Reference Books Online

_Ebrary collection of Online Books

This is a collection of 23,000 books online.

_Gale Virtual Reference Library

Simultaneously search through 92 encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.

Cancer (2009)

An A-Z encyclopedia for patients, with information about 835 topics in cancer.

Contemporary Fashion

A reference book covering individual designers and fashion houses that have been active throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Informative essays mirror the many facets of the fashion world.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The complete encyclopedia, as well as Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary & Thesaurus, and the Britannica Book of the Year. Also includes illustrations (photographs, drawings, maps, and flags) and more than 130,000 links to web sites selected, rated, and reviewed by Britannica editors.

Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice

This uniquely interdisciplinary resource covers legal, sociological, psychological, historical, and economic aspects of crime and justice worldwide. Entries cover civil and criminal issues, from domestic violence to terrorism. Entries cite pertinent legal cases as well as publications for further information. Also includes a glossary of related terms.

Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence and Security

Provides a comprehensive, subject specific guide to the history, uses, scientific principles, and technologies of espionage, intelligence, and security, with special emphasis placed on the current ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding this very topical subject.

Encyclopedia of Evolution

A comprehensive guide to the essentials of evolutionary biology, these entries by leading experts survey essential concepts and theories, present methods, models and findings, and discuss both the history of the field and current controversies. Readers will find brief treatments on discrete concepts and individuals to illuminating lengthy essays by towering figures in the field. Topics include: Darwin, natural selection, human origins, behavioral ecology, diversity, mathematical models, and cell and developmental biology. Special essays include Stephen Jay Gould's "Macroevolution" and Jane Goodall and Elizabeth Vinson-Lonsdorf on "Culture in Chimpanzees."

Encyclopedia of Global Change

Encompassing tsunamis, elephant conservation, ocean pollution, mining regulation, and permafrost melt, the 300 authoritative articles in this unique and wide-ranging encyclopedia investigate all types of phenomena that change life on Earth. The entries cover a range of general research categories: altered ecosystems, climate change, food and water supply, population, politics and global change, institutions and policies, biographies, and case studies.

Encyclopedia of Population

Provides expanded, up-to-date coverage of demographic topics both in the core field and in neighboring disciplines. Designed to encompass the large-scale changes in emphasis and research directions in population studies during the last 20 years, topics covered include: rapid demographic expansion in poor countries; low fertility rates and problems of old-age support; the environmental impact of a dense population; the press for expanded reproductive rights; and much more.

Encyclopedia of Small Business, 2nd ed.

Designed to provide entrepreneurs with how-to information that they can apply to their own business. Contains 600 detailed articles and overviews of all the key information needs of small business owners, including financing, financial planning, business plan creation, market analysis, sales strategy, tax planning, and human resource issues.

Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America

Contains 8,000 to 12,000 word essays on specific culture groups in the United States, emphasizing religions, holidays, customs, and languages in addition to providing information on historical background and settlement patterns. Also covers ethnoreligious groups such as Jews, Chaldeans, and Amish. Each essay lists organizations and research centers; name, address, and contact information for periodicals, radio, and television stations; and a further readings section.

Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History

Designed to answer such key questions as: How has the U.S. Constitution shaped the economy of the United States? What were the consequences of Prohibition on consumers' behavior? This title presents 1,000 entries, era overviews, event/movement profiles, biographies, business/industry profiled, geographic profiles, and more.

Great events from history : gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender events, 1848-2006 (2007)

Chronicles important historical events that have identified, defined and legally established the rights of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities from 1855 to the present.

Great events from history. The ancient world, prehistory-476 C.E. (2004)

Events covered are from prehistory to 476 C.E.. Included are the population of South America, the Upanishads, Acupuncture, the Parthenon, Nero's persecution of Christians and St. Augustine's writing the City of God.

Great events from history. The Middle Ages, 477-1453 (2005)

Events covered begin after the fall of Rome through 1453, selected because it is the year in which several important developments occurred, notably the proliferation of documents issuing from the newly invented printing press, the end of the Hundred Years' War, and the fall of Constantinople.

Magill's medical guide (2008)

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

Thousands of entries with definitions, pronunciation guides, word histories, synonyms, and antonyms are available through the dictionary and thesaurus. You can search these valuable resources by entering a word in any search box, or, when you discover an unfamiliar word in an encyclopedia or magazine article, simply double-click the word to see the appropriate dictionary entry in a pop-up window.

Merriam-Webster's Thesaurus

Thousands of entries with definitions, pronunciation guides, word histories, synonyms, and antonyms are available through the dictionary and thesaurus. You can search these valuable resources by entering a word in any search box, or, when you discover an unfamiliar word in an encyclopedia or magazine article, simply double-click the word to see the appropriate dictionary entry in a pop-up window.

Musicians & composers of the 20th century (2009)

Biographical and critical essays on the men and women who made an impact on music from 1901 to 2000.

Nutrition and Well-Being A to Z

Examines the relationship between food and health on a historical, national, and personal level. Analyzes how nutrition has affected quality of life, health, and fitness in various countries at different times in history. Looks at the connections between diet and such diseases as beri-beri and scurvy, and the role nutrition plays in conditions such as weight and height increases, diabetes, and obesity. Historical as well as contemporary methods of treatment are presented from an international viewpoint. Also included are biographies of influential figures in the field of nutrition and medicine, dietary trends within various cultures, profiles of major organizations such as UNICEF and the World Health Organization, and much more.

Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature

Written by an international roster of more than 300 authors, the Encyclopedia comprehensively documents and interprets the books read by children throughout the world. With a global perspective that pays attention to significant international trends and the multicultural expansion of the field, it includes brief biographies of every major author and illustrator. Also included are feature essays on all genres of children's literature, individual works, and prominent trends and themes, as well as general essays on the traditions of children's literature in many countries throughout the world.

Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance

This encyclopedia provides authoritative and up-to-date information about theatre and performance from ancient Greek theatre to the latest developments in London, Paris, New York, and around the globe. In addition to performances in playhouses, it covers dance, opera, radio, film, television, and popular performance, including carnivals, circus, and public executions. Entries range from short definitions of terms to lengthy considerations of genres and movements, such as feminism and psychoanalytic criticism. Entries on cities and regions place performance in its local social and political context. Written in accessible language, this encyclopedia brings together an international cast of over 300 specialist contributors.

Oxford English Dictionary

The accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. Includes the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. It traces the usage of words through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources. Covering words used across the globe, it also offers the best in etymological analysis and listings of variant spellings.

Pop Culture Universe

This database includes more than 250 volumes of reviewed, published material that offer thousands of overviews of pop culture from the 1920's through the present, including TV shows, awards, fads, fashions, and news. Includes images, Decades Pages, Web links and more.

Psychology & mental health (2010)

This comprehensive five-volume set covers notable theories, people, social issues, life stages, the physiology and anatomy of the nervous system, and various mental illnesses or conditions

St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture

Includes more than 2,700 signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and, where appropriate, photographs and textual cross-references to related essays.

West's Encyclopedia of American Law, 2nd ed.

Provides current information on more than 5,000 legal topics. Includes completely revised articles covering important issues, biographies, definitions of legal terms and more. Covers such high-profile topics as the Americans with Disabilities Act, capital punishment, domestic violence, gay and lesbian rights, and physician-assisted suicide.

World Almanac and Book of Facts

The on-line version of the standard World Almanac & Book of Facts offers expanded content, full text searching, color photos, and links to thousands of websites. Monthly updating keeps information timely.

World Geography and Culture Online

This database takes a global approach to facilitate the study of countries, places, peoples, and geography concepts and skills. This comprehensive resource makes it easy to study all aspects of a country - from its geography and physical features to its government, people, and society - providing both facts at a glance and in-depth coverage through country entries, maps, flags, images, statistics, news articles, a gazetteer, and more. In addition to country-specific information, this accessible online resource includes a special feature illustrating basic geographical concepts, tools to compare and rank countries, a useful geography glossary, a handy conversion calculator, and a currency converter, as well as information on U.S. states. Gateway pages for the gazetteer and for geography concepts and principles offer users a convenient way to discover geographical information.