education

1. Reference Sources
Week 5-6Encyclopedias
Dictionaries
Almanacs
Directories
Handbooks

2. ●Reference Sources
● In addition to Topic Development
we also look at Reference Sources
during Weeks 5 and 6

3. Reference Section of Library
● Reference books are often
found in a separate section
of the library, called
‘Reference’

4. Reference Section of Library
Our own Reference section at Rio Hondo Library!
http://www.slideshare.net/libtutorials101rhc/virtual-library-tour-30555191

5. Reference Source types
● Two major types:
– Encyclopedias
– Dictionaries
● Other Types:
– Almanacs, Directories, Indexes, Atlases
[plus several specialized types]

6. Encyclopedias
Concise, factual overviews on a vast number of topics
Includes both general and subject specific encyclopedias
World Book
Encyclopedia – widely
used in public and
school [K-12] libraries
Subject Specific EncyclopediasGeneral Encyclopedias

7. Dictionaries
A type of Reference book that contains shorter definitions or
descriptions.
Includes both language dictionaries and subject specific
dictionaries
Language dictionaries Subject Specific dictionaries

8. Other Types of Reference Sources
Almanacs – brief informative facts
about many subjects
Use almanacs for: facts and
statistics

9. Atlases
Atlases – maps of all kinds, with facts
about countries, cities, regions of world
Use atlases for: maps, facts
about world countries,
regions, states or cities
Also can include specific subjects –
types of animals, environment,
resources

10. Directories
Directories – compilation of names,
addresses, companies
Use directories for: lists of
names, addresses,
information about services,
companies, organizations

11. Indexes
Indexes – list of topics with directions to
locations [within book, or within collection
Use indexes for: locating
books or resources in a
collection
Reader’s Guide – formerly the only
way to look up articles! You won’t see
this much anymore, because now
online databases provide much of our
access to periodicals.
But this used to be a standard library
resource [we have copies at the RHC
Library]

12. Types of Information and Reference Sources
For information about... Choose...
Words Dictionaries
General information/Overview of topic Encyclopedias
Names & addresses of people, organizations, institutions,
companies
Directories
Profiles of people Biographical Dictionaries
Places/Maps Gazetteers or Atlases
Facts and Statistics Almanacs
Formula, Tables, How-To-Do-It Handbooks and Manuals
A person's work Reviews or Criticisms
Dates, outlines, historical timelines Historical tables, Chronologies, Historical yearbooks
Periodical Articles Indexes or Abstracts
Books and other sources Bibliographies or Guides to Literature...
**From http://library.uaf.edu/ls101-reference-services

13. Sources for Encyclopedias
Our online RHC catalog
http://rioh.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/
– Contains records for encyclopedias, dictionaries and annuals
available in print in the library collection

14. RHC Catalog
Find encyclopedias in our online catalogue
(search by ‘encyclopedia’ and topic or
subject):

15. RHC Catalog
encyclopedia psychology Search results:

16. RHC Catalog – another example
dictionary english

17. Gale Virtual Reference Library
Gale Virtual Reference Library from AccessRio
– Contains encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference source types
– Searchable and encyclopedia entries available full-text in the database

18. Gale Virtual Reference Library
Specific titles Subject areas

19. Specific title

20. ●Gale Virtual Reference Library
Entries within encyclopedia

21. ●Gale Virtual Reference Library
Table of Contents within encyclopedia
Most reference
sources provide
comprehensive
--tables of
contents
--indexes
in which you can
look up the
keywords or
concepts you are
seeking.

22. ●Gale Virtual Reference Library
Index within encyclopedia

23. ●Print Table of Contents and Index
Index within print source