What are Reference Sources?
Libraries collect and preserve the graphic records of human experience.1 Not every experience is documented, and not every documented experience is collected and preserved. How, then, can you know what part of the historical record remains for you to study? Reference sources are your map to the graphic records of human experience.
Even if every human experience hasn't been documented, and every document hasn't been preserved, there remains a plethora of sources available for the historian to study. Here at the University of Illinois Library, you have access to over 14 million printed books, 9 million microforms, 120,000 periodicals, 148,000 sound recordings, 1 million audiovisual resources, 280,000 e-books, 29,000 cubic feet of archival records, 3 terabytes of electronic records, and 650,000 maps—that's over 24 million potential primary sources for your research. Reference sources are your map to the Library's collections.
Half of one aisle at the University Library's remote storage facility on Oak Street.
Use reference sources for factual information like the date the Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law, or where in the United States Statutes at Large to find it. You can also use them to find more complex information, like marriage law in Islam. They often include bibliographies, making them profitable places to begin a research project.
Encyclopedias
What are Encyclopedias?
Encyclopedias attempt to summarize the state of knowledge in a field of inquiry. A good encyclopedia can be a valuable starting point for your research.
Digital Collections of Encyclopedias
- Gale EbooksA very extensive collection of useful reference works published by Gale and affiliated publishers, including general and subject-specific encyclopedias. Gale is a major publisher of encyclopedias and other reference sources.
- Oxford Reference150 core reference works from Oxford University Press, mostly encyclopedias and dictionaries.
- Credo ReferenceLarge collection of encyclopedias and dictionaries. It includes some important reference works in History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and related fields. Works tend to feature shorter entries, with exceptions.
Encyclopedias for Researching the History of Travel
- Trade, Travel, and Exploration in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia byCall Number: Q. 909.0703 T675ISBN: 0815320035Publication Date: 2000
- Literature of Travel and Exploration: An Encyclopedia byCall Number: Q. 910.403 L712ISBN: 1579582478Publication Date: 2003
- Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of Australia byCall Number: 994.003 D33hISBN: 0810845881Publication Date: 2003
- Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450 byCall Number: 325.3 ONLINEISBN: 0028658434Publication Date: 2006Online version of the 3 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated. Includes thematic outline of contents, glossary, selection of primary sources, and a detailed index.
- Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Northwest Coast of America byCall Number: 979.5003 In45hISBN: 0810855518Publication Date: 2008
- Encyclopedia of the Literature of Empire byCall Number: I-ShareISBN: 0816075247Publication Date: 2009
- Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Northwest Passage byCall Number: 910.916327 D33hISBN: 0810854864Publication Date: 2006
- Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Pacific islands byCall Number: 995.003 Q257hISBN: 0810853957Publication Date: 2005
- Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800: A Comprehensive Reference Guide to the History and Literature of Exploration, Travel and Colonization from the Earliest Times to the Year 1800 byCall Number: Q. 910.9203 H839eISBN: 1875567364Publication Date: 2003Continued by: Encyclopedia of Exploration, 1800 to 1850 : a Comprehensive Reference Guide to the History and Literature of Exploration, Travel and Colonization Between the Years 1800 and 1850.
- Encyclopedia of Exploration, 1800 to 1850: A Comprehensive Reference Guide to the History and Literature of Exploration, Travel and Colonization between the Years 1800 and 1850 byCall Number: 910.922 H839eISBN: 1875567445Publication Date: 2004Continues: Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800: A Comprehensive Reference Guide to the History and Literature of Exploration, Travel and Colonization from the Earliest Times to the Year 1800. Continued by: Encyclopedia of Exploration, 1850 to 1940: The Oceans, Islands and Polar Regions: A Comprehensive Reference Guide to the History and Literature of Exploration, Travel and Colonization in the Oceans, the Islands, New Zealand and the Polar Regions, and: Encyclopedia of Exploration, 1850 to 1940: Continental Exploration.
- Encyclopedia of Exploration, 1850 to 1940: The Oceans, Islands and Polar Regions: A Comprehensive Reference Guide to the History and Literature of Exploration, Travel and Colonization in the Oceans, the Islands, New Zealand and the Polar Regions byCall Number: Q. G80 .H679 2006ISBN: 1875567445Publication Date: 2006Continues in part: Continues in part Encyclopedia of Exploration, 1800 to 1850: A Comprehensive Reference Guide to the History and Literature of Exploration, Travel and Colonization between the Years 1800 and 1850.
- Encyclopedia of Exploration, 1850 to 1940: Continental Exploration byCall Number: G200 .H694 2008ISBN: 9781875567423Publication Date: 2008Continues in part: Encyclopedia of Exploration, 1800 to 1850: A Comprehensive Reference Guide to the History and Literature of Exploration, Travel and Colonization between the Years 1800 and 1850.
- Encyclopedia of Exploration byCall Number: Q. 910.3 W146eISBN: 0816046786Publication Date: 20042 vols. See also: Oxford Companion to World Exploration by David Buisseret, and: Encyclopedia of Women's Travel and Exploration by Patricia D. Netzley.
- Encyclopedia of Women’s Travel and Exploration byCall Number: 910.82 N389ISBN: 1573562386Publication Date: 2001
- Colonialism: An International, Social, Cultural, and Political Encyclopedia byCall Number: 325.303 C718ISBN: 1576073351Publication Date: 20033 vols. Extensive chronologies of various imperial empires (Austro-Hungarian, Belgian, British, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Ottoman, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and United States) provide context for the diverse entries
- Historical Dictionary of the British Empire byCall Number: 909.0971241 H627ISBN: 0313279179Publication Date: 1996
- Encyclopedia of Mission and Missionaries byCall Number: Q. 266.003 En196ISBN: 0415969484Publication Date: 2007
- The Encyclopedia of Missions: Descriptive, Historical, Biographical, Statistical byCall Number: 266 ONLINEPublication Date: 19042nd ed.
Bibliographies, Catalogs, and Guides
What are Bibliographies?
A bibliography is a list of documents, usually published documents like books and articles. This type of bibliography is more accurately called "enumerative bibliography". An enumerative bibliography will attempt to be as comprehensive as possible, within whatever parameters established by the bibliographer.
Bibliographies will list both secondary and primary sources. They are perhaps most valuable to historians for identifying primary sources. (They are still useful for finding secondary sources, but increasingly historians rely on electronic resources, like article databases, to locate secondary sources.)
Think of a bibliography as a guide to the source base for a specific field of inquiry. A high quality bibliography will help you understand what kinds of sources are available, but also what kinds of sources are not available (either because they were never preserved, or because they were never created in the first place).
Bibliographies for Researching the History of Travel
- Centre de Recherche sur la Littérature des VoyagesA bibliographic guide to primary sources on, and research into, the history of travel.
- The Oxford Companion to World Exploration byCall Number: 910.922 ONLINEISBN: 019514922XPublication Date: 2007Online version of the 2 volume original.
- A Reference Guide to the Literature of Travel: Including Voyages, Geographical Descriptions, Adventures, Shipwrecks and Expeditions byCall Number: 016.91 ONLINEISBN: 0837121612Publication Date: 1935-19493 vols.: v. 1. The old world.--v. 2. The new world. --v. 3. Great Britain
- Bibliotheca Cisorientalia: An Annotated Checklist of Early English Travel Books on the Near and Middle East byCall Number: 016.9156 B46BISBN: 0816109699Publication Date: 1973
- Bibliography of British and American Travel in Italy to 1860 byCall Number: 015.45 B4713 no.76-77Publication Date: 1974
- Bio-bibliografía de viajeros por España y Portugal. Siglos XV-XVI-XVII byCall Number: ILLISBN: 8478951660Publication Date: 2001
- Bio-bibliografía de viajeros por España y Portugal. Siglo XVIII byCall Number: ILLISBN: 8478951393Publication Date: 2000
- Diccionario de viajeros españoles: desde la Edad Media a 1970 byCall Number: Q. 910.946 G165dISBN: 8478951946Publication Date: 2004
- Bio-bibliografía de viajeros españoles (siglo XVI-XVII) byCall Number: I-ShareISBN: 8478950826Publication Date: 1998
- A Catalogue of Books Relating to the Discovery and Early History of North and South America: Forming a Part of the Library of E.D. Church byCall Number: 016.9731 ONLINEPublication Date: 19075 vols.: v. 1. 1482-1590.--v. 2. 1590-1625.--v. 3. 1626-1676.--v. 4. 1677-1752.--v. 5. 1753-1884. Index.
- Viaggiatori italiani in Italia, 1700-1998 : per una bibliografia byCall Number: ILLISBN: 8886842058Publication Date: 1999
- Baedeker’s Handbook(s) for Travellers: A Bibliography of English Editions Published prior to World War II byCall Number: 016.9102 G85BISBN: 0837182093Publication Date: 1975Actual editions of the travel guides can be found in the Online Catalog and in the HathiTrust. This bibliography is actually the guide to a microfiche set, but works as a bibliography as well.
- Wayward Women: A Guide to Women Travellers byCall Number: 016.9104082 R563w 2001ISBN: 019280233XPublication Date: 2001Includes a geographical index.
- American Travellers Abroad: A Bibliography of Accounts Published before 1900 byCall Number: 016.9104 Sm58a 1999ISBN: 0810835541Publication Date: 1999Organized alphabetically by author, with indexes to place, and occupation of writer.
- An Annotated Catalog of Original Source Materials Relating to the History of European Expansion, 1400-1800 byCall Number: Q. 016.382094 J232AISBN: 0960179844Publication Date: 1994Continued by the journal Merchant Explorer. Catalog of the James Ford Bell Library.
- The Exploration of South America: An Annotated Bibliography byCall Number: 016.98001 G621EISBN: 0824091809Publication Date: 1983Includes both primary and secondary sources.
- Bio-bibliografía de viajeros españoles (siglo XVIII) byCall Number: I-ShareISBN: 847895063XPublication Date: 1997
- Subject Catalogue of the Library of the Royal Empire Society (Formerly Royal Colonial Institute) byCall Number: Q.017.142 R81sPublication Date: 1930-1937Organized by broad region and then by subject. Includes author index and geographic index. Vol. 1. The British Empire generally, and Africa.- v. 2. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand, the South Pacific, general voyages and travels, and Arctic and Antarctic regions.- v. 3. The Dominion of Canada and its provinces, the Dominion of Newfoundland, the West Indies and Colonial America- v. 4. The Mediterranean colonies, the Middle East, Indian Empire, Burma, Ceylon, British Malaya, East Indian Islands, and the Far East.
- Subject Catalogue of the Royal Commonwealth Society, LondonCall Number: Q. 017.142 R811SPublication Date: 1971Supplements the Subject catalogue of the Library of the Royal Empire Society (see above) and the Biography Catalogue of the Library of the Royal Commonwealth Society. With supplements. 7 vols.: v. 1. British Commonwealth and Europe. Asia: in general, Mideast, India.--v. 2. Asia: other Asian areas. Africa: Africa in general, North Africa.--v. 3. Africa: West Africa, East Africa.--v. 4. Africa: noncommonwealth Africa, including former foreign colonies, Republic of South Africa, other southern African countries.--v. 5. The Americas.--v. 6. Australia, New Zealand, Pacific.--v. 7. Biography. Voyages and travels. World War I. World War II.
- Catalogue of the Colonial Office Library, London byCall Number: Q. 016.325342 G798CPublication Date: 196415 vols. Vols. 1 and 2 cover library accessions prior to 1950.
- Catalogue of the Library of the Royal Geographical SocietyCall Number: 016.91 R81CPublication Date: 1865See especially Appendix I, Collections of Voyages and Travels, with contents listings for each collection, and Appendix II, Government, Anonymous, and Miscellaneous Publications organized by geographic subject. Also available online for keyword searching.
- Gypsies and Travelers in North America: An Annotated Bibliography byCall Number: 016.97000491 L814gISBN: 0961710756Publication Date: 1994
- Glimpses of India : an Annotated Bibliography of Published Personal Writings by Englishmen, 1583-1947 byCall Number: 016.954 R431gISBN: 0313256616Publication Date: 1989
- Library Catalogue of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of LondonCall Number: 016.915 L84lPublication Date: 196328 vols. and supplements.
- The Cambridge Companion to Travel Writing byCall Number: 820.9 C14422ISBN: 0521786525Publication Date: 2002
- A Bibliography of East European Travel Writing in Europe byCall Number: 016.914 ONLINEISBN: 9789639776128Publication Date: 2008
- American Travelers and Observers in the British Isles, 1875-1900: A Bibliography byCall Number: ILLPublication Date: 1940
- American Travelers to Mexico, 1821-1972: A Descriptive Bibliography byCall Number: 917.2 C674AISBN: 087875136XPublication Date: 1978
- Travel Literature of Colonists in America, 1754-1783: An Annotated Bibliography with an Introduction and an Author Index byCall Number: OnlinePublication Date: 1947Unpublished dissertation available online.
- Early Midwestern Travel Narratives: An Annotated Bibliography, 1634-1850 byCall Number: 016.9177 H86EPublication Date: 1961
- Russian Travelers to the Christian East from the Twelfth to the Twentieth Century byCall Number: 016.910947 ST29RISBN: 0893571571Publication Date: 1986
- Voyages and Travels in the Near East Made during the XIX Century: Being a Part of a Larger Catalogue of Works on Geography, Cartography, Voyages and Travels, in the Genadius Library in Athens byCall Number: 016.91496 AM3VPublication Date: 1952
- Reports of Explorations Printed in the Documents of the United States Government: A Contribution toward a Bibliography byCall Number: 016.91 UN32R1969Publication Date: 1899Organized by place of exploration, with separate entries by author interfiled.
- Alaska: A Bibliography, 1570-1970, with Subject Index byCall Number: 016.9798 T64AISBN: 0816110638Publication Date: 1974
Biographies
- American National BiographyStandard reference work for American biography. This is the online version of the 24 volume original plus updates. Biographies of men and women, deceased at least five years, who made especially important contributions to American history and culture. Only includes deceased Americans deemed historically significant by editorial board.
- Oxford Dictionary of National BiographyBiographies of men and women, deceased at least five years, who, in the judgment of the editorial board, made important contributions to British history and culture. Includes access to articles from the original, Victorian classic, The Dictionary of National Biography.
- A Dictionary of British and Irish Travellers in Italy, 1701-1800 byCall Number: 914.5047 ONLINEISBN: 0300071655Publication Date: 1997
- Deutsche männer in Afrika: Lexicon der hervorragensten deutschen Afrika-forscher, missionare, etc. byCall Number: OnlinePublication Date: 1894
- American Travel Writers, 1776-1864 byCall Number: 928.1 ONLINEISBN: 0787610720Publication Date: 1997Vols. 183 of the Dictionary of Literary Biography.
- American Travel Writers, 1850-1915 byCall Number: 928.1 ONLINEISBN: 9780787618445Publication Date: 1998Vol. 189 of the Dictionary of Literary Biography.
- Geography and Exploration: Biographical Portraits byCall Number: I-ShareISBN: 0684806622Publication Date: 2002
- Women Adventurers,1750-1900: A Biographical Dictionary, with Excerpts from Selected Travel Writings byCall Number: I-ShareISBN: 0786432055Publication Date: 2008
- A List of Spanish Residencias in the Archives of the Indies, 1516-1775; Administrative Judicial Reviews of Colonial Officials in the American Indies, Philippine and Canary Islands byCall Number: 016.98 P37LPublication Date: 1955A guide to unpublished archival material, but useful also for identifying names of residencias, as a starting point for biographical research.
- Explorers and Discoverers of the World byCall Number: 910.922 ONLINEISBN: 0810354217Publication Date: 1993Short biographies of about 320 world explorers.
- Hommes et destins: dictionnaire biographique d’outre-mer byCall Number: 920.044 H753Publication Date: 1975-10 vols. Coverage is mostly twentieth century. Biographical dictionary of French colonials (e.g. administrators, explorers, missionaries, anthropologists. . .).
- The Devil May Care: Fifty Intrepid Americans and Their Quest for the Unknown byCall Number: 917.304 H789dISBN: 0195169220Publication Date: 2003
- Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions byCall Number: Q. 266.00922 An23bISBN: 0028646045Publication Date: 1998Includes an index with place names.
- Biographical Dictionary of the Franciscans in Spanish Florida and Cuba, 1528-1841 byCall Number: 271 ONLINEPublication Date: 1940
Atlases and Chronologies
- Historical Atlas of Exploration: 1492-1600 byCall Number: Q. 910.9 K837hISBN: 0816042489Publication Date: 2000
- The Atlas of British Overseas Expansion byCall Number: 911.41 AT65ISBN: 013051988XPublication Date: 1991
- An Historical Atlas of Islam = Atlas historique de l’Islam byCall Number: Q. 911.17671 H6292002ISBN: 9004122354Publication Date: 20022nd ed. "This second revised edition, by Hugh Kennedy, of William Brice's original builds upon the rather significant accomplishments of the first, and improves greatly upon them. The new preface and bibliographical preambles by Kennedy explain what specific maps have been added and what has been dropped since the first edition [...] The new edition offers a much more logical organization of its maps, one less likely to induce motion-sickness than its predecessor, with general maps followed by specific regional maps grouped according to the area being described" (from The Journal of the American Oriental Society review)
- Atlas of Exploration (Oxford University Press) byCall Number: Q. 911 R812a 2008ISBN: 0195343182Publication Date: 20082nd ed. See also: Historical Atlas of Exploration, 1492-1600 by Angus Konstam (Call No. Q. 910.9 K837h), and: Atlas of Exploration by Shona Grimbly.
- Atlas of Exploration (Fitzroy Dearborn) byCall Number: Q. 910.9 At655ISBN: 1579583113Publication Date: 2001
- The Times Atlas of World Exploration: 3,000 Years of Exploring, Explorers, and Mapmaking byCall Number: Q. 912 T482ISBN: 0062700324Publication Date: 1991
- Exploration and Science: Social Impact and Interaction byCall Number: 303.483 R272eISBN: 1576079856Publication Date: 2007
- Historical atlas of the Middle East byCall Number: Q. 911.58 F877HISBN: 0133909158Publication Date: 1993
- The New Atlas of African History byCall Number: Q. 911.6 F877NISBN: 0136121519Publication Date: 1991
- The Penguin Historical Atlas of the British Empire byCall Number: 911.171241 D179pISBN: 0141018445Publication Date: 2006
- America Discovered: A Historical Atlas of North American Exploration byCall Number: Q. 911.7 H326aISBN: 9781553650492Publication Date: 2004
- Historical Atlas of the Pacific Northwest: Maps of Exploration and Discovery: British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Yukon byCall Number: Q. 979.501 H326hISBN: 9781570612152Publication Date: 1999
- Historical Atlas of the North Pacific Ocean: Maps of Discovery and Scientific Exploration, 1500-2000 byCall Number: Q. 911.1644 H326hISBN: 1570613117Publication Date: 2002
Notes
1. Jesse H. Shera, The Foundations of Education for Librarianship (New York: Becker and Hayes, 1972): 193.