Environment. General GE 160 .L 29 U 55 2010
Mexico: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary Culture and History. General F 1234 .C 67 2004
Background Readings
Reference Works
Caribbean Women and Their Art: An Encyclopedia
The Dominican Republic Reader: HIstory, Culture, Politics
Encyclopedia of Caribbean Archaeology
Encyclopedia of Caribbean Religions
Historical Dictionary of the Dominican Republic
Historical Dictionary of United States - Caribbean Relations
Puerto Rico Past and Present: An Encyclopedia.
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). Provides financial support for development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Latin America and the Caribbean, UN Environmental Program
Organization of American States (OAS)
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC or ECLAC or CEPAL)
Place Mind Map - for related concepts and terms
Neighborhoods Mind Map - for related concepts and terms
Place and Environmental Ethics
Region Mind Map - for related concepts and terms
Sectionalism and Regionalism in U.S. History (Themes in American History)
Territory Mind Map - for related concepts and terms
Town Square Mind Map - for related concepts and terms
Place Names Mind Map - for related concepts and terms
Use these reference tools below to find explanations of various location names.
Dictionary of American Regionalisms: Local Expressions from Coast to Coast
Gazetteer of British Place Names.
Gazetteer of Illinois. Reference F539 .P36 1993
Geographic Names Information System: GNIS. U.S. Geoglogical Survey (USGS).
Geographical Etymology: A Dictionary of Place-Names.. (1887)
The Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names Online.
Glossary of Toponymic Terminiology. (from the United Nations.)
A Guide to the Ancient World: A Dictionary of Classical Place Names. General DE 25 .G 72 1986
Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Reference E 154 .H 45 2006
The Illinois Atlas and Gazetteer. Reference Atlas Stand G 1405 .D 4
Lippincott's Pronouncing Gazetteer. A complete pronouncing gezetteer, or geographical dictionary, of the world. Containing a notice and the pronunciation of the names of nearly one hundred thousand places. With the most recent and authentic information respecting ... every portion of the globe ... (1856).
A List of Illinois Place Names. Reference F 539 A 3 1968
Native American Placenames of the United States. Reference E 98 .N 2 B 75 2004
Nicknames of Places : Origins and Meanings of the Alternate and Secondary Names, Sobriquets, Epithets and Slogans for 4600 Places Worldwide. Reference G 105 R 65 2006
The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. (Henry Gannett, 2nd ed., 1905, U.S.G.S.)
Place Name Changes, 1900 - 1999. General G 103.5 .R 657 1993
Place Names: How They Define the World. General G 105 .R 36 2001
Place Names in the Midwestern United States. Reference F 351 .58 2000
Placenames of Russia and the Former Soviet Union. Reference DK 15 .R 66 2014
Placenames of the World : Origins and Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries, Cities, Territories, Natural Features, and Historic Sites. Reference G 105 .R 66 2006
Pronunciation Guide for Illinois Place Names. (Donald E. Brown, 1957)
Spring Place Names and Historic Data on Springs, Licks and Selected Water Wells in Illinois : A Two Part Compendium. Reference F 539 .R 44 2008
What do You call a Person From....? Reference PE 1582 .A 3 D 5 1990
The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia. Reference F 351 .A 534 2007
Blue Collar Culture: From NASCAR to the Jersey Shore. General HD 4901 .B 59 2012
Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia. Reference SK 33 .S 646 2000
Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems
Encyclopedia of Community: From the Village to the Virtual World
Encyclopedia of Rural America: The Land and People. Reference E 169.12 .E 5 1997
Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. Reference F 591 .E 4856 2004
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Homes through History. General NA 7105 .S 74 2009
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Agriculture and Industry
Poverty in the United States: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, and Policy. Reference HC 110 .P 6 P 598 2004
Rural America at a Glance (statistics)
The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture. Reference NA 7205 .C 27 1994
California Institute for Rural Studies (CIRS)
Center for Rural Affairs (CRA)
Illinois Department of Agriculture
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA)
Illinois Rural Heritage Museum (IRHM)
Rural Sociological Society (RSS)
Rural Women's Studies Association (RWSA)
U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)
U.S. National Parks Service (NPS)
The Aral Sea Encyclopedia. General GC 1023.425 .A 73 A 73 2009
Atlas of Russia's Intact Forest Landscapes. General G 2141 .K 1 A 8 2002
Atlas of the Ethno-Political History of the Caucasus. Reference G 2163.51 .S 1 T 813 2014
Carpathian Rus': A Historical Atlas. General G 6966 .S 1 M 34 2017
Cultural Atlas of Russia and the Former Soviet Union. General DK 32 .M 62 1998
Eastern Europe: An Introduction to People, Lands, and Cultures. Reference DJK 9 .E 25 2005
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Russian Cultures. Reference DK 510.32 .E 53 2007
Ethnic Groups of North, East, and Central Asia: An Encyclopedia.
A Geography of Russia and its Neighbors. General DK 510.28 .B 55 2011
Historical Dictionary of Azerbaijan
Historical Maps of Europe. General G 1797.21 .S 1 S 9 2000
Placenames of Russia and the Former Soviet Union. Reference DK 15 .R 66 2014
Restless Empire: A Historical Atlas of Russia. Reference G 2111 .S 1 B 3 2015
The Routledge Atlas of Russian History. General G 2111 .S 1 G 52 2007
See also the related Chicago Region section above.
Social Geography of Cities and Suburbs
Urban Area MInd Map - for related concepts and terms
America's Changing Neighborhoods : An Exploration of Diversity through Places
Cities in American Political History.
Encyclopedia of American Urban History.
Encyclopedia of Community: From the Village to the Virtual World.
Encyclopedia of Housing. General HD 7287 .E 53 1998
Encyclopedia of the City. Reference HT 108.5 .E 63 2005.
Encyclopedia of Urban Cultures: Cities and Cultures around the World. Reference HT 108.5 .E 53 2002
Encyclopedia of Urban Studies. Reference HT 108.5 .E 634 2010.
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Landscape and Urban Planning: A Multilingual Reference Book.
Guide to Urban Politics and Policy in the United States.
Key Concepts in Community Studies.
Key Concepts in Urban Geography . General GF 125 .L 38 2008.
Key Concepts in Urban Studies . Reference HT 109 .G 68 2005.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Urban History.
The Wiley - Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Studies
World Encyclopedia of Cities. Reference HT 108.5 .K 87 1993.
Cities, Towns, and Settlements in U.S. History: Themes in U.S. History
Urban Life: Readings in the Anthropology of the City. General GN 395 .U 725 2018
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)
Chicago Region research guide above
College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Their several research centers have a wide variety of research reports that might be useful.
Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC)
National Public Housing Museum (NPHM)
State and Local Politics research guide