Learn more about the library’s reference sources with the topic of Memorial Day as an example.
What are “reference” sources?
“Reference” is a library term for general information.
Reference sources can mean books in print like encyclopedias and dictionaries–something users can quickly “refer” to that provide basic information.
Encyclopedias, typically coming in multiple volumes, contain articles arranged alphabetically or by topic. Sometimes encyclopedias offer more in-depth information on a particular subject.
In the case of digital encyclopedias and dictionaries, it may be harder to distinguish their content from other kinds of articles.
In the library, however, we still call them “reference” sources because they provide general information or topic overviews.
Wikipedia is an example of a website that, as “the free encyclopedia,” provides general reference information. Another would be Dictionary.com.
What are the WCC library’s digital reference sources?
The WCC Library subscribes to several online reference databases. These are not available on the public web, but you can log into them using your MyWCC account info.
Using the library’s OneSearch tool, you can view results from most of these databases at once by entering some keywords for a search, clicking “Show More” under “Resource Type” on the left, then choosing “Reference Entries.” Here are some example results there for a search for Memorial Day.
OneSearch is a great one-stop tool for reference results, but you can also search and browse our reference databases as separate collections. They have different interfaces and tools to try.
Britannica Academic
Contains “reference entries, magazine articles and primary sources. Academic research tools such as the World Atlas and the the World Data Analyst (Country statistics and comparisons).”
Example article: Memorial Day
One nice feature of Britannica is the option to translate the article into another language. Click on the globe in the upper right corner of the article to translate it via Google Translate.
Credo Reference
“Background information to explore your topic: subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, images, videos and much more.”
Example article: Tomb of the Unknowns (from The Great American History Fact-Finder)
Funk & Wagnall’s New World Encyclopedia
“General encyclopedia and biographical articles. Searchable by subject or keywords within the entry;” via the EBSCO company’s platform.
Example article: Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), the “organization that instituted the observance of Memorial Day” in 1868.
EBSCO eBooks: Encyclopedias
Part of a larger database of “keyword searchable full-text scholarly and popular eBooks;” also via the EBSCO company’s platform.
Example: The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History (Princeton University Press, 2010)
Biography Reference Source
A third database from EBSCO. A “comprehensive collection of biographies and biographical narratives. You can also search by occupation, nationality, activity, gender, lifespan and more.”
Example: Click the link above, then click under “View Online” to enter the database. Search for John Alexander Logan, “commander in chief of the GAR” who first suggested decorating soldiers’ graves with flowers in 1868.