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Reference Tools That Every L.E.P.* Should Know About(*Liberally Educated Person)
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Dictionaries
Abridged Dictionaries
These are single-volume, portable dictionaries that contain most commonly used words. They are also known as desk dictionaries. Every L.E.P should use one on a regular basis.
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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary Available online at: http://www.m-w.com/ Available in the library at: Ref PE1628 .M36 |
Unabridged Dictionaries
With over a half a million entries, unabridged dictionaries attempt to include most words in current usage, as well as a broad selection of archaic words. The Oxford English Dictionary, or OED for short, is an important multi-volume unabridged dictionary used for tracing an English word's history. A word's history is called its etymology.
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Oxford English Dictionary |
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 Webster's Third New International Dictionary Available in the library at: Ref PE 1625 .W36 |
Encyclopedias
General Encyclopedias
These works attempt to present a summary of the world’s knowledge. Most printed encyclopedias are published in large multi-volume sets with alphabetically arranged subjects. However, because subjects often overlap, you need to use the encyclopedia’s index to locate information about a subject that is included in other articles.
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Encyclopędia Britannica |
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Subject Encyclopedias
These generally provide a detailed treatment of ideas, concepts, and persons within a specific discipline or group of disciplines. Often written by experts in the field, the entries are more scholarly in nature and contain helpful bibliographies that can get you started on your research.
There are numerous subject-specific encyclopedias in the Reference Collection. Some of the more popular ones at UNCA include: (click link for library call number)
Note: Don't be misled by the titles of subject encyclopedias. The names "dictionary" and "encyclopedia" are often used interchangeably with these types of multi-volume reference works.
Biographical Sources
Biography and Genealogy Master Index (BGMI)
Online access (UNCA users only)
This comprehensive index can help you identify which biographical reference books contain entries on a specific person.
Some popular reference sources for biographical information that can be found in most libraries include:
American National Biography
Available in the library at: Ref CT 213 .A68
Dictionary of American Biography
Available in the library at: Ref E 176 .D562
Dictionary of National Biography
Available in the library at: Ref DA 28 .D4
Dictionary of Literary Biography
Available in the library at: Ref PN 451 .D5
Women in World History
Available in the library at: Ref HQ 1115 .W6
Quotations
Who said, "War is a poor chisel to carve out tomorrows?" Where can you find quotations about love or friendship? What have the great thinkers said about democracy? Books of quotations arranged by author or theme can help. These reference tools can be very useful when you have to make a speech or oral presentation. A few good examples are:
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
1919 ed. available online at: http://www.bartleby.com/100/
Recent editions available in the library at: Ref PN 6081 .B27
Oxford Book of Quotations
Available in the library at: Ref PN 6081 .O9
Quotations in Black
Available in the library at: Ref PN 6081.3 .Q67
Geographical Sources
Atlases
Atlases are collections of maps that may or may not have accompanying narratives. These are shelved in the Maps/Atlases case in the Reference area. A couple of good ones are:
Oxford Atlas of the World
Available in the library at: Atlas G1021 .A7545
Macmillan Centennial Atlas of the World
Available in the library at: Atlas G1021 .M213
Gazetteers
Sometimes referred to as geographical dictionaries, these provide narrative descriptions of places and geographic and topographic features. A great example is:
Columbia Gazetteer of the World
Available in the library at: Ref G103.5 .C65
Almanacs & Statistical Yearbooks
These reference books provide brief, factual data on many different topics. If you use only one statistical yearbook in your academic career, make it the Statistical Abstract of the United States (or at least come to the library and look at it some day). This is truly the mother lode for U.S. statistics, containing tables on anything and everything from "Abortions" to "Zoo Attendance."
 Statistical Abstract of the United States Available online at: http://www.census.gov/statab/www/index.html Available in the library at: Ref Desk HA 202 |
The World Almanac and Book of Facts
Available in the library at: Ref Desk AY 67 .N5 W7
Comprehensive almanac popular among reference librarians and Trivial Pursuit junkies.Europa World Year Book
Available in the library at: Ref JN 1 .E85
Great source for international and country data.
Government Information
Increasingly, we are turning to the World Wide Web for state and federal government info. For years the U.S. Government was touted as the "world's largest publisher." Now, as it turns out, they are one the largest producers of online content as well.
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One-stop shopping for online government information. Search across numerous government agency Web sites with one central engine. Available online at: http://www.usa.gov/ |
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Provides easy access to federal legislative information, including house and senate bills, public laws, the Congressional Record, and committee info. Available online at: http://thomas.loc.gov/ |
GPO Access |
GPO Access disseminates official information from all three branches of the Federal Government. Available at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html |
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The North Carolina Government Portal. One-stop shopping for online state information, arranged by agency. Available online at: http://www.ncgov.com/ |
"That Personal Touch"
Granted, you've got lots of reference tools, electronic resources, and Web search engines available to you. But don't forget about personal contacts and seeking advice from experts who have conducted research before you. Reference librarians are invaluable resources to you! Every L.E.P. should befriend a reference librarian and bounce ideas off of him or her from time to time. That's what we're here for.
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This page created by Bryan Sinclair and Anita White-Carter, Public Services Librarians. Last updated 6 February 2009.
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