LibGuides: Ely Library: Reference

Get Help from a Reference Librarian

Reference librarians are available in on the phone, via chat, or through e-mail. Contact us for research help or questions about using library resources.

Phone: (413) 572-5234
Email: askus@westfield.ma.edu
Chat (For research questions, please provide your email address in your Chat.)

Schedule a One-to-One Instruction Session

Individualized one-to-one, in-depth instruction and guidance in using Ely Library is available by appointment. Advance sign-up is required.

Individualized Information Instruction Request Form

Citation Guides

NoodleBib
NoodleBib is an online tool that helps you to properly format your citations.
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) - Research and Citation Resources
The Purdue OWL explains and demonstrates how to properly format papers and citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago Style.
Full List of Recommended Citation Guides

Research Tutorials

Library Tutorials
These tutorials will help you learn to find and critically evaluate information sources. By increasing your information literacy skills, you can more effectively search, select, and evaluate those sources. These tutorials will prepare you to explore and research the online world.

Using the Reference Collection

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.

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
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.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
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.
CQ Researcher Online This link opens in a new window
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.
SAGE Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Includes the SAGE series on Green Business and the Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World.<

Oxford Reference Online

Decades in America This link opens in a new window
Current online collection includes The Twenties in America, The Thirties in America, and The Eighties in America. Each is a 3-volume set.

Computers & Printing in the Library

Ely Library has a number of computers, black & white printers, and scanners available for use. Students can print by swiping their Westfield ID at any library printer.

The following software is available on library computers:

Adobe Acrobat Reader
Google Chrome
IBM SPSS Statistics
Microsoft Edge
Firefox
Office 365
VLC Media player
Windows Media Player

For those who prefer to use their own personal devices, WSU provides access to three wifi networks: eduRoam, wsc, guest. See the following page for information about each network:
http://www.westfield.ma.edu/offices/information-technology/wireless-access