This is only a brief selection of our history reference works. For reference works on specific countries and topics (immigration, food, sports...), try using these tricks to search the Library's OneSearch Catalog.
1. Search the catalog of a person or topic. On the search results page, click "Resource Types" on the left sidebar and then narrow your results to "Reference Entries"
2. Use the advanced search to search the catalog for reference books on a specific country, region, or topic. Insert your keywords onto the first line of the search. On the second line write: history. On the third line write: encyclopedia OR dictionary OR reference [and select to search by title].
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Reference works are a great place to start your research, especially in a new field or topic of study. Think of these as the Academic Wikipedia. These resources provide peer-reviewed introductory and background information on a topic, where you can learn the language experts in a field use. The content on this page consists mostly of books and databases. It is organized by reference type (general, biography), time period (ancient, medieval), and geographical (world history). Additionally, at the bottom of the page you'll find resources on historiography and historical writing.
Tips on locating additional reference works are located in the left column of the page. See the United States tab on your left for reference works focusing on United States history and its peoples.
Historical Dictionary of Mesopotamia by 
Encyclopaedism from Antiquity to the Renaissance by 
The Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World by 
Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages by 
The Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance by This is only a brief selection of our reference works on history. There are many other themes and topics included in our collection, including history of food studies, sports, fashion, immigration... For reference works on specific countries and topics, try using these tricks to search the Library's OneSearch Catalog.
A Dictionary of World History by 
Encyclopedia of Africa by 
The Encyclopedia of Political Revolutions by 
Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment by 
The Encyclopedia of the Industrial Revolution in World History by 
The Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History by 
Historical Dictionary of the Jews by 
Historical Dictionary of Women in the Middle East and North Africa by 
The Silk Road Encyclopedia by 
A Global Encyclopedia of Historical Writing by 
