Offcampus Access · Databases A-Z · Research Guides by Subject| by Course · Library Catalog
Reference Books Online
- Full list of our e-reference works
- Subject-specific items in Research Guides by Subject and by Course
- search the library catalog by keyword or subject and limit search to Material Type: E-Books
- MIT's Virtual Reference Collection lists free e-reference books
Major Reference Sources
- Access Science
- The latest edition of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology, updates from the McGraw-Hill Yearbooks, Science News headlines, and more.
American National Biography- Profiles of more than 17,400 deceased men and women from all eras and walks of life whose lives shaped the nation.
Britannica Online- The Encyclopaedia Britannica, including the year in review, a world atlas, and historical timelines.
CRC Handbook of Chemistry & Physics - PCs only- Data on properties of inorganic and organic compounds.
Grove Art Online- Full text of The Dictionary of Art (1996, 34 vols.), continually updated, with links to museum-quality images
Grove Music Online- Full text of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2001, 29 vols.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (1992, 4 vols.), and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2002, 2 vols.), plus audio clips and links to authoritative music sites.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004- More than 50,000 biographies of people who shaped all aspects of Britain's past, from the 4th century BCE to 2001.
Oxford English Dictionary- The accepted authority on the evolution of the English language, giving the meaning, history, and pronunciation of words and tracing their usage through quotations.
Oxford Reference Online- Full text of over 100 reference books in all disciplines published by Oxford University Press.
Sage eReference- A collection of 80+ encyclopedias and handbooks in the Sciences, Social Sciences, and Humanities.
Statistical Abstract of the United States- A compendium of statistical tables covering demographic, labor, health and other data on Americans, 1878-present.
World Almanac and Book of Facts (via LexisNexis), 2003- Up-to-date information on almost all aspects of society - economics & business, arts & entertainment, geography, sports, the environment, vital statistics, etc.
See also the complete list of electronic reference works, or consult our research guides by subject or by course for subject-specific titles.
Why use reference books?
- get an overview of your subject to clarify the issues & scope of your project
- find and confirm facts & definitions
- identify key authors, terms, concepts, & the vocabulary of the discipline - use those terms to search the catalog & databases
- find journal articles & books mentioned in the text or bibliography for further reading
Wellesley College · Information Services · last modified: October 30, 2008