Titles in the Reference Collection may be checked out for 1 day. They are due by closing time the next day, e.g,. a title checked out at 7:30pm on Thursday would be due by 6pm on Friday. If they are returned late, the fine is $10 per day.
This does not include titles at the Reference Desk, which are restricted to in-library use only.
Instructional staff: If Reference Collection titles are needed for class assignments, please put them on reserve or talk to a Reference librarian about moving them to the Reference Desk for the duration of the assignment.
We’ve added new online reference titles from the Gale Virtual Reference Library in history, literature, multicultural studies, social sciences, and technology:
History
- American Decades, 10v, 2001
- American Decades Primary Sources, 10v, 2004
- Ancient Greece, 3v, 2007
- The Antebellum Era: Primary Documents on Events from 1820 to 1860, 2003
- The Civil War: Primary Documents on Events from 1860 to 1865, 2004
- The Early Republic: Primary Documents on Events from 1799 to 1820, 2004
- Historical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, 2nd ed., 2008
- The Progressive Era: Primary Documents on Events from 1890 to 1914, 2004
Literature
- Arab Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide, 1873-1999, 2008
- A Companion to Jane Austen Studies, 2000
- Gothic Literature: A Gale Critical Companion, 3v, 2006
- Greek and Roman Mythology, 2002
- Holocaust Literature, 2v, 2008
- Literature of Latin America, 2004
- Literature of the Caribbean, 2008
- Margaret Atwood: A Critical Companion, 2004
Multicultural Studies
- Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life, 2nd ed., 5v, 2009
Social Sciences
- Ballistics , 2009
- Birth Control, 2009
- Blackmail and Bribery, 2009
- Body Image, 2009
- Censorship, 2009
- Child Abuse, 2009
- Discrimination, 2009
- Forensic Art, 2009
- Mental Illness, 2009
Technology
- Multimedia Forensics and Security, 2009
Please ask a librarian if you’d like assistance using these new resources.
You may have noticed some activity and noise on the Library’s 2nd floor lately, as the staff sorted through the large Reference Collection and moved the titles we’re keeping into large shelving stacks behind the Reference Desk. The remaining Reference Collection is much smaller than it was (and a bit less dusty).
The emptied shelves are going to be dismantled this week, and that may be noisy.
If you need quieter study space, please try the 3rd or 1st floors. There are computers on both floors also, and laptops may be checked out for in-library use at the Circulation Desk.
Thank you for bearing with us.
The reference librarians are available to meet with individuals or small groups who need help! Contact us to make an appointment and you’ll be matched up with the librarian who knows most about the subject area, e.g., Kyle Naff (liaison to the College of Business & Economics) would meet with business students, Sue Coenen (liaison to the College of Education) would meet with education students.
Call 262-472-1032 or use the librarian liaison email/phone information to contact a librarian.
OK, so it’s Friday the 13th. To me, it’s just another Friday at work, but some people might be home hiding under their blankets lest something bad happen to them.
Have you ever wondered about superstitions? Well, you’re in luck. We have an encyclopedia on them: The encyclopedia of superstitions (2nd-floor Reference Collection, BF1775 .R34 2002). Next to it on the shelf is the Dictionary of Superstitions (Reference Collection, BF1775 .D53 1989), which is also available online through the Oxford Reference Online database.
Reference books (e.g., encyclopedias) can be a great place to start research and get a quick background on a topic. But don’t think just Encyclopedia Britannica! I’m talking about specialized reference materials, like the Encyclopedia of archaeology, Berkshire encyclopedia of extreme sports, Encyclopedia of beat literature, Encyclopedia of film noir, Developmental psychopathology, Europe: A continental overview of environmental issues, Elections A to Z, Bilingual education: A reference handbook… and many, many other titles. But how do you find the right reference titles for your topic?
It’s possible to search everything in our Reference Collection at once for your topic, using the Reference Universe database.
For example, a search for gangsta rap will find 13 reference titles with content on this topic. Clicking the link to view index entries shows you which page(s) to look at in the book. Click on the title of a reference work to get its call number and Library location from the Library Catalog (most, but not all, of these titles are in the 2nd-floor Reference Collection). Ask a Librarian for more about this resource.
