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
For students and adults alike, the Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia database indexes over 25,000 records, covering an array of topics.
- Oxford English Dictionary Online
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words—past and present—from across the English-speaking world.
Legal & Business Information
- Legal Information Reference Center
In addition to 225 full-text journals, this database features full-text legal reference books from the organization Nolo.
- Small Business Reference Center
This databases contains over 450 reference books related to business.
English & Literature
- Gale Literature Resource Center
In addition to full-text short stories, plays, poems, and articles on literature, the Gale Literature Resource Center offers access to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature.
- Poetry & Short Story Reference Center
In addition to full-text stories and poems as well as critical essays, this database contains articles from reference works on poetry and literature.
Health & Psychology
- Consumer Health Reference eBook Collection
This ebook reference collection offers a rich selection of eBook titles covering a broad range of general health topics including cancer and diabetes; weight management and exercise; allergies; senior care; social–emotional health; developmental disorders; and natural health.
- Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print
Produced by the Buros Center for Testing at the University of Nebraska, the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) provides users with a comprehensive guide to thousands of contemporary testing instruments.
Home & Craft
- Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center
Intended for public libraries, this database dedicated to home improvement and repair includes full-text reference works.
- Home Improvement Reference Center
Intended for public libraries, this database dedicated to home improvement and repair includes full-text reference works.
Schools & Public Libraries
- MAS Complete
Although designed for high schools, MAS Complete includes the contents of 440 full-text reference books that may be useful for beginning research or quick overviews of subjects.
- MAS Reference eBook Collection
This eBook reference collection offers a rich selection of eBook titles covering a broad range of general reference subjects for high-school students.
- MasterFILE Complete
Designed for public libraries, MasterFILE Premier includes the full text of 500 reference books that may be useful for general information or beginning research.
- MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection
This eBook reference collection offers a rich selection of eBook titles covering a broad range of general reference subjects.
- Middle Search Reference eBook Collection
This eBook reference collection offers a rich selection of eBook titles covering a broad range of general reference subjects for middle-school students. Topics include social studies, math, history, language arts, technology, geography, culture, and science.
- Primary Search Reference eBook Collection
This eBook reference collection offers a rich selection of eBook titles covering a broad range of general reference subjects for primary-school students. Topics include social studies, history, language arts, geography, culture, math, and science.
