What is a reference book?
Answer
A reference book is a resource that you consult, but don’t necessarily read from beginning to end. Examples of reference books include: dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, atlases, and directories. You search the index for your research topic and head to the entry.
Reference books are unique because you can’t check them out. This is because we want them to be available for everyone. If you find a section that you need to refer back to, feel free to use the scanners.
Reference books are a great starting point for your research. You can use them to see how your topic connects to other topics. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with reference materials, you can jump-in with more in-depth resources like monographs or scholarly articles.