LibGuides: Information Resources for AOE Students: Reference Materials

Need a Reference Book?

Why use a reference book such as a dictionary or encyclopedia?

Reference books are a great place to begin your research. They can:

Provide a good overview of a topic
Provide historical background
Help the user learn more about an unfamiliar subject
Familiarize the user with the terminology and vocabulary of the subject area

Our reference books in the library must stay in the library and remain available for anyone who uses the library in person.

However, we have several reference databases which can provide a similar function, by supplying encyclopedia articles and/or reports on certain topics.

To see a list of our reference databases, go to Databases by Subject and select Reference Databases under "Database Type".

Here are some of the reference databases we have available:

Encyclopedias

Britannica Online This link opens in a new window
Use this database to search the Encyclopedia Britannica. The Encyclopedia Britannica first began to be published more than 200 years ago. They commission articles from scholars, world leaders, expert writers, and even Nobel laureates.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Provides access to a variety of encyclopedias and other reference texts in digital format.
Sage Reference This link opens in a new window
Sage Reference carries a collection of 5 ebooks purchased by the library to support Keuka College's Criminal Justice program. Those books are: Corrections; Courts, Law, & Justice; Crime & Criminal Behavior; Police & Law Enforcement; and Juvenile Crime & Justice.
Salem Press This link opens in a new window
Provides access to several ebooks, including: Masterplots, Encyclopedia of Mathematics and Society, The Criminal Justice System, Psychology and Mental Health, and more.

Reports

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Provides in-depth, balanced reports on a variety of topics, especially those related to the following topics: health, international affairs, education, public policy, environment, technology, U.S. economy, political science, and more.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Provides legal and business news. Also provides financial filings and reports, legal proceedings, law reviews, legal cases and codes, news transcripts, company profiles, and more.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window
Provides more than 20.000 pro/con viewpoints, topic overviews, primary source documents, court case overviews, over 19,000 reference articles, infographics, statistics, images, videos, interactive maps, profiles of federal agencies and special interest groups, and full-text articles from newspapers and other publications.
UpToDate This link opens in a new window
UpToDate is an evidence-based clinical decision support resource, available online or through mobile Apps to answer questions that arise in everyday medical practice. Written and reviewed by more than 6,500 physicians world-wide, UpToDate content spans 24 specialties at the level of the sub-specialist, and includes easy-to-search graphics and a drug database and a drug interactions tool. To use this resource, you must first create an account and accept the terms and conditions. From then on, you can access it via desktop computer or mobile app, but you must sign in on a desktop computer or laptop once every 30 days.

Reference Librarian

Linda Park

Email Me

Contact:

(315) 279-5208