Topic 1: Subject Reference
Introduction
What are reference books?
Although there are many kinds of reference books, these sources have one characteristic in common: instead of being read from cover to cover, like a novel, for instance, or a history, they are meant to be browsed and studied for bits of information. This information can be a broad overview of a topic or a specific fact.
Where can I find reference books?
Frequently used reference books are shelved on the first floor of Carlyle Campbell Library. The letter “R” appears before the call number, to indicate that these books are noncirculating; they are for library use only. Some reference books are shelved with the general collection as well, but in this module you will work in the reference area. To complete this module you will need to visit the library and browse the reference collection.
Goals of this module
In Information Literacy I, you learned about general reference sources such as encyclopedias. This topic of Information Literacy 2 introduces search strategies for finding more specialized reference books. After completing this unit, you should be able to