photo courtesy of biblioragazzi
Reference sources, like dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, guides, and biographies,
- provide background information,
- help you put your topic in context.
Reference books are not intended to be read cover to cover. They're to be consulted for background, context, definition and outline, and they usually include brief but excellent bibliographies that point you to further research on the subject.
They're a great place to get quick info, or to get a basic grounding in something with which you may not be overly familiar
We have many print reference books, but you can also find reference books in our ebook collections.
NOTE: Most of Bethel's print reference books may be checked out for 2 days.
The American Historical Association's Guide to Historical Literature by 
The Sixties in America by The library has many print and online resources that are reference in nature To find handbooks/guides/etc. that could help you learn more quickly about your area of research, search the library online catalog as follows:
In Advanced Search, use dictionaries handbooks guides to retrieve reference-type materials. These words are parts of the subject headings listed for such books. Make sure to designate "any of these" and "Subject". In this search, "poetry" must appear anywhere in the book's catalog record: title, subject, table of contents, etc.
eBooks are designated as "electronic resources" in our catalog.
Click HERE for a guide to history reference eBooks available from the Bethel College Library.
You can find excellent and accurate background information in the Gale eBooks. Click on the link below OR use the search box on this page to find relevant articles on your topic.
Gale eBooks