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:
Collections of reference works
Use these databases to search the indexes and tables of contents of multiple reference books at once.
- Reference Universe This link opens in a new windowSearchable index of the library's entire reference collection, both print and electronic.
- 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.
- Oxford Reference This link opens in a new windowDigitized entries from Oxford's Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias, spanning multiple subject areas.
- Oxford Research Encyclopedias This link opens in a new windowPeer-reviewed, long-form articles written by leading scholars; our access includes American History, Latin American History, Politics, and International Studies.
Subject-Specific Reference Works
These are key reference works in Black Studies.
- African American Music Reference This link opens in a new windowEssays and images for study of all forms of black music: blues, spirituals, jazz, rap, and more.
Black Women in America by ISBN: 9780195156775Over 335 biographies and articles on the history and culture of black women in the U.S. Provides a bibliography for each entry, plus a major bibliographical essay.
- Contemporary Black BiographyBiographical profiles of the important and influential persons of African American and/or Black heritage.
- Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History This link opens in a new windowArticles surveying all aspects of the black diaspora.
- Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895.Brief, accessible entries covering African American history into the late 19th century.
- Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the PresentBrief, accessible entries covering African American history through 2008.
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowFull-text critical studies, biographies of authors; covers all genres, all time periods, and all regions.
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.