What is a reference book?
A reference book is a source that provides facts &/or finite pieces of information; this can be general (Encyclopedia Britannica) or more subject focused (Encyclopedia of Women and Baseball). They are sources designed not to be read cover to cover but to be used to get key facts about a topic (think dictionary or almanac). These materials don’t circulate (they have to be used in the Library) so that everyone can use the material. Reference books are a great place to start your research, find general history/background information as well as important people, dates &/or terms related to your topic.
Reference books are usually organized alphabetically (think encyclopedia or dictionary) but using the Index (the back section of a book or group of books that alphabetically lists the headings including people, places and subjects with corresponding page numbers) can be a quick way to find the information you need.
In our library reference books are located in the first eleven moving shelves and are marked with “reference collection” marked on a red sign on the end of the shelves. They are marked USC Upstate Reference in the catalog and have REF on the top of the spine label.
Reference books give you:
Almanac (e.g. the World Almanac, the Farmers Almanac) – A source of basic facts and statistical information, often reporting on a range of years.
Atlas (e.g. Rand McNally Illustrated Atlas of the World) – General atlases are collections of maps, providing geographical information of the world or specific areas.
Biographical Dictionary – Short summaries of the lives of people.
Dictionary (e.g. Oxford English Dictionary) – A tool providing brief definitions of terms.
Directory (e.g. Spartanburg City Directory) - Gives contact information such as names, addresses, telephone numbers
Encyclopedia – General encyclopedias cover knowledge or branches of knowledge in a comprehensive, but summary, fashion; useful for providing facts and giving a broad survey of a topic.
Each of the types of works listed above may provide general information, or they may focus on a more specific body of knowledge. Some examples of this are:
World Book Encyclopedia (general) vs. Encyclopedia of Education (specific)
World Atlas (general) vs. Atlas of the American Revolution (specific)
American National Biography (general) vs. American Indian Biographies (specific)
The following PDF document explains in more detail how to read a Library of Congress call number.
Search Locations and Services (links located at the bottom of the box)
The following sources are reference tools that are only accessible through a paying institution, such as USC Upstate.
Search catalog: Search Strategies
Finding Reference Books in the Search catalog