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This document discusses different types of reference materials available in academic libraries. It describes encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, almanacs, yearbooks, handbooks and manuals, biographical sources, and geographical sources. These reference materials provide background information on various topics and can answer specific questions. Students can access both print and electronic reference materials through their university library.

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Mark Boulos
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22 views16 pages

Presentation 3

This document discusses different types of reference materials available in academic libraries. It describes encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, almanacs, yearbooks, handbooks and manuals, biographical sources, and geographical sources. These reference materials provide background information on various topics and can answer specific questions. Students can access both print and electronic reference materials through their university library.

Uploaded by

Mark Boulos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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REFERENCES

AND
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
Reference Materials
■ Are the starting point of an
academic research;
■ Provide background information
about the subject;
■ Can give answers to specific
questions;
■ Can be general or specific in
scope;
■ Witnessed a great shift towards
the electronic format.
The Reference section in an
academic library mainly includes:

Encyclopedias

Dictionaries
Encyclopedias
■ Encyclopedias help you answer questions such as:

What is the coronavirus?


Encyclopedias
■ Encyclopedias are useful for:
Getting fast and easy access to comprehensive
and authoritative information, including all or
nearly all elements or aspects of a subject and
relating to a better understanding of this subject.

■ Examples of famous Encyclopedias:


■ Encyclopedia Britannica
■ Encyclopédie Universalis
■ ‫الموسوعة العربية‬
■ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org
Encyclopedias - Wikipedia
■ A free and non-profit online encyclopedia*.
■ Available in 309 languages.
■ Articles are written and updated primarily by
anonymous volunteers*.
■ Evaluation skills are needed*.
■ “Knowing when to use Wikipedia and when to go
beyond it is a crucial aspect of modern digital
literacy” *.
■ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVFPW0r4jWk

* Konieczny, P. (2016). Teaching with Wikipedia in a 21st-century classroom: Perceptions of Wikipedia and its
educational benefits. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 67(7), 1523-
1534. doi:10.1002/asi.23616
Dictionaries
■ Dictionaries help you answer questions such as:

What is the synonym/meaning of “bullying”?


What does ADHD stand for?
Dictionaries
■ Dictionaries are useful for:
Searching for definitions, synonyms,
pronunciations, translations, acronyms, technical
terms, lexicon or vocabulary of a certain domain.

■ Examples of famous Dictionaries:


■ Oxford English Dictionary
■ Le Nouveau Petit Robert
■ Webster's New World Dictionary
Other types of Reference Material
available in an academic library:

Directories
Almanacs
Yearbooks
Handbooks & Manuals
Biographical sources
Geographical sources
Directories
■ Directories help you answer questions such as:
What is the nearest café in town?

■ Directories are useful for:


Listing people, companies, institutions, organizations
and providing contact information (names, addresses,
phone numbers, etc.)
Helping users to know about people, places, and
organizations.

■ Examples of famous directories:


■ Yellow Pages: http://www.yellowpages.com.lb/
■ Zomato: https://www.zomato.com/beirut
Almanacs
■ Almanacs help you answer questions such as:
Who is the most followed athlete on Twitter?
What’s the world record for most burgers eaten in 1
minute?

■ Almanacs are useful for:


Presenting collection of facts, statistics, and lists all
gathered together in a convenient format for easy
reference.

■ Examples of famous almanacs:


■ Guinness World Records
■ http://www.infoplease.com
Yearbooks
■ Yearbooks help you answer questions such as:
Who were the Faculty of Sciences graduates in year
2000 at UOB?

■ Yearbooks are useful for:


Recording a snapshot of what the world, country or
institution was like in a given year, including summaries
of major events, achievements, names of people in
power.

■ Examples of famous yearbooks:


■ University of Balamand Yearbook
■ Lebanon Statistical Yearbook
http://www.cas.gov.lb/index.php/statistical-
yearbook
Handbooks & Manuals
■ Handbooks & Manuals help you answer questions such
as:
How do I cite a book?
How do I setup Apple TV?

■ Handbooks & Manuals are useful for:


Providing step-by-step instructions on how to do specific
tasks.

■ Examples of famous handbooks & manuals:


■ APA Style Citation Manual
■ The Essential Job Interview Handbook
Biographical Sources
■ Biographical sources help you answer questions such as:
When was Queen Elizabeth II born? When did she
become queen?

■ Biographical sources are useful for:


Providing information on people who are or were well
known.

■ Examples of famous biographical sources:


■ Biographical Dictionary of 20th Century
Philosophers
■ https://www.biography.com
Geographical Sources
■ Geographical sources help you answer questions such
as:
How can I reach Hamra Street?

■ Geographical sources are useful for:


Retrieving information about places such as cities,
towns, lakes, rivers, forests etc. such as Maps and
Travel guides.

■ Examples of famous geographical sources:


■ https://www.worldatlas.com
■ Google Maps
Through UOB Libraries, you have access to:
■ Print references available among the print reference collection and
searchable via the library catalog.
– Print references are “building use” (non-circulating) materials that
can be used only within the library premises.
■ Electronic references searchable through the library electronic
databases/resources.
– Examples of library databases that provide electronic reference
entries are Credo Reference and Encyclopedia Britannica Online

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