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Reference Training Materials

This material was used in the graduate Library Media Education program at Western Kentucky University. It is placed here to allow library workers to train themselves in the use of reference materials. Copyright 2001 - 2005 Bryan M. Carson.
All Rights Reserved

Ready Reference Materials

Almanacs

World Almanac and Book of Facts (Ref Desk AY 67 .N5 W7)
World Almanac for Kids* (Western does not own print edition; available online at www.worldalmanacforkids.com/)
Information Please Almanac Continued by Times Almanac (REF AY 64 .I55)
Whitaker's Almanac (REF AY 751 .W45x)
Old Farmer's Almanac* (WKU doesn't own the print edition; available online at www.almanac.com/)
FactMonster (www.factmonster.com/)

Yearbooks

Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report and Congressional Quarterly Almanac (REF JK 1 .C15)
Encyclopedia Yearbooks (Next to each encyclopedia on the shelf in REF)
Europa World Yearbook (Ref Desk)
Facts on File (REF D 410 .F3) also known as FACTS.COM (WKU Internet Resources)
Guinness Book of World Records (REF AG 243 .G87)
Keesing's Contemporary Archives and Keesing's Records of World Events (REF D410 .K45x )
Statesman's Yearbook (Ref Desk)
Chase's Calendar of Events (Ref Desk D11.5 .C48)
Timelines on File (REF D11 .T54)

Handbooks

Contemporary World Issues and Opposing Viewpoints Series (Contemporary issues Table)
Editorials on File (REF D410 .F3x)
Edmund's New and Used Car Prices (Ref Desk and www.edmunds.com/)
Kelly's Blue Book (Ref Desk and www.kellysbluebook.com/)
National Auto Dealer's Association (NADA) (Ref Desk and www.nada.com/)
Chilton's Automotive Repair Manuals*
Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalog (REF HE 6226 .S48)
Standard catalogue of United States coins and tokens from 1652 to present day (REF CJ 1826 .R24)
Complete Secretary's Handbook (Ref Desk HF 5547.5 .D6)
Standard Handbook for Secretaries (Hutchinson) (Ref Desk HF 5547 .H77 1947)
Encyclopedia of World Facts and Dates (Ref Desk D 11 .C37x)
Illustrated Book of World Rankings (Ref Desk HA 155 .K87)
Rules of the Game (REF F 1436.8 .C64)

Tables

RC Handbook of Tables for Applied Engineering Science (REF TA 151 .C2)
Dictionary of Scientific Units (REF QC 82 .J4 1986)
For Good Measure (REF QC 88 .J6 1975x)
Goegraphical Conversion Tables also known as tables de conversion geographiques (REF QC 88 .I58)
Handbook of Probability and Statistics with Tables (REF QA 273 .B925 1970)
Handbook of Tables for Probability and Statistics
Handbook of Physical and Chemical Constants
International Conversion Tables**
International Critical Tables (REF Q 199 .N32 Index 1933)
Metric System Guide (REF QC 92 .U54 K44)
Metric Manual (REFQC 92 .U54 M4x)
Scientific Unit Conversion (REF QC 94 .C295 1997)
Units of Weights and Measure**
World Measurement Guide*

Directories

Encyclopedia of Associations (Ref Desk A 58 .E53)
National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States (Ref Desk HD 2425 .D53bx)
Gale Encyclopedia of Business and Professional Associations (Ref Desk HF 5382.75 .U6 G3x)
American Library Directory (Ref Desk Z 731 .A53)
Directory of Special Libraries and Information Centers (REF Z 731 .Y68)
Research Centers Directory (REF AS 25 .D5)
Directory of archives and manuscript repositories in the United States (REF CD 3020 .D49)
National Five-Digit Zip Code and Post Office Directory (Ref Desk Gov Docs)
Literary Marketplace and International Literary Marketplace (Ref Desk PN 161 .L51x)
Writer's Handbook (REF PE 1408 .F514)
Publishers' Catalog (www.lights.com/publisher/)
Directories in Print (Ref Desk AY 2001 .D52)
Directory of Business Periodical Special Issues (Ref Desk Z 7164 .C81 D4x)
Official Museum Directory (REF AM 10 .A2 O4)
Yearbook of International Organizations (REF JX 1904 .A42)

City Directories

Coles**
Hains Cris-Cross Directory lists by telephone number, address, and zip code. Hains leases its directories to businesses, professionals, agencies, and libraries. Hains does not sell; it leases (like a database). Lease terms preclude libraries from reading the information over the phone.*
The Polk Directory**
Infobel World Telephone Directories www.infobel.com/
Internet Directories**

TV and Radio Directories

Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS) (Index Table and Online--Ask at reference desk to log on)
Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media (Ref Desk Z 6951 .A975x)
TvRadioWorld www.tvradioworld.com/
Federal Communications Commission -- listings of Radio & TV Stations at www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/
Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook (Ref Desk HE 8689 .B77x) Directories of Electronic Products
CD-ROMs in Print*
Gale Directory of Databases
Directory of Electronic Journals, Newsletters, and Academic Discussion Lists (Ref Desk Z 286 .E43 D57 and WKU Internet Resources)

Grants

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (Ref Desk Gov Docs)
Code of Federal Regulations (Law Library and Congressional Universe--WKU Internet Resources and GPO/Access www.access.gpo.gov/)
Federal Register (Law Library and Congressional Universe--WKU Internet Resources and GPO/Access www.access.gpo.gov/)
Foundation Directory (Foundation Center Collection)
FC Search (Networked CD-ROM--Available only in Helm-Cravens Library)
Foundation Center http://fdncenter.org/

Speeches

Speech Index (Index Tables)
Vital Speeches of the Day (REF PN 6121 .V52x)
New York Times Index (REF AI 21 .N45)
Indexes and Abstracts**

Quotations

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (Ref Desk PN 6081 .B27)
Oxford dictionary of quotations (REF PN 6080 .O95 1999)
Oxford dictionary of twentieth century quotations (REF PN 6080 .O955 1999)
Oxford dictionary of phrase, saying, and quotation (REF PN 6080 .O945 1997)
Dictionary of essential quotations (REF PN 6081 .D527 1983)
The Quotable Woman (REF PN 6081.5 .Q65 2001)
The Ultimate Dictionary of Sports Quotations (REF GV 707 .U47)
What they said (REF D 410 .W46)

Statistics

American Statistical Index (LEXIS-NEXIS)
Statistical Resource Index (LEXIS-NEXIS)
Population Index (Bus Ref)
LEXIS-NEXIS Statistical Universe (WKU Internet Resources)
CenStats http://tier2.census.gov/dbappweb.htm
City and County Data Book (Ref Desk Gov Docs C 3.134/2:C 83/2)
Current Index to Statistics (Gov Docs Ref QA 276 .A1 C87)
Editor & Publisher Market Guide
Gallop material (Bus Ref)
Gallop Opinion Index
Gallop Political Index
Gallop Poll Report
Fedstats www.fedstats.gov
How Many Kentuckians? (Ref Desk and Government Kentucky HB 3525 .K4 H6)
International Trade Statistics Yearbook (REF HF 91 .I4x)
International Statistics Sources (Ref Desk Z 7551 .I42)
Kentucky Agricultural Statistics(Ref Desk S 451 .K4 K4 and Government Kentucky)
Kentucky Deskbook of Economic Statistics (Ref Desk HC 107 .K4 A375x and Government Kentucky)
Sourcebook of Zip Code Demographics(Bus Ref HA 203 .S6x 1990)
Statistical Abstract of the United States (Ref Desk HA202 .A36bx and Ref Desk Gov Docs C 3.134:)
Statistical Handbook of Working America (Bus Ref HD 5712 .S6x)
Statistical Yearbook (REF AZ 361 .U45)
Yearbook of Labour Statistics (Bus Ref HD 4826 .I63)

Travel Information

Offical Airline Guide Business travel planner (OAG) (REF TX 907 .B8x)
Official Hotel Guide (REF TX 907 .O43)
Official Railway Guide*
Official Steamship Guide*
Russell's Official National Motor Coach Guide*
Fodor's**
Frommer's**
Lonly Planet**
Topper InfoPortal Travel (www.wku.edu/Library/tip/travel.html)
Travel on the World Wide Web (www.wku.edu/Library/dlps/guides/travel.htm)

Book and Product Reviews

Indexes and Abstracts

New York Times Index "Book Reviews" (REF AI 21 .N45)
Times Index (London) "Book Reviews" (REF AI 21 .T46x )
Reader's Guide--Separate book review section in back of volume (REF PER/IND AI 3 .R48)
Book Review Index (REF PER/IND Z 1035 .A1 B6)
Book Review Digest (REF PER/IND Z 1219 .C96)
Canadian Book Review Annual (REF F 1001 .C224)
National Library Service Cumulative Book Review Index 1905 - 1974 (REF PER/IND Z 1035 .A1 N3x)
Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Humanities Journals (REF PER/IND Z 6265 .C65 1982)
Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Scholarly Journals 1886 - 1974 (REF PER/IND Z 1035 .A1 C64)
Subject Indexes and Abstracts, i.e. Historical Abstracts & America: History and Life**

Review Sources

Books in Print with Reviews (Bowker) (WKU Internet Resources)
New York Times Book Review (Periodicals)
New York Review of Books (Periodicals)
Bookworld (Periodicals)
Choice (Periodicals; also available online by subscription)
Kirkus Review*
Newspapers and Magazines**

Theatre, Film, and Television Reviews

New York Times Theater Reviews (REF PN 1581 .N42x )
New York Theatre Critics Reviews (REF PN 1601 .N4)
Film Review Annual (REF PN 1995 .F49x)
Landers Film Reviews (REF PN 1995 .L27)
New York Times Film Reviews (REF PN 1995 .N4)
Television Reviews Index Also known as Variety Television Reviews Index (REF PN 1992.3 .U5 V36)
New York Times Index--1"Theater Reviews" (REF AI 21 .N45)
Times Index (London)--"Theater Reviews" (REF AI 21 .T46x)

Electronic Product Reviews

Media Review Source Also known as Media Review Digest
Tells you what publication to look in for reviews of films, videos, audio, and CD-ROMs (REF PER/IND Z 5784 .M9 M851x)
Library Literature (REF PER/IND Z 666 .L69 and FirstSearch LME Password)
Information Science Abstracts (REF PER/IND Z 699 .A1 D6)
Library and Information Science Abstracts*
Internet and Personal Computing Abstracts (FirstSearch LME Password) Previously know as Microcomputer Abstracts Previously known as Microcomputer Index
eShaman Research Center (Formerly Computer Select)*
Proquest Computing (WKU Internet Resources)
Computer Literature Index (REF PER/IND QA 76.5 .Q31ax and WKU Library Resources)
Directory of Scholarly Electronic Journals & Academic Discussion Lists (REF Z 6951 .D625 and WKU Library Resources)
ZD Net www.zdnet.com/
Consumer Reports www.consumerreports.org/
Search Engine Showdown www.searchengineshowdown.com/reviews/
Best Search Engines www.squirrelnet.com/BestSearchEngines/start.asp