Reference Materials
Why Reference Sources?
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:
- find a topic
- narrow your topic
- find keywords
- get background information on your topic
The COD Library has many different types of reference resources: in print and electronic format, and they may be broad/general or narrow/subject specific in focus and content. Check the COD Library Catalog, the various subject Research Guides, the Reference Book databases, your local Public Library, and the Internet, to find items that might answer your questions.
Collections of Many Online Reference Books in one place:
Credo Reference and Gale eBooks / Gale Virtual Reference Library and Salem Press
Oxford Reference and Sage Knowledge Reference also have thousands of scholarly, academic articles, but they are a bit more difficult to use. Click here to find instructions on how to use these collections of reference books.
Specific Library Science Reference Materials
Some Reference Materials at the COD Library
LIBRA 1102 Introduction to Reference and Information Sources course
Specific Library Science Reference Materials
ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science. Reference Z 1006 .A 48 2013
Chronology of Librarianship. Reference Z 665 .W 65 2009
Dictionary for School Library Media Specialists Reference Z 1006 .M 43 2001
Dictionary of American Library Biography. General Z 720 .A 4 D 5 1978
Dictionary of Library and Information Management
Dictionary of Library and Information Science. Reference Z 1006 .R 45 2004
Digital Literacy: Skills and Strategies. Reference QA 76.9 .C 64 D 5558 2022
Encyclopedia of Archival Science
Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science Reference Z 1006 .E 57 2010
Encyclopedia of Library History Reference Z 721 .E 54 1994
Encyclopedia of the Library of Congress Reference Z 733 .U 6 E 53 2004
Glossary of Library and Information Science
Historical Dictionary of Librarianship. Reference Z 1006 .Q 56 2014
Information: A Historical Companion. Reference Z 665 .I 57815 2021
International Directory of Library Histories Reference Z 721 .I 57 2001
International Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science Reference Z 1006 .I 57 2013
Library and Information Science Encyclopedia
On these Walls: Inscriptions and Quotations in the Buildings of the Library of Congress. General Z 733 .U 6 C 59 1995
The Oxford Companion to the Book. Reference Z 4 .O 89 2010
Uncommon Quotes for Library Lovers. General PN 6084 .L 52 U 563 2022
Almanacs
The best way to find almanacs for subjects in the Library Catalog is to do an Advanced Search.
In the first line, type in almanac and restrict the search to the Title field.
In the second line, type in a keyword, and leave it as a broad Any Field / Anywhere search.
After you press the SEARCH button, the Results List should include both general and online resources. Most of the subject - specific almanacs will have call numbers that places the item in the appropriate subject area, and not a general broad Almanac area, which is the AY call number area.
Examples of General Almanacs
The Old Farmer's Almanac. Latest edition in Reference, older editions in General AY 81 .F 3 O 6
The World Almanac and Book of Facts. Latest edition in Reference, next latest edition in General AY 67 .N 5 W 7
Examples of Broad Subject Almanacs Examples
The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac. Latest Edition in Reference LA 226 .C 55
Library and Book Trade Almanac. Latest Edition in Reference Z 731 .A 47
Examples of Narrow Subject - Specific Almanac Examples
Food History Almanac. Reference TX 353 .C 568 2014
Vietnam War Almanac. General DS 557.7 .S 94 1985
Atlases
The best way to find atlases for subjects in the Library Catalog is to do an Advanced Search.
In the first line, type in atlas and restrict the search to the Title field.
In the second line, type in a keyword, and leave it as a broad Any Field / Anywhere search.
After you press the SEARCH button, the Results List should include both general and online resources. Some of the subject - specific atlases will have call numbers that places the item in the appropriate subject area, and not a general broad atlas area.
If the catalog record indicates that an item has a location of ATLAS STAND, that is located on the Lower Level, between the staircase and the Media Lab.
Examples of General Atlases
Atlas of the United States. General G 1200 .G 47 2006
Atlas of the World. Atlas Stand G 1021 .A7545 2004
Examples of Broad Subject Atlases
The Atlas of Religion. Reference BL 80.3 .O 27 2007
Atlas of Science: Visualizing What We Know. Reference Q 177 .B 67 2010
North American Maps for Curious Minds: 100 New Ways to see the Continent
Examples of Subject - Specific Atlases
Atlas of the English Civil War
The Geek Atlas: 128 Places where Science and Technology come Alive
Routledge Atlas of Jewish History. General G 1030 .G 54 2006
Biographical Dictionaries
Biographical Dictionaries definition
The best way to find biographical dictionaries for subjects in the Library Catalog is to do an Advanced Search.
In the first line, type in "biographical dictionary" using the quotation marks, and restrict the search to the Title field.
In the second line, type in a keyword, and leave it as a broad Any Field / Anywhere search.
After you press the SEARCH button, the Results List should include both general and online resources. Most of the subject - specific biographical dictionaries will have call numbers that places the item in the appropriate subject area, and not a general broad biography area.
You can also find biographical entries about people in both General and Subject Encyclopedias, as well as in periodical articles.
Examples of General Biographical Dictionaries
Biography Index (1949-2011). Ready Reference CT 100 .B 5 (This set lists where biographical information about people can be found in books and articles.)
Current Biography Yearbook. Reference CT 100 .C 8
Encyclopedia of World Biography (1998-2015). Reference CT 103 .E 56
(Very broad, general biographical works are found around the CT 100 call number area.)
Examples of slightly more focused, but still broad, Biographical Dictionaries
American National Biography. Reference E 176 .A 6 1999
(General biographical works on the USA are found around the E 176 call number area.)
Encyclopedia of World Scientists. Reference Q 141 .O 25 2001
(General biographical works on science are found around the Q 141 call number area.)
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Great Britain). Reference DA 28 .O 95 2004
(General biographical works on Great Britain are found around the DA 28 call number area.)
Examples of subject - specific Biographical Dictionaries
Biographical Dictionary of Sociologists. Reference HM 478 .S 74 2008
Chronologies
Specific chronologies can also be found in monographs, dictionaries and encyclopedias (both general and subject - specific), almanacs, and atlases. Check the Table of Contents or the Index of the work to see if a Chronology is included. Chronologies may also be found on websites.
See also the various subject - specific library research guides for more subject - specific sources.
A,Chronology of Art: A Timeline of Western Culture from Prehistory to the Present
Chronology of Women's History. Reference HQ 1121 .O 47 1994
Pan - African Chronology: A Comprehensive Reference to the Black Quest for Freedom in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Reference E 185.18 .J 46 1996
World Epidemics: A Cultural Chronology of Disease from Prehistory to the Era of Zika
Worldmark Chronology of the Nations. Reference G 133 .W 93 1999
American Chronicle: Seven Decades in American Life, 1930 - 1989. General E 169.1 .G 664 1990
American Decades, 1900 - 2009. Reference E 169.12 .A 419
Chronology of American History
Chronology of American Indian History
Chronology of American Literature
Timelines of American History series
The Civil War and Reconstruction
Chronicle of the Pharaohs: The Reign - by - Reign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt. General DT 83 .C 53 1994
A Chronology of Ancient Greece
Chronology of the Ancient World, 10,000 B.C. to A.D. 799. General D 11 .C 57 vol.1 1994
The British in America, 1578 - 1970: A Chronology and Fact Book. General E 184 .B 7 F87
Chronicle of Britain, Incorporating the Chronicle of Ireland. Reference DA 34 .C 4 1992
Modern Irish Literature and Culture: A Chronology. General PR 8718 .C 35 1993
The Oxford Chronology of English Literature. Reference PR 87 .C 69 2002
Chronology of European History, 15,000 B.C. to 1997. Reference D 11 .C 54 1997
The Holocaust Chronicle. General D 804.25 .H 654 2000
A Political Chronology of Europe. Reference D 11 .P 655 2001
The Third Reich: A Chronicle. General DD 256.5 .O 94 2010
Chronology of American Military History
The Korean War: An Exhaustive Chronology. General DS 918 .H 336 2007
The U.S.A.F. in Korea: A Chronology, 1950- 1953. General DS 920.2 .U 5U 83 2000
Wars of America: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the Western Hemisphere, 1492 to the Present. Reference E 18.75 .M 374 2008
Dictionaries
The best way to find dictionaries for subjects in the Library Catalog is to do an Advanced Search.
In the first line, type in "biographical dictionary" using the quotation marks, and restrict the search to the Title field.
In the second line, type in a keyword, and leave it as a broad Any Field / Anywhere search.
After you press the SEARCH button, the Results List should include both general and online resources. Most of the subject - specificl dictionaries will have call numbers that places the item in the appropriate subject area, and not a general broad dictionary area.
You can also find definitions of words in both General and Subject Encyclopedias. Some items with Dictionary in the title will have long entries, so that they will seem more like Encyclopedias.
Some General Dictionaries
General Dictionaries in English can be found around the PE 1628 call number area, in both the General and Reference Collections.
Visual Dictionary. Reference PE 1629 .U 48 2011
Webster's New World Large Print Dictionary. General PE 1628 .W 56365 2004
Examples of Foreign Language Dictionaries
NTC's Dictionary of Russian Cognates. General PG 2640 .N 37 2000
Oxford Picture Dictionary: English - Chinese. English Language Collection PE 1130 .C 4 A 345 2017
Examples of broad subject Dictionaries
New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. Reference CB 9 .N 49 2005
The Oxford English Dictionary. Ready Reference PE 1625 .O 87 1991
The Oxford Illustrated Science Dictionary. Reference PE 1127 .S 3 O 846 2012
Examples of narrow subject - specific Dictionaries
The Dictionary of Fashion History. General GT 507 .C 79 2017
The Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Design since 1900. Reference NK 1390 .J 95 2005
Webster's New World Dictionary of the Culinary Arts. General TX 349 .L 33 2001
Encyclopedias
The best way to find encyclopedias for subjects in the Library Catalog is to do an Advanced Search.
In the first line, type in encyclopedia and restrict the search to the Title field.
In the second line, type in a keyword, and leave it as a broad Any Field / Anywhere search.
After you press the SEARCH button, the Results List should include both general and online resources. Most of the subject - specific encyclopedias will have call numbers that places the item in the appropriate subject area, and not a general broad encyclopedia area.
Examples of General Encyclopedias
Enciclopedia Hispanica. Reference AE 62 .E 6 2003
Encyclopaedia Britannica. Reference AE .5 .E 363 2005 [the last print edition]
Overview of Encyclopedia Britannica
Examples of Broad Subject Encyclopedias
The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology. General BF 31.E 52 2010
Encyclopedia of Business and Finance
Examples of Narrow Subject - Specific Encyclopedias
The Encyclopedia of North American Colonial Conflicts to 1775
Illinois Encyclopedia. Reference F 539 .I 45 2008
Quotation Dictionaries (under construction)
The general call number for Quotation Dictionaries is PN 6080, in both the General and Reference Collections.
Examples of General Quotation Dictionaries
Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations. Reference PN 6080 .W 43 2005
Examples of Broad Subject Quotation Dictionaries
Metaphors be with You: An A - to - Z Dictionary of History's Greatest Metaphorical Quotations. Reference P 301 .M 48 G 76 2016
The Oxford Dictionary of Scientific Quotations. Reference Q 173 .O 915 2005
Examples of Narrow Subject - Specific Quotation Dictionaries
The Arden Dictionary of Shakespeare Quotations. General PR 2892 .A 69 1999
Everything is Possible: Words of Heroism from Europe's Bravest Leader, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. General DK 508.851 .Z 45 W 663 2022
