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 increasingly we're acquiring reference e-books that you can use from wherever you have internet connections.
NOTE: Most of Bethel's print reference books may be checked out for 2 days.
Social Work Dictionary by 
Encyclopedia of Social Work by 
Encyclopedia of Social Welfare History by Handbook for Practice Learning in Social Work and Social Care. Jessica Kingsley Publishers (2007) EBSCO eBook
International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 9 vol. Macmillan (2008) Gale eBooks
International Handbook of Suicide and Attempted Suicide. Wiley (2000) EBSCO eBook
Gale eBooks offers some of the best-quality reference books in the College Library's e-collection.
Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources. Gale (2007)
Gender Issues and Sexuality: Essential Primary Sources. Gale (2006)
Government, Politics and Protest: Essential Primary Sources. Gale (2007)
Human and Civil Rights: Essential Primary Sources. Gale (2007)
Immigration and Multiculturalism: Essential Primary Sources. Gale (2006)
Social Policy: Essential Primary Sources. Gale (2007)
Terrorism: Essential Primary Sources. Gale (2006)
Careers for Caring People & Other Sensitive Types. McGraw-Hill Professional (2003) EBSCO eBook