Reference Services and Sources and its tools

इस ब्लॉग्स को सृजन करने में आप सभी से सादर सुझाव आमंत्रित हैं , कृपया अपने सुझाव और प्रविष्टियाँ प्रेषित करे , इसका संपूर्ण कार्य क्षेत्र विश्व ज्ञान समुदाय हैं , जो सभी प्रतियोगियों के कॅरिअर निर्माण महत्त्वपूर्ण योगदान देगा ,आप अपने सुझाव इस मेल पत्ते पर भेज सकते हैं - chandrashekhar.malav@yahoo.com

Reference Services and Sources

Reference Services and Sources

Learn about: Reference services, selecting the right reference source, types of reference sources, where and how to find reference sources, and reference sources available via the Web.

Reference Services

The function of libraries is three-fold. Libraries acquire information, organize that information in a way it can be retrieved, and disseminate the information the library has acquired. Reference services fulfills this last function. Reference services may vary from library to library, but most libraries have an information or Reference Desk where assistance from a librarian is available. Almost all libraries also provide reference services via the telephone and in many libraries you can email your reference question, or Ask a Librarian, to a reference librarian who will e-mail you back with the answers.

There are three main types of reference assistance:

• Assistance or instruction in the use of the library, including location of materials, use of the catalog, use of computers to access information, and the use of basic reference sources.
• Assistance in identifying library materials needed to answer a question.
• Providing brief, factual answers to questions, such as addresses, statistics, phone numbers, etc. that can be quickly located.

Reference Sources

Reference sources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, atlases, etc. are research tools that can help you with your paper or project. Reference sources provide answers to specific questions, such as brief facts, statistics, and technical instructions; provide background information; or direct you to additional information sources. In most libraries, reference sources do not circulate and are located in a separate reference collection. This practice makes reference sources readily available and easily accessible.

Reference sources are designed to be consulted rather than read through. Their design is generally dependent on the type of information and treatment provided. Reference materials can be arranged alphabetically, topically, or chronologically. Many will contain cross listed information and more than one index. If it is not obvious how a reference source is organized, take a moment to look through the explanatory or how-to-use information, which is usually presented at the beginning of the book, or in HELP screens for online products.

There are thousands of reference sources available that cover practically every subject. Although the term reference "book" is frequently used, reference sources can be books, serials, on-line databases or the Internet. A large part of using reference sources well is choosing the right one.

Despite the wide variety available, reference sources can be categorized into a handful of groups. Think about the kind of information you need and how you will use it. If you are unsure which reference tool is best suited to your information need, a reference librarian will be able to assist you.

Quick guide for selecting the right type of reference source (Collins, 151):

For information about...	Choose...
Words	Dictionaries
General information/Overview of topic	Encyclopedias
Names & addresses of people, organizations, institutions, companies	Directories
Profiles of people	Biographical Dictionaries
Places/Maps	Gazetteers or Atlases
Facts and Statistics	Almanacs
Formula, Tables, How-To-Do-It	Handbooks and Manuals
A person's work	Reviews or Criticisms
Dates, outlines, historical timelines	Historical tables, Chronologies, Historical yearbooks
Periodical Articles	Indexes or Abstracts
Books and other sources	Bibliographies or Guides to Literature...

Types of Reference Tools

Two major categories of reference materials are general and subject. General sources include all subjects and present overviews of topics. Reference materials focused on specific subjects can provide more in-depth coverage.

There are reference sources that provide information on specific subjects as well as general sources that provide information on many subjects. In general, reference sources are either general or subject specific. If you need an overview of a subject, perhaps a general information source will suit your needs. If you need specialized information, a subject specific tool may be better suited.

The following reference sources and others are available in the main Reference Collectionon Level 4, and/or via the Internet.

Dictionaries

Dictionaries provide information about words.

• General dictionaries are the most familiar to us. You may even own one. This group includes Webster's International Dictionary, the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, and the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. These sources generally provide definitions, pronunciations, syllabication, and usage.
• Historical dictionaries provide the history of a word from its introduction into the language to the present. The Oxford English Dictionary is an excellent example of this type of dictionary.
• Etymological dictionaries are dictionaries which emphasize the anaylsis of components of words and their cognates in other languages. These dictionaries emphasize the linguistic and grammatical history of the word usage. The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology is an example of an etymological dictionary.
• Period or scholarly specialized dictionaries focus on a particular place or time period. For example, try the Dictionary of Alaskan English if you would like to know when the word "cheechako" was first used.
• Foreign language dictionaries are fairly self-explanatory. We've all looked up words in a French or Spanish or other Western European language. Don't forget other wonderful dictionaries, such as the Yup'ik Eskimo Dictionary or the Inupiat Eskimo dictionary.
• Subject dictionaries focus on word definitions in a subject area, such as finance, law, botany, electronics, physics, etc.
• Other dictionaries include dictionaries of slang, abrreviations, synonyms, antonyms, abbreviations, acronyms, reversals, rhyming, idioms, phrases, and guides to correct usage. Dictionary of Acronyms and Abbreviations, The Macmillan Dictionary of Historical Slang, Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, The American Language, Strunk's Elements of Style.

Dictionaries, like other reference sources, may belong to more than one category. For example, an English-Russian engineering dictionary is both a foreign language and a subject dictionary.

Dictionaries may be abridged or unabridged. Abridged dictionaries are smaller and contained the most commonly used words. Unabridged dictionaries try to include all words in current usage. Like other reference sources, dictionaries may become outdated as language evolves. Care should be taken to carefully identify the publication date and focus of the dictionary selected. General dictionaries begin with LC call numbers starting with AG. Specialized dictionaries will have subject specific call numbers.

Encyclopedias

Encyclopedias provide general background information; they are a good place to start researching a topic that you know little about. Large subject areas or disciplines are covered in broad articles that explain basic concepts. These overview articles often contain references to more specific aspects of the larger topic and may include a bibliography that leads you to more in-depth sources. Encyclopedias may be general or subject specific.

• General encyclopedias usually arrange articles alphabetically by topic. Look for an accompanying index which may list cross-references to other articles. Included in this category are Encyclopaedia Britannica (29 volumes), The Cambridge Encyclopedia ,Encyclopedia Americana, and the Columbia Encyclopedia. General encyclopedia LC call numbers begin with AE.
• Subject encyclopedias are available for almost every academic discipline. They provide more in-depth and technical information than general encyclopedias. Subject encyclopedias generally assume some prior knowledge of the subject. There is no general rule for how these tools are arranged. Look for an index. A few examples of subject encyclopedias include the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology,International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, Encyclopedia of World Art,Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and the Encyclopedia of Archaeology. Subject encyclopedias will have subject specific call numbers.

Directories

Directories provide names, addresses, affiliations, etc. of people, organizations, or institutions. They can be used to verify addresses, name spellings, and provide contact information. As in other reference sources, directories may be general or focused on a particular subject.

• General directories: Zip Code & Post Office Directory, Encyclopedia of Associations
• Subject directories: Fairbanks Phone Directory, Museums of the World, A Directory of Eskimo Artists in Sculpture and Prints , Directory of Multinationals, Federal Government Agencies Directory (Hierarchical), Thomas Register of American Manufacturers ,Scholarly Societies Project.

Biographical Dictionaries

Biographical dictionaries contain short articles about people's lives. Biography resources have call numbers that begin with CT.

• General biographical dictionaries include Current Biography, Dictionary of American Biography, Who's Who, Encyclopedia of World Biography, etc.
• Subject biographical dictionaries may focus on a subject area or group. These sources include Dictionary of Scientific Biography, Contemporary Authors, Biographical Dictionary of Psychology , New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Women of Science, etc.

Gazetteers or Atlases

Geographic information is located in gazetteers, atlases and maps. Geography resources have call numbers that begin with G.

• Atlasescontain collections of maps. They provide information on geographical/political changes. There are world, national, and thematic atlases and these may be current or historical.
  • World atlases include National Geographic Atlas of the World.
  • National atlases: National Atlas of the United States, Atlas of the American Revolution.
  • Thematic atlases focus on a specific subject area, such as astronomy or agriculture. Examples include, The Oxford Economic Atlas of the World and theEnvironmental Atlas of Alaska.
• Gazetteersare sometimes referred to as geographical dictionaries and provide descriptions of places, but no maps.
  • General gazetteers include Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, The Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World, Gazetteer of Undersea Features, The World Gazetteer , etc.
  • Regional gazetteers, such as Dictionary of Alaska Place Names, by D. Orth, focus on a specific geographical region and are good places to look if you want to know the location of a town, its population, or where its name came from.

Sometimes atlases and gazetteers are combined, as in the Alaska Atlas and Gazetteer, by DeLorme Mapping, which publishes similar products for the other states.

Almanacs

Almanacs contain statistics and facts about countries, events, personalities, or subjects. Almanac resources have call numbers that begin with AY.

• General almanacs include the Statistical Abstract of the United States, The New York Public Library Desk Reference, World Almanac (an American focus), Information Please Almanac (print ed. called Time Almanac), Whitaker's Almanak (United Kingdom focus).
• Subject almanacs include The Weather Almanac, The Almanac of Renewable Energy,Political Reference Almanac, Alaska Almanac, and more.

Handbooks/Manuals

Handbooks and manuals are subject area tools. Handbooks provide facts, terms, concepts, movements, etc. of a topic. Manuals provide detailed instructions on a particular subject, such as how-to-do something or how something works.

• Handbooks: Handbook of North American Indians, Guide to Alaska Trees, Words and Ideas: A Handbook for College Writing, Handbook of Mathematical Formulas, MLA Handbook For Writers of Research Papers.
• Manuals: Manual of Photography, Manual for Environmental Impact Evaluation, Alaska Craftsman Home Building Manual, United States Government Manual.

Review & Criticism Sources

These tools provide reviews or critiques of a person's work.

• General: Book Review Digest (OCLC FirstSearch, hereafter called FirstSearch), MLA(FirstSearch), New York Times Book Review, Contemporary Literary Criticism.
• Subject: Children's Literature Review, Popular Music Record Reviews.

Historical Tables, Chronologies, Historical Yearbooks

Historical tables and chronologies pesent historical facts in different formats. Historical tables provide facts chronologically in columns with each column representing another geographical area or other major area, such as history, economics, religions. etc. Chronologies use narrative form to present facts. Historical tables and chronologies may span long or very short time periods. Historical yearbooks provide facts and statistics for a single year and may be published annually.

• Historical Tables: The Timetables of History, Historical Tables, 58 BC-AD 1985.
• Chronologies: Chronology of World History, The New York Public Library Book of Chronologies, Chronology of the Expanding World, 1492-1762, A Chronology of the People's Republic of China from October 1, 1949, Annals of European Civilization, 1501-1900.
• Historical Yearbooks: The Statesman's Year-Book.

Indexes & Abstracts

Indexes and abstracts lead to additional sources of periodical articles. Indexes only provide author, title, and subject information. Abstracts tend to be more descriptive. Some online index databases also include the full-text of the article.

• General: Reader's Guide to Periodic Index (FirstSearch), Book Review Index,Periodicals Abstracts (FirstSearch).
• Subject: Art Abstracts (FirstSearch), New York Times Index (ABI Inform), Biography Index (FirstSearch), Chemical Abstracts.

Bibliographies

Bibliographies lead to other information sources. They are lists of books and other materials that provide author, title, and publication information. Annotated bibliographies also include a brief description or summary of the item. Bibliographies are available on almost every topic and may focus on specific persons, groups, subjects, or time periods. Many bibliographies are selective and do not attempt to include all publications. Bibliographies are sometimes referred to as "Guides to the Literature ..."

Examples: American Fiction, 1774-1850, Bibliography of Education, Utilization of Wood Residues: An Annotated Bibliography, A Bibliography of Sir Walter Scott, MLA Bibliography(FirstSearch), Current Bibliographies in Medicine (NLM), Equity Issues in Science and Math(State of AK, Dept of ED), Alutiiq Ethnographic Bibliography (ANKN).

Ready Reference

The Ready Reference Collection contains reference sources that are used most frequently. The Ready Reference shelves are located adjacent to the Reference Desk. The collection includes reference tools such as The Encyclopedia of Associations, The Encyclopedia of Associations, The Dictionary of Alaska Place Names, Style guides (MLA, APA, Chicago), a thesaurus, The Physician's Desk Reference, Alaska phone directories, Black's Law Dictionary,World Almanac, The Merck Manual of Medical Information, Zip Code Directories, etc.

Where to find Reference Materials

All materials in the Reference Collection can be found by searching the library catalog. Once you determine what type of reference source you need, simply do a subject or keyword search for that tool. All items with a REF location code in the call number are located in the main Reference Collection on Level 4 (main floor). The Alaska Collection (Level 2) and Government Documents Collection (Level 5) also have Reference Collections, and their location codes are AK REF and DOCS REF respectively.

Try a subject search such as "dictionaries" or "bibliographies".

Or, try a subject search on your field of interest and look for reference subheadings.

For Example:

From the BROWSE search in Goldmine type in your term(s), then click on Subjects.

Now look for types of reference sources: bibliographies, dictionaries, manuals, handbooks, etc...(Refer to Guide for Selecting the Right Type of Reference Source shown above.)

Or, limit your subject search to your field of interest such as:

• astronomy dictionaries
• astrophysics bibliography
• chemistry abstracts

Or try a keyword search such as "shakespeare AND bibliography".

Other options include:

• Browse the reference section. The Reference Collection at Rasmuson Library is near the Reference Desk on Level 4. The collection is arranged by Library of Congress (LC) system, starting with general encyclopedias, which can be found on the low shelves, directly behind the Ready Reference Collection. The print indexes fill several shelves on the south end.
• Ask a Reference Librarian. Ask in-person at the Reference Desk or send your question via email to Ask a Librarian. A librarian will respond to your question via e-mail.
• Refer to guides to reference materials, such as Guide to Reference Books. Balay, Robert (ed.). Chicago: American Library Association, 1996. ( Ready Reference Z 1035.1 G89 1996)
• Search the Internet. Many university web sites and Internet "virtual libraries" provide access to web reference resources. These subject directories provide access to reliable sources that have already been evaluated according to the criteria of the authors of the site. Or locate reference sources on the Web using a search engine.
  There are good and bad sources available via the Internet. Always evaluate your sources carefully.

Web Resources for Reference Tools

The number of Internet reference tools increases every year. If you are looking for reliable online versions of your favorite print research tools, some good places to start are university sponsored reference sites, such as, Internet subject directories or virtual libraries.

Virtual Libraries, web sites created by librarians that index quality web links, can also help you find quality Internet reference tools. Many of these sites have specific "general reference" sections. Try some of the virtual libraries listed here:

• Reference Desk - Librarian's Index to the Internet. Includes links to other information sources including almanacs, calendars, dictionaries, encyclopedias, holidays, names, phone books, and statistics.
• General Reference - WWW Virtual Library. One of the first virtual library sites, started by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of html and the web itself.
• Reference and Periodicals - Awesome Library. This virtual library provides separate indexes for teachers, kids, teens, parents, librarians and "community."
• Reference Resources - Internet Public library. Maintained by the University of Michigan. Reference works are broken into over twenty sub categories from almanacs to trivia.
• Electronic Resources: For The Reference Desk - A selective list of reference sites from the Library of Congress.
• See this linked Academic Info Digital Library site for a list of subject specific virtual libraries.

Other good online reference tools can be found on the WWW. The selected sites below represent the variety of online resources.

• Bartleby.com This site features full text of several reference standards, includingColumbia Encyclopedia, American Heritage Dictionary, Strunk & White's Elements of Style, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, Gray's Anatomy, Roget's Thesaurus, the World Factbook, and more.
• The Riley Guide. Career information, including preparing a resume, job listings, and links to professional organizations
• NIH Health Information. Created by the National Institutes of Health. Health Information provides links to reliable web sources on a wide range of health issues.
• Encyclopedia Smithsonian. Features answers to frequently asked questions about the Smithsonian and links to Smithsonian resources on subjects from Art to Zoology.
• E-Conflict World Encyclopedia. Country information from around the world. A resource for business, tourists, students and teachers.
• Currency Conversion. A conversion tool sponsored by Yahoo.
• Essentials of Music. A W.W. Norton. site. Includes overviews of historical periods of classical music, biographies of composers, and a dictionary of music terms.
• Mammals Species of the World (MSW). Sponsored by the Smithsonian national Museum of Natural History, this site contains the names of the 4,629 currently recognized species of mammals, in a taxonomic hierarchy that includes Order, Family, Subfamily, and Genus
• Nobel Foundation. The official site for the Nobel Prize Foundation. Includes information on all recipients, arranged by prize category.
• Online Literary Criticism Collection. The Internet Public Library Online Literary Criticism Collection contains 4689 critical and biographical web sites about authors and their works that can be browsed by author, by title, or by nationality and literary period.
• ZIP Code Look-Up and Address Information. A. U.S. Postal Service site.

Works Cited by--:

Bolner, Myrtle S. and Gayle A. Poirier. The Research Process: Books and Beyond, 2nd ed. Dubuque, IA:Kendall/ Hunt Publishing Company, 2001.

Collins, Donald, Diane Catlett, and Bobbie Collins. Libraries and Research: A Practical Approach, 3rd ed. Dubuque. IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1994.

Research, Instruction, and Outreach Services

Elmer E. Rasmuson Library

310 Tanana Loop

PO Box: 

756808

Fairbanks, Alaska

99775-6808

AskRasmusonLibrary@uaf.libanswers.com

Phone: 

907-474-7481

fax:907-474-6841            

..........................................................................................................................................

   

Reference Tools

Browse Subjects

Dictionaries

• Oxford English Dictionary

  The traditional authority on the English language, including information on variant spellings, pronunciation, and word origins.

• Oxford Language Dictionaries

  French, German, Italian, and Spanish to English and vice versa.

Encyclopedias

• Britannica Online

• Wikipedia

  See our video tutorial, Wikipedia: Beneath the Surface.

Biography

• American National Biography

  Scholarly encyclopedia with biographical essays about famous (non-living) American individuals. Each entry provides an overview of the life and contributions of the individual, and includes a bibliography with suggestions for further research.

• Marquis Who's Who on the Web

  An electronic version of Whoís Who in America combined with other biographical directories from the same publisher. This resource includes many contemporary individuals who are known in their fields, and provides basic data about employment, awards, political affiliation, religion, and contact information.

• New Dictionary of Scientific Biography

  Provides information on the history of science through articles on the professional lives of scientists. All periods of science from classical antiquity to modern times are represented. Includes both biographical information and lists of primary and secondary resources

• Biography and Geneaology Master Index

  Index to many biographical reference sources (mostly in print). If you don’t find the biographical information you need in one of the electronic reference sources listed on this page, this resource will help you do a much 
  
  
  
  

  Browse Subjects

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  Mathematics - Natural Resources - Physical Sciences - Social Sciences - Textiles - Veterinary Science

  Agriculture Agricultural Economics Agriculture Animal Science Crop Science Entomology Family & Consumer Sciences Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences Food Science Forestry Genetics & Genomics Horticulture Nutrition Plant Pathology Poultry Science Soil Science Sustainable Agriculture Waste Management Design Architecture Art Graphic Design Industrial Design Landscape Architecture Planning Education Adult & Higher Education Curriculum & Instruction Education Leadership & Counselor Education Mathematics, Science & Technology Education Psychology Training & Development Engineering Aerospace Engineering Biological & Agricultural Engineering Biomedical Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Science Electrical & Computer Engineering Engineering Geology Environmental Technology Ergonomics Food Science General Science & Engineering Industrial Engineering Information Science & Technology Materials Science Mechanical Engineering Nuclear Engineering Operations Research Waste Management

  Humanities Anthropology Art Communication & Media Film Studies History History of Science & Technology Linguistics Literature Music Philosophy & Ethics Religious Studies Life Sciences Behavioral Biology Biochemistry Biology Biomedical Engineering Ecology Entomology Environmental Science Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences Genetics & Genomics Immunology Marine Science Medicine, Human Microbiology Neuroscience Nutrition Physiology Plant Biology Plant Pathology Public & Environmental Health Toxicology Zoology Management Accounting & Finance Agricultural Economics Business & Management Economics Operations Research Public Administration Sport Management Textile & Apparel Management Mathematics Bioinformatics & Biomathematics Computer Science Mathematics Statistics Natural Resources Ecology Environmental Science Environmental Technology Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences Forestry Marine Science Natural Resources Parks, Recreation & Tourism Mgt Public & Environmental Health Soil Science Sport Management Waste Management Wood & Paper Science

  Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics Atmospheric Science Chemistry Earth Science Environmental Science General Science & Engineering Marine Science Materials Science Physics Social Sciences Anthropology Communication & Media Criminology Economics Family & Consumer Sciences History History of Science & Technology Information Science & Technology Law Linguistics Operations Research Political Science Psychology Public Administration Social Work Sociology Statistics Textiles Textile & Apparel Management Textile Chemistry Textile Engineering Veterinary Science Agriculture Animal Science Behavioral Biology Biology Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences Food Science Genetics & Genomics Immunology Medicine, Human Microbiology Neuroscience Nutrition Pharmacology Physiology Poultry Science Public & Environmental Health Toxicology Veterinary Medicine Zoology

  
  
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  Reference Sources in Libraries
  Here are some resources typically used by reference librarians and often found in library reference rooms. If you don't find something in your library—ask. Sometimes these are kept behind the reference desk if the reference librarians tend to consult them frequently. Note that many of these resources are available as both books and CD-ROMs. Which version your library has will depend on budget, technology and convenience decisions by the library. This listing is a very small sample of many thousands of reference books.
  Note: the links below take you further down on this page.
   Almanacs, yearbooks and handbooks
   Biographical sources 
   Dictionaries
   Encyclopedias
   Indexes and abstracts
   Other reference tools

  Almanacs, yearbooks and handbooks

  Almanacs, yearbooks and handbooks are often single volumes which summarize large amounts of facts about things like people and organizations, current and historical events, countries, statistics, and popular culture items like sports, entertainment, zip codes. They can frequently provide quick answers to factual questions, but aren't useful for extensive research. Yearbooks are issued by encyclopedia companies and provide a quick update to events occurring during that year. Handbooks usually are focused on a particular subject, while almanacs are broader in scope.

  Britannica Book of the Year.

  Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1938- . Annual.

  Issued every year, this update to Encyclopaedia Britannica has an overview of the year's important events. Your library may subscribe to E.B. online so that you can get the entire encyclopedia and its current events coverage on the Web from the library's computers.

  Facts on File: World News Digest with Index.

  New York: Facts on File, 1940- . Weekly.

  Current events are indexed by person's name, place names and subjects. Because it's issued weekly, you can often find very up-to-date information, whereas yearbooks and almanacs are only issued annually at most. May also be online on NEXUS or on CD-ROM in your library.

  Information Please Almanac: Atlas and Yearbook.

  New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1947- . Annual.

  Facts, tables of statistics, information about popular culture and events, with detailed table of contents and index.

  McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology.

  New York: McGraw-Hill, 1962- . Annual.

  Subject-based yearbook of current events in science and technology.

  The Oxford Companion to American Literature.

  James D. Hart. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983. 896 p.

  This handbook serves as a comprehensive guide to American literature, including historical aspects, writers' biographies, awards, societies and trends.

  The Statesman's Year Book.

  Edited by John Paxton. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1864- . Annual.

  A section on international organizations, then a listing for individual countries containing statistical information and facts about political and economic aspects of the country (like welfare and education systems, financial institutions, diplomatic missions and so on).

  The World Almanac and Book of Facts.

  New York: Funk & Wagnalls, World Almanac, 1868-1976, 1886- . Annual.

  Similar to Information Please Almanac but presented in a more formal style - facts, tables of statistics, information about popular culture and events, with detailed table of contents and index. May also be on CD-ROM in your library.

  Biographical sources

  Reference sources with biographical information may provide a brief summary of data about a person, fairly detailed information about a person, or references (citations) to other short or full-length biographies written about the person. Brief summaries are usually found in biographical dictionaries, while other biographical sources and some encyclopedias may have more detailed information. Some cover living people and some dead people, a few cover both.

  Biography and Genealogy Master Index.

  2d ed. Detroit: Gale, 1980- . Annual. [Also on CD-ROM]

  There are no actual biographies here but citations telling where to find biographies, whether short summaries or full-length books.

  McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography.

  12 vols. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1973.

  Specifically designed to meet the needs of high school and college students by choosing to cover people who are frequently featured in the curriculum. Features people who are living as well as dead, and the biographical information is quite detailed. Study guides in the last volume identify important people who were associated with particular historical events or issues.

  Webster's New Biographical Dictionary.

  Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1988. 1130 p.

  Summarized biographies of important people of the past, source for quick facts.

  Who's Who.

  London: Adam and Charles Black, 1894- . Annual.

  International version with brief biographical information for living people.

  Who's Who in America.

  Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1899/1900- . Annual.

  One of many "Who's Who" and "Who Was Who" sources offered by several different publishing houses. Some focus on ethnic groups, some on historical figures, some on groups such as artists or politicians. Check your library to see which sources are available.

  Dictionaries

  Standard dictionaries give an alphabetical list of words and their definitions, but there are several useful variations also classified as dictionaries. Thesauri contain synonyms and antonyms (opposites) but usually don't define the words. Dialect and slang dictionaries present words and definitions not necessarily found in standard dictionaries. There are also dictionaries of abbreviations and acronyms and dictionaries of quotations. We haven't listed specific examples here, because you'll probably just want to browse your library's collection. These general dictionaries are usually shelved near each other in the reference room. There are also quite a few dictionaries available in CD-ROM and on the Web.

  Encyclopedias

  Encyclopedias traditionally provide comprehensive coverage of an entire area of knowledge. There are general encyclopedias and subject encyclopedias, and they differ as to the level of detail provided and the complexity of the writing. Encyclopedias are good for fact-finding, getting general background information about a subject or starting a research project. The many CD-ROM encyclopedias contain much of the same information as the print volumes, as well as being searchable and giving you the ability to print out text and pictures. The CD-ROM versions and the many subject-based encyclopedias are not separately listed here—check with your library's reference department to see what they have available.

  Academic American Encyclopedia.

  21 vols. Danbury, Conn.: Grolier, 1998.

  Presents fairly brief articles on specific topics, with a clear, concise writing style. More factual information than broad overviews of large subject areas.

  Collier's Encyclopedia.

  24 vols. New York: Macmillan, 1997.

  One of the "big three" adult encyclopedias typically found in public and academic libraries. Scholarly and comprehensive coverage.

  Encyclopedia Americana.

  International ed. 30 vols. Danbury, Conn.: Grolier, 2002.

  Another of the "big three" mixes shorter articles with long articles broad in scope. In length and scholarship, compares toBritannica.

  New Encyclopaedia Britannica.

  15th ed. 32 vols. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2002.

  Considered by many to be the premier English-language general encyclopedia. The writing is scholarly and therefore sometimes difficult to understand in a subject area with which you're unfamiliar. Articles in the Micropaedia are short and fact-filled, while theMacropaedia has long articles surveying broad aspects of a topic. Very extensive list of bibliographic references at the end of each article so you can find additional information.

  World Book Encyclopedia.

  22 vols. Chicago: World Book, 2002.

  Aimed at students, this is very widely used in both public and school libraries. Coverage is provided for all subjects in the U.S. school curriculum, and articles have lots of cross-references to other articles within the encyclopedia and to outside sources. Study guides help to organize research on various topics. This is an excellent place to start when you're totally unfamiliar with a subject area.

  Indexes and abstracts

  Indexes and abstracts supplement the library catalog as described by Bopp and Smith (1995):

  Users may come into a library, consult the main catalog, and falsely assume they have searched the entire contents of the library. The catalog may confirm the holdings of a periodical [magazine or journal] but not its contents; a poetry collection but not individual poems; the title of an author's collected works but not the individual work; newspapers but not individual news stories. Indexes and abstracts are created and become extremely useful tools to more fully reveal detailed resources not covered in the more general catalog.

  For most research papers at the college level, you'll want to look for scholarly journal articles about your chosen topic. Indexes are the tools you'll use for this purpose, and if you're lucky, your library will have some indexes either loaded in the online library catalog or available on CD-ROM. Searching indexes is different than searching the library catalog, however, because indexes don't use the same subject classifications as the library catalog. Some indexes provide books of "descriptors" to help you search for key words and key concepts by which the items have been indexed.
  Be aware that indexes will contain items not held at your library, because they are prepared by commercial companies that index a particular group of periodicals or works regardless of where they may be held. A periodical index is most useful if it contains abstracts—brief summaries of the articles. Abstracts make it easier to tell if the article is relevant to the subject of your research.

  Other reference tools

  Statistics and Government documents
  Government documents are available free of copyright and certain publishers compile and index them for use by libraries and other researchers. The volume of documents produced every day by the U.S. government is almost beyond imagining, and the system of numbering documents is unique and unlike the rest of the library's classification system. In addition to laws, regulations and agency documents, the government produces a lot of statistics for public release.
  Many academic and public libraries have a lot of government documents and statistics and the various indexing tools you need to be able to locate and retrieve them. A lot of these are available on CD-ROM or in online databases within the library. Quite of bit of this information is being made available on the Web as well. Finding both government documents and statistical information can be a real challenge. A trip to the reference desk is probably the quickest way to zero in on what you need.
  Geographic information
  Atlases and maps are the main sources of geographical information in libraries, though many encyclopedias and dictionaries have maps which may be sufficient for your purpose. There are different kinds of specialized atlases much as there are different kinds of dictionaries. Some atlases contain statistics such as population, economic factors, weather, and other facts. There are historical or thematic atlases which show the world at certain dates or during certain events, such as wars.
  Bibliographies
  Bibliographies are lists of works—books or shorter works—which help identify sources where information can be found. You might want to find additional works by a certain author or works on a certain subject. There are hundreds of different kinds of bibliographies compiled for different purposes, and your reference librarian can let you know which ones might be useful in the topic area of your research. Remember that a bibliography will tell you a work exists, but it may not be held by your library. If you find an interesting item in a bibliography, consult your library's catalog to see if it's available in the collection.
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  A+ Research & Writing for high school and college students was created by Kathryn L. Schwartz
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  Reference Tools

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