Ely Library has both print and online reference collections. The print encyclopedias, dictionaries and handbooks are located on the main floor of the library. Please consult the library catalog or visit the reference desk for help finding these resources.
Our online reference collections can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection. A small selection of our reference resources are linked below.
For a full list of reference databases, click here.
A digital reference library that provides information from more than 600 high-quality reference books from the world's leading publishers. Credo Reference includes reference resources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, and books of quotations, plus numerous subject-specific titles covering everything from the arts to accountancy and law to literature.
A comprehensive full-text collection of reference resources such as subject-focused encyclopedias and dictionaries, available in a single database. Subject areas include: Arts, Biography, Business, Environment, History, Literature, Medicine, Multicultural Studies, Nation and World, Science, and Social Science.
Comprehensive weekly research, reporting and analysis on issues in the news, including coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the economy.
Each report is researched and written by a seasoned journalist, footnoted, and professionally fact checked. Each report includes an introductory overview, background and chronology on the topic, an assessment of the current situation, tables and maps, a pro/con debate by representatives of opposing positions, and bibliographies of key sources.
Reports dating back to 1991 can be searched or browsed. PDF files are available for reports from January 1996; for reports published since January 2001, PDF files are also available in color.