Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Reference Works
Reference works such as dictionaries and encyclopedias provide background information. These resources are useful when you:
- Want to quickly learn about a topic.
- Are having trouble selecting a topic for an assignment.
- Don’t know what search terms to use.
- Need to find facts and figures.
Virtual Reference
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language.
Use this widget to search seven collections of reference books.
General Reference
The following is a sample from our reference collection.
Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia of American Literature by Call Number: 810.9003 B4357ISBN: 0062700278Publication Date:The entries explore all aspects of literature from around the world: biographies of poets and playwrights, novelists and belletrists; plot synopses and character sketches from important works; historical data on literary schools, movements, terms and awards; myths and legends; and more.
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism by Call Number: Ref. 016.809 J62ISBN: 9780801845604Publication Date:Over the past generation, literary theory and criticism have become the focus of intellectual activity in the humanities and social sciences—often sparking interest and debate beyond university classrooms in discussions of “political correctness,” multiculturalism, and educational reform. The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism is a major new reference book designed to serve as an international, encyclopedic guide to the important figures, schools, and movements in this influential and expanding area of study.
Literary Research Guide by Call Number: Ref. 016.8209 H229l4ISBN: 9780873529839Publication Date:Evaluates important reference materials in English studies. Harner has added entries describing resources published since and has revised nearly half the entries from the third edition. The fourth edition contains more than 1,200 entries, which discuss an additional 1,494 books, articles, and electronic resources and cite 729 reviews.
Author Resources
Hispanic Literature of the United States by Call Number: Ref. 810.9868 K1317hISBN: 157356558XPublication Date:Providing a detailed historical overview of Hispanic literature in the United States from the Spanish colonial period to the present, this extensive chronology provides the context within which such writers as Sandra Cisneros, Rodolfo Anaya, and Oscar Hijuelos have worked.
Latino and Latina Writers by Call Number: Ref. 810.9868 L3499ISBN: 068431293XPublication Date:In addition to addressing the lives and careers of important writers, the articles discuss the themes and styles of major works and place them in pertinent historical, social and political concerns for today’s readers. Novelists, playwrights, essayists, poets, short story writers, and more recently, genre writers in science fiction and mystery, are all expertly discussed in the more than 17 sets comprising this series.
Modern American Women Writers by Call Number: 810.9928703 M7204ISBN: 0684190575Publication Date:Modern American Women Writers contains 41 critical and biographical essays on women writers since .
Multicultural Writers since by Call Number: Ref. 809.04 M9192ISBN: 0313306885Publication Date:The end of World War II led to increased interest in multicultural concerns and a flourishing of literary and artistic endeavors. It was also a time of decolonization and the emergence of new nations and cultures clamoring for recognition and respect. The political circumstances following World War II exposed many people to other cultures. This reference discusses the experiences of writers active since who were shaped by cultures other than their own.
The Oxford Companion to African American Literature by Call Number: 810.80896073 Ox24ISBN: 9780195065107Publication Date:The Oxford Companion to African American Literature provides the first comprehensive one-volume reference work devoted to this rich tradition, surveying the length and breadth of black literary history, focusing in particular on the lives and careers of more than 400 writers. Here, too, are general articles on the traditional literary genres, such as poetry, fiction, and drama; on genres of special import in African American letters, such as autobiography, slave narratives, Sunday school literature, and oratory; and on a wide spectrum of related topics, including journalism, the black periodical press, major libraries and research centers, religion, literary societies, women's clubs, and various publishing enterprises.
Eras & Geographies
Modern American Literature by Call Number: Ref. 810.9 C928m4ISBN: 0804430462Publication Date:A compilation of representative critical comments provides critical portraits of important late-nineteenth- and twentieth-century American writers, with bibliographies for all included authors.
The Oxford Companion to American Literature by Call Number: 810.9 H2515ISBN: 9780195065480Publication Date:For more than half a century, James D. Hart’s The Oxford Companion to American Literature has been an unparalleled guide to America’s literary culture, providing one of the finest resources to this country’s rich history of great writers.
The Oxford Companion to Spanish Literature by Call Number: 860.3 W216oISBN: 0198661142Publication Date:A handy reference to Spanish literature and related subjects with coverage from Roman times to the mid-1970s.
The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English by Call Number: 820.3 Ox24sISBN: 9780192122711Publication Date:This is a unique new reference book to English-language writers and writing throughout the twentieth century, in all major genres and from all around the world—from Joseph Conrad to Will Self, Virginia Woolf to David Mamet, Ezra Pound to Peter Carey, James Joyce to Amy Tan.
Dictionaries
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 2nd College Edition, by Call Number: Ref. 423 Am35ac2ISBN: 9780395329443Publication Date:The revised edition of the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.
A Dictionary of Literary Symbols by Call Number: eBookISBN: 0511342748Publication Date:This is the first dictionary of symbols to be based on literature rather than “universal” psychological archetypes, myths, or esoterica. Michael Ferber has assembled nearly two hundred entries clearly explaining and illustrating the literary symbols that we all encounter (such as swan, rose, moon, gold), along with hundreds of cross-references and quotations.
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition, by Call Number: Ref. 423 W399 2003ISBN: 0877798095Publication Date:America’s best-selling dictionary defines the current, active vocabulary of American English and is updated on an ongoing basis.
The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition, by Call Number: Ref. 423 Ox25e2ISBN: 0198611862Publication Date:The 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary is the accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. It traces the usage of words through 2.4 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources.
Reference Databases
These research databases contain full-text reference works.
Their content includes encyclopedias and specialized dictionaries but may also include journal articles and other sources.
General Reference
- Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
- Why search here? This encyclopedia features brief topical overviews useful for beginning almost any research project.
- What’s included? This is a general encyclopedia containing over 25,000 full-text entries.
- Oxford English Dictionary Online
- Why search here? The Oxford English Dictionary is the most authoritative and exhaustive dictionary of the English language, past and present. With the OED, a student can track how the meaning of a word has changed over time. This is especially valuable for students of English.
- What’s included? The OED includes not only current definitions but historical definitions and usages accompanied by examples from a wide range of literature.
Legal & Business Information
- Legal Information Source
- Why search here? Legal Information Source contains legal forms and legal information aimed at the layman rather than the specialist. Topics include family law, property law, and business law, among others.
- What’s included? The collection includes legal reference books from Nolo and thousands of legal forms.
- Small Business Source
- Why search here? Small Business Source contains multiple resources on starting or managing a business. This may be useful for Business majors.
- What’s included? Contents include almost 400 full-text magazines and journals and 400 full-text reference books, as well as market and industry research reports. Additional resources include instructional videos and state-specific demographic information.
English & Literature
- Gale Literature Resource Center
- Why search here? This is the most important database for the English program, and it is also useful for other fields in the humanities.
- What’s included? This database contains full-text author biographies, literary analyses, and reviews for a wide range of literature, conveniently sorted by resource type.
- Poetry & Short Story Reference Source
- Why search here? This database features full-text poems, short stories, and dramatic works, as well as biographies, critical essays, and eBooks.
- What’s included? The database contains 400,000 poems, over 50,000 short stories, over 4,000 dramatic works, and over 1,100 eBooks.
Health & Psychology
- Consumer Health Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This collection of reference texts supplements Consumer Health Complete.
- What’s included? The collection includes almost 370 full-text, health-related reference works aimed at the general reader.
- Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print
- Why search here? The Mental Measurements Yearbook contains descriptions and reviews of commercially available psychometric tests used in education, business, and psychology. Although potentially useful to all students whose field of research involves mental tests, this database is particularly important for graduate students planning their own research projects.
- What’s included? The Mental Measurements Yearbook annually produces extensive descriptions of new testing instruments with reviews by subject experts. Tests in Print maintains a bibliography of all testing instruments currently available in English.
Home & Craft
- Hobbies & Crafts Source
- Why search here? Hobbies & Crafts Source contains an array of popular publications on crafts, hobbies, and recreation.
- What’s included? The database contains over 740 magazines and books as well as over 700 instructional videos.
- Home Improvement Source
- Why search here? Home Improvement Source contains magazines, reference materials, and instructions on all aspects of do-it-yourself home improvement and repair.
- What’s included? The database contains thousands of repair instructions and a wide range of home-improvement magazines and reference books.
Schools & Public Libraries
- MAS Complete
- Why search here? This database contains popular magazines and books on a wide range of nonfiction subjects. Although intended for high schools, it may be useful for subjects such as sports science, fine arts, social science, social work, and others.
- What’s included? Contents include over 540 full-text magazines, 440 reference books, thousands of biographies and primary-source documents, and an image collection.
- MAS Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference book collection supplements MAS Complete. Although intended for high school students, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Over 370 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- MasterFILE Complete
- Why search here? This collection contains a wide selection of popular magazines, reference books, and primary-source documents on many subjects. It is especially useful for researching business and current events.
- What’s included? The collection includes over 2,300 magazines, 1,100 eBooks, 55,000 primary-source documents, and 75,000 Associated Press videos, as well as an image collection.
- MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference collection supplements MasterFILE Complete. Although intended for public libraries, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Almost 780 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- Middle Search Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference book collection supplements Middle Search Plus. Although intended for middle schools, its contents may be useful in undergraduate classes.
- What’s included? Over 300 reference books on a wide variety of subjects are included.
- Primary Search Reference eBook Collection
- Why search here? This reference book collection supplements Primary Search. Although intended for elementary school students, its contents may be useful to the Division of Education or anyone looking for a cursory overview of a topic.
- What’s included? A large collection of children’s reference books on a wide variety of subjects is included.
