Library Resources for Reference Books Online

Reference Books Online

_Credo Reference (trial database during Oct. 2008)

Contains over 320 reference books online and includes medical images, audio files, atlas images.

_Gale Virtual Reference Library

Simultaneously search through 58 encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.

Ebrary collection of Online Books

This is a collection of over 18,000 books online.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.