Research Librarian
Alana Kumbier
they/them or she/her
Contact:
Frost Library
413-542-5454
Subjects: Arabic, Asian Languages & Civilizations, Black Studies, Chinese, Classics, History, Japanese, Philosophy
Reference Sources
Below are links to reference sources and collections that are most useful for this subject:
- Cambridge Companions This link opens in a new windowScholarly surveys of authors, literary history, culture, and philosophy.
- Cambridge Histories This link opens in a new windowProvides political, economic and social history, philosophy, and literature of selected countries and subjects.
- Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics This link opens in a new windowIncludes all content of the print edition, with new content added annually to elaborate on or update themes already published.
- Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window70 reference e-books, including multivolume works like the Encyclopedia of Religion, American Decades, and more.
- JapanKnowledge Lib (date coverage varies) This link opens in a new windowCollection of dictionaries and encyclopedia, full-text articles, video files, maps, images.
The Oxford Dictionary of IslamCall Number: OnlineIncludes biographical profiles, Islamic law, religious groups, major political movements, cultural terms, and key historical events.
- Reference Universe This link opens in a new windowSearchable index of the library's entire reference collection, both print and electronic.
- The Berkshire dictionary of Chinese biography byCall Number: OnlineComprehensive entries on major figures in China, including emperors, politicians, poets, artists, scientists, explorers, and philosophers.
Dictionaries
We have both online and print Chinese dictionaries. For Chinese-language learning resources, see the Chinese Language Learning Guide.
Macmillan-FLTRP Chinese character dictionary = Han yu xue xi zi dianCall Number: AC Frost Reference PL1455 .M325 2010Over 3,000 of the most frequently used Chinese characters and over 32,000 common words and expressions from the HSK proficiency test.
Oxford Chinese Dictionary by Call Number: AC Frost Reference PL1455 .O94 2010Over 300,000 words and phrases and 370,000 translations, including tens of thousands of example phrases illustrating key points of construction and usage.
Tip: What are reference sources, and why would I use them?
Reference sources can include encyclopedias, bibliographies, dictionaries, handbooks, and atlases.
- They provide overviews of and background information on a topic
- They help you identify or refine your topic
- They provide quick, reliable facts
- They include bibliographies that will lead you to additional sources of information on your topic
You can find the Library's collection of reference books on Floor 1 of Frost. We also have many online databases that include collections of edited scholarly encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference sources.