Definition
A reference book,
such as a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a yearbook, or a
directory is compiled to provide facts or definite
pieces of information of varying length. A reference
book is intended to be referred to rather than read from
cover to cover.
(L.M. Harrod, The Librarian's Glossary. London: Andre
Deutsch, 1977. p.692).
In other words, a reference book would be used when a
reader needs to know the meaning of a word (a
dictionary), or wants to learn about the life of an
important person (biographical dictionary). This is one
reason why a reference book does not circulate and is
always kept in the library for all readers to use any
time they need it.
A reference work may be a one-volume or multi-volume
book. It can be also found in an electronic format of a
CD-ROM.
The abbreviation Ref. printed on top of the call number
of a book is the mark which distinguishes a reference
book from one that may be borrowed.
Arrangement
Material in a reference book is usually arranged in
alphabetical order so that topics may be located quickly
and easily. Usually an index is provided to serve as the
direct guide to the thousands of topics treated in the
book, or to locate the smaller subdivisions of the
larger subjects. An important element in the arrangement
of material in a reference book is the Cross Reference.
A cross reference will refer the reader from a subject
entry that is not used to one that is used. The following
is an example from the Encyclopedia Britannica:
Allies See Allied Powers
At the end of articles in reference books, bibliography
is usually provided.
Categories
Reference works fall into 2 categories:
-
General: Those which are broad in scope, not limited
to any single subject but cover all subject areas and
branches of knowledge. General encyclopedias such as
Britannica and Americana, handbooks, and yearbooks fall
within this category.
-
Subject-related or specialized: Those which
give detailed information brought together from
several sources on one particular subject.
e.g.
Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science and
Technology
Types of Reference Works
* Encyclopedias
An encyclopedia is a book or set of books that gives
information on all branches of knowledge or on
one branch, generally in articles arranged
alphabetically and signed by the authors.
A good encyclopedia should have a subject index whether
in a separate volume, or at the back of the book, in
order to locate topics easily. It is important to use
the subject index first because it shows in which
volumes and on what pages a particular subject is
discussed.
An encyclopedia, general or specialized, is a good
source of information. Since an encyclopedia gives an
overview of a subject, it is essential for a student
writing a paper to refer first to an encyclopedia to get
a general background which will provide him/her with a
good start on the paper. This will also enable the
student to narrow down the topic of research.
Some of the encyclopedias available at Bethlehem
University Library include:
Encyclopedia Britannica consists of 32 volumes divided
as follows:
| |
Vol. 1 – 12 |
Micropedia: Ready Reference, includes
short articles. |
|
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Vol. 13 – 29 |
Macropedia: Knowledge in Depth,
includes longer articles. |
|
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2 volumes |
Index. |
|
| |
1 volume |
Propaedia: Outline of
knowledge.
This arrangement makes Ency.
Britannica one of the best general encyclopedias.
|
|
Encyclopedia Americana
Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics
International Encyclopedia of Education
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology.
* Dictionaries
A dictionary is a reference work which gives the meaning
of words, their origin, and the way they are pronounced.
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A dictionary may be: |
Monolingual: |
listing words and their meanings in the same language
e.g.Webster's Dictionary of the English
language
|
|
| |
Bilingual: |
lists words in one language and
gives their meaning in another. e.g.-
A1-Mawrid English-Arabic Dictionary
|
|
| |
Multilingual: |
lists words and their meanings
in two or more languages e.g.
Dictionnaire
Trilingue: Arabe-Francais-Anglais
|
|
|
There are also dictionaries that list the
terms of a subject and their meanings e.g.
|
| |
A Dictionary of the Physical Sciences
|
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A Dictionary of the Social Sciences:
English-French-Arabic |
| |
|
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*Biographical Dictionaries
|
| |
These dictionaries give information on the lives of
important people. There are 3 major types
of such dictionaries in relation to the people included:
-
People in general, international in scope.
e.g.
Dictionary of International Biography
- People in general but of the same nationality.
e.g.
Who's Who in the Arab World
-
People belonging to a profession or a certain field
of knowledge
e.g. Dictionary of Scientific Biography.
|
*Yearbooks
A yearbook is a reference which gives facts and other
historical information as having occurred during a
particular year. A yearbook may be of general scope or
limited to one
subject.
e.g. Yearbook of World Affairs.
Yearbook of Agriculture.
A general encyclopedia is usually updated by publishing
a yearbook.
e.g. The Britannica Book of the Year..
*
Almanacs
An almanac, usually an annual reference, contains a
variety of information such as statistics and
useful facts on various topics.
e.g. World
Almanac
*
Handbooks
A handbook is a reference which contains basic and
brief information on specific subjects
e.g. Handbook of Business
*
Atlases
An atlas is a geographical reference book of maps.
A map is a drawing of all or part of the earth. An atlas
would contain a variety of geographical information in
addition to maps of different types such as maps which
show climate, population, produce and transportation
routes, etc.
.e.g. The Times Atlas of the World.
There are many other types of reference works such as
gazetteers, bibliographies and directories
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Attention
Careful handling of a reference book is very
essential for keeping it in good shape. Keeping
reference books in order in the Reference section is a must so
that readers can find them quickly.
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