REFERENCE BOOKS

Reference books are publications which are meant to be consulted for specific facts or information on a subject.  They are not meant to be read through.  These books are usually comprehensive in scope, condensed in coverage, and arranged in a special way with very good indexes to make them easy to use.  Such books are dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, bibliographies, periodical indexes, and atlases.

These reference books can be located in print format in the Jeff Davis Library collection and accessed in non-print format on line through the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) and the Internet.

DICTIONARIES

A dictionary is a book of alphabetically arranged words with the definition, the origin, and the pronunciation of the words.  There are general dictionaries, and special dictionaries such as medical dictionaries, music dictionaries, and mathematical dictionaries.  The two kinds of general dictionaries are abridged and unabridged.  An abridged dictionary is shorter than a complete language dictionary.  All the words in a language are not in an abridged dictionary, and the definitions are fewer and shorter for each word.  Some common abridged dictionaries are THE American College Dictionary,  Thorndike-Barnhart High School Dictionary, and the Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary.  The unabridged dictionary is one of that contains all the words in a language with many explanations of the various uses of the words.  It also presents a history of each word.  The main English unabridged dictionaries are Funk and Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary, The Oxford English Dictionary, and Webster's New International Dictionary.

ENCYCLOPEDIAS

One of the most important all-reference works is the general encyclopedia which includes information on almost every subject conceivable.   It is a summary of general knowledge organized in such a manner as to make it as easy as possible to find specific facts on particular subjects.  It is important to check the copyright date of the encyclopedias used because new discoveries and changes occur frequently.  There are general encyclopedias and special encyclopedias.  General encyclopedias deal with all subjects and give a broad treatment to each subject.  Special encyclopedias treat a limited subject area with a particular viewpoint.  Some general  encyclopedias are Collier's Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Americana, and World Book Encyclopedia.  Some special encyclopedias are Encyclopedia of Social Studies and The Practical Handyman's Encyclopedia.  Many encyclopedias come in sets with several volumes, but there are also one-volume encyclopedias such as The Random House  Encyclopedia.

ALMANACS, ANNUALS, AND YEARBOOKS

A yearbook is a book published yearly giving information on the previous year.  Yearbooks are also called annuals and almanacs.  Yearbooks usually supplement encyclopedias, but not always.  They update articles and also contain valuable articles on events of the year.  Almanacs contain summaries and statistical information about a year.  The World and Book of Facts and The Information Please Almanac are two commonly used almanacs.  Some commonly known yearbooks are The Statemen's Yearbook, The Statistical Abstract of the United States, and Britannica Book of the Year.

ATLASES AND GAZETTEERS

Atlases and gazetteers are commonly used sources of geographical information.  Atlases contain maps and charts with all sorts of geographical information such as population data, milage charts, statistics on imports and exports, information on rainfall, agricultural and natural sources, tourist attractions and national parks, and photographs of cities and scenery.  Gazetteers are lists of place names and people.  It is helpful in locating places which have undergone a name change.  Sometimes gazetteers are apart of an atlas and sometimes they are separate volumes.  An example of an atlas is RAND MCNALLY INTERNATIONAL WORLD ATLAS.  An example of a gazetteer is WEBSTER'S GEOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.

BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARIES

A biographical dictionary is a reference book consisting of a listing of people's names with information about each.  The amount of information varies in each book.  Each biographical   dictionary serves a special purpose.  Some examples of biographical dictionaries are:

Current Biography:  printed monthly with long articles about people in the news of the world.

Dictionary of American Biography:  biographical articles about famous Americans no longer living.

Contemporary Authors:  biographical articles about recent authors, whether deceased or still living.

BEST SOURCES OF INFORMATION

The best sources of information can be found in certain key works.  Study the list below carefully and use it when needed to locate answers to reference questions.

TYPE OF INFORMATION:     SOURCES OF INFORMATION

maps and charts:     atlas

basic facts about great people:     biographical dictionary

famous sayings:     book of quotations

annual lists of facts & figures:     almanac

detailed subject information:     encyclopedia

words and meanings:     dictionary

synonyms and antonyms:     thesaurus

information about cities:     directory

location of magazine articles:     online databases such as Alabama Virtual Library

updated encyclopedia information:     yearbook