Reference Resources/Getting Started
Specialized reference sources are a great place to begin your research. They provide an overview of your topic, suggest further reading, and can be a great resource when brainstorming search terms to use in databases when searching for books and articles.
Want more tips for getting started? Check out this guide on how to begin your research
- Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new windowEncyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary and subject specific research in areas such as art, business, education, history, etc.
Encyclopedias
- Encyclopaedia Judaica”In 1972, the Encyclopaedia Judaica fulfilled the longstanding dream of capturing the full richness of Jewish culture in a single authoritative publication, heralded in the scholarly community as one of the best reference works ever compiled.” --Publisher
Available in Milne at DS102.8 .E496
16 vols. - Encyclopedia of ChristianityThis one-volume work ”covers all forms of the faith throughout history and the world. Over 300 major articles by distinguished international contributors are linked through a novel series of pointers that provide different angles on topics and show the connections between them.” -- Publisher
Located in Milne Library at: ref BR95 E47 2005 - Encyclopedia of ReligionA standard, exhaustive reference in the field, this scholarly encyclopedia takes a cross-cultural approach to all aspects of religion and religious practices.
Located in Milne Library at: ref BL31 .E46 1986 - The Islamic World: Past and PresentAdapted from the 4-volume Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World (1995) (in Milne at DS35.53 .O95 1995), this comprehensive resource containing more than 300 articles ”brings all the scholarship and information of the original to general readers and college and high school students.” The set includes coverage of recent events and changes, and aims to foster understanding of Islam in a post-9/11 context.
Located in Milne Library at: ref DS35.53 .I86 2004 - The Jewish EncyclopediaProvides the complete, unedited contents of the 12-volume Jewish Encyclopedia, originally published between 1901-1906, and includes over 15,000 articles and illustrations.
Since the original work was completed over 100 years ago, it does not cover a significant portion of modern Jewish history (e.g., the creation of Israel, the Holocaust, etc.). However, it does contain an incredible amount of information that is remarkably relevant today.
