LibGuides: FYI 101/2: Traylor: Reference Materials

Reference Materials

To find both print and electronic reference materials, use the Tredway resources (Library holdings + Articles) option from the drop down menu. This option allows you to search all of the Tredway Library's physical and electronic resources, books, eBooks, and electronic reference sources.

You'll have several ways to filter your search in order to find reference materials. When you see your search results, there will be a "filter your results" column (typically on the left hand column, but may depend on the device you're using).

Filter Your Results-->Resource Type-->Reference Entries

These entries are from our online and print reference materials.

Filter your results-->Resource Type-->Books

Books are available in two ways:

Available online: eBooks
Available at Thomas Tredway Library [floor and call number here]: If this is a reference book, it will be labeled as reference, and be located on the 2nd floor.

To learn about more about which electronic reference resources are available, please look under the "Electronic Reference Materials" tab. For print materials, look under the "Print Reference Materials" tab.

We have electronic reference materials which includes hundreds of credible and useful materials. There materials are available 24/7, and you can access them from your room.

Credo Reference
An online reference library of over 350 reference books, with content from all disciplines.

Encyclopedia Britannica This link opens in a new window
Provides general information on a wide variety of topics.

Gale Virtual Reference Library
A vast collection of electronic reference books covering a wide variety of subject areas, Gale Virtual Reference Library is an excellent place to start your research.
The Wikipedia Question
You are probably familiar with Wikipedia -- it's the largest encyclopedia ever created and it can be a great starting point for a lot of topics, but it's not always the most reliable source. This link points to another section in this guide which discusses how to use Wikipedia responsibly as a reference resource.

To search for print reference materials, please refer back to the "Using OneSearch to Find Reference Materials" tab.

Tredway Library uses the Library of Congress Classification system to organize our physical collection. Our reference collection is located on the 2nd (main) floor of the library.

A reminder that reference books can't leave the library! You may photocopy some pages that are helpful (generally 1 chapter or up to 10% of the material), but the physical material can't be checked out the way that circulating books can. If you need to access reference books while you're outside the library, our electronic reference tools are very helpful.

Not sure where to start? Look at the link to the Library of Congress Classification system below to see where you can find different disciplines.

Library of Congress Classification System
Listed here are the letters and titles of the main classes of the Library of Congress Classification. Click on any class to view an outline of its subclasses.

Tredway Library LC Blue Sheet
This handout provides an overview on how the Thomas Tredway Library resources are organized according to the Library of Congress system.

The Wikipedia Question
Some professors love it, some hate it, but if you are going to use it, read more information about how to use it responsibly on the "Evaluating Sources" page of this guide.