Online reference collections
These resources are collections of reference works, which are things like encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, handbooks, and biographical collections. They are excellent sources of background information, explanations of unfamiliar words and concepts, and biographical sketches of notable people, among other things. They are multi-topic, but are nonetheless useful for history research.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window Gale EBOOKS is a collection of searchable subject encyclopedias and reference books from Gale Publishing and many other publishers.
- Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window Searchable and browsable collection of highly trusted reference books. Dictionaries and encyclopedias in Oxford Reference Online include general works, foreign-language works, and specialized subject works in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences.
Encyclopedias and dictionaries
Encyclopedias provide brief introductions to topics, and dictionaries offer short explanations of unfamiliar terms and concepts. The encyclopedias and dictionaries here are mostly focused on world history broadly; others about specific nations, peoples, time periods, and historical topics are also available. Check the pages for different regions of the world or ask a librarian how to find them!
Dictionary of Contemporary World History by Call Number: ONLINEISBN: 9780191870903Publication Date: 2019
A Dictionary of Contemporary World History by
This authoritative dictionary provides in-depth coverage of major recent historical events, from 1900 to the present day. It includes country entries for every country in the world, with maps and historical summaries. Additionally, the dictionary includes biographical entries on majorhistorical and cultural figures, political and military leaders, and the thinkers who influenced events. Subject entries cover international organizations, treaties, religious and political movements, as well as key incidents, places, and battles.The new edition has been fully revised and updated, and boasts a wealth of new material including entry-level web links updated via a companion website to ensure that they remain contemporary, extended coverage of historical context in the country entries, and new and expanded biographical entrieson figures such as Angela Merkel and President 'Lula' of Brazil.With over 2,600 entries, all written by an authority in the field, this is a comprehensive reference work that will prove invaluable to a range of readers from students of history, politics, and international relations, to anyone with an interest in the modern world.
Call Number: ONLINEPublication Date: 2008
Encyclopedia of World History by
In today's world of globalization, there is a growing trend among historians and students alike to study the common challenges and experiences that unite the human past. ""Facts On File"" is pleased to announce its new seven-volume ""Encyclopedia of World History"", a truly groundbreaking work and one of the first to offer a balanced presentation of human history for a global perspective of the past. A team of distinguished world history academics has brought together scores of specialists in writing signed entries based on the latest scholarship.Based on the National Standards for World History and influenced by the National Standards for World History, this comprehensive and authoritative set is rich in features to make the study of world history easier for students to understand. Arranged in six chronological eras that span from prehistory to the present day, this chronological approach follows the way world history is taught and studied in the classroom. Each volume era begins with essays that tackle large themes - such as agriculture, science and technology, social and class relationships, trade and cultural exchanges, and warfare - that allow students to make connections and trace key global patterns over time. The final volume contains primary documents, a chronology, and a master index for the set.It contains thematic essays that help students make comparisons and connections across regions and time periods. It is based on primary source documents, carefully chosen to be representative of the six world eras. It is informative with cross-referenced entries. It also includes: Chronologies in every volume to help students place events in context; More than 600 illustrations, including a 32-page insert of full-color maps in each volume designed to convey the importance of geography in world history; An appendix in each volume; Further reading sections that encourage further research; Individual volume indexes; And a comprehensive set index.
Call Number: General Collection D21 .E5775 2008Publication Date: 2008
Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History by
A comprehensive encyclopedia of world history with 538 articles that trace the development of human history -- with a focus on area studies, global history, anthropology, geography, science, arts, literature, economics, women's studies, African-Americanstudies, and cultural studies related to all regions of the world--Provided by publisher.
Call Number: General Collection D23 .B45 2005Publication Date: 2005
Encyclopedia of the Renaissance by
Leonardo da Vinci, Machiavelle, Cesare Boria, Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, and Juan de Herrera - figures great and small, famous and little known, all contributed to the outpouring of genius known as the Renaissance. This set of volumes treats the full period of the Renaissance, from 1350 to 1650, encompassing Italy and the rest of Europe in the context of the broader world. It contains topical entries and biographies, and alphabetically arranged articles on culture, literature, philosophy, religion, economics, politics, science, and the arts, - revealing how people thought, what they believed and how they lived."
Call Number: General Collection CB361 .E52 1999Publication Date: 1999
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation by
In 1517, Martin Luther's legendary Ninety-five Theses set in motion a chain of events that fundamentally altered European history. The resulting Reformation of the sixteenth century proved to be one of the most important and far-reaching phenomena of an era marked by dramatic religious and social upheaval. A critical chapter in the history of Christian thought, the movement provoked political, social, and cultural transformations that profoundly changed the Western world. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation is the first major reference to cover the immense subject of the Reformation in its entirety. Setting the issues of theology and ecclesiology within the broader context of the social and intellectual history of the time, it is the most authoritative reference available on early modern European society as a whole. The Encyclopedia is a unique compendium of contemporary scholarship focusing on the complete range of religious and social changes wrought by the Reformation-- including not only issues of church polity and theology but also related developments in politics, economics, demographics, art, and literature. It is an unparalleled source of information on the personalities and events of the era, with broad coverage ranging from biographies to extensive treatments of topics such as Lutheranism, women, law, the Augsburg Confession, music, the Holy Roman Empire, peasants, the Bible, persecution, and literacy. Offering exhaustive interdisciplinary and international coverage of all aspects of the Reformation, this is the ultimate reference on the subject. Transcending the bounds of denominational encyclopedias and dictionaries of Reformation history currently available, it offers the only comprehensive picture of western Europe and the British Isles, along with southern Europe, Scandinavia, and east-central Europe in the early modern period. It is the first source scholars, students, and general readers in any discipline will reach for when studying the Reformation. This is a four-volume set.
Call Number: General Collection BR302.8 .O93 1996Publication Date: 1996
Historical Dictionary of the Jews by
The Historical Dictionary of the Jews presents the history of the Jewish people and their religious culture in a way that makes clear how and why this small, ancient people have survived nearly four millennia and managed to play such an important role in the world-well out of proportion to their population. The Jews trace their origins far back in history to the early tribes of Judah and Moses. Over the centuries, they spread across much of the Western world, as well as into parts of Africa and Asia, until they were crushed by the Holocaust and were forced to find refuge in the United States and the new state of Israel. Because of that horrific event, of the estimated 15 million Jews living today, approximately six million reside in Israel, with almost the same number living in the United States, making these two countries the main center of Jewish life today. This ready reference tells the history of the Jewish people through a detailed chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 200 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and aspects of culture, society, economy, and politics. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Jewish people.
Call Number: General Collection DS114 .U58 2011Publication Date: 2010
Biographical reference materials
Biographical reference works like these offer short biographical "sketches" of the lives of noteworthy people. They are usually organized alphabetically by the last names of the people profiled.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History by
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History captures the experiences of women throughout world history in a comprehensive, 4-volume work. Although there has been extensive research on women in history by region, no text or reference work has comprehensively covered the role women haveplayed throughout world history.The past thirty years have seen an explosion of research and effort to present the experiences and contributions of women not only in the Western world but across the globe. Historians have investigated womens daily lives in virtually every region and have researched the leadership roles women havefilled across time and region. They have found and demonstrated that there is virtually no historical, social, or demographic change in which women have not been involved and by which their lives have not been affected. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History benefits greatly from theseefforts and experiences, and illuminates how women worldwide have influenced and been influenced by these historical, social, and demographic changes.The Encyclopedia contains over 1,300 signed articles arranged in an A-Z format for ease of use. The entries cover six main areas: biographies; geography and history; comparative culture and society, including adoption, abortion, performing arts; organizations and movements, such as the EgyptianUprising, and the Paris Commune; womens and gender studies; and topics in world history that include slave trade, globalization, and disease. With its rich and insightful entries by leading scholars and experts, this reference work is sure to be a valued, go-to resource for scholars, college andhigh school students, and general readers alike.
Call Number: General Collection HQ1121 .O93 2008Publication Date: 2008
Other reference resources
Handbooks, companions, and other types of reference works can also help you understand unfamiliar topics and find explanations of new concepts and terms.
