Online Encyclopedia Collections
You can search for reference articles from various online encyclopedias collected in Gale Virtual Reference.
- Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new windowGale Virtual Reference Library offers a wide variety of full-text interdisciplinary content on virtually any subject area to support assignments, papers, projects, and presentations. Includes the Scribner Writers Series.
Why Use Encyclopedias?
Background sources like encyclopedias can provide context for your topic, or even help you choose one. They are great places to start because:
- they explain topics in simpler language than scholarly articles
- they are much shorter (often just a just a page or two, instead of the 20 pages or more found in a scholarly article or the hundreds of pages found in a book)
- they highlight important issues, figures, dates, and/or events that you may want to focus on in your paper or project
- they give you suggested sources for further research in the form of bibliographies or works cited
Print Encyclopedias
These are print encyclopedias available in the library's reference area in the second floor. These books are for library use only. They may not be checked out.
Encyclopedia of Organic, Sustainable, and Local Food by Call Number: 338.197 E563 2010 (Location: Reference)Publication Date: 2009In 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama established an organic vegetable garden at the White House, reflecting the impact and popularity of the "green" food movement at even the highest levels. Her action is no surprise. Global sales of organic products topped $23 billion in 2008 and have been growing 20 to 25 percent annually for the past decade.
Online Encyclopedias
These are online encyclopedias. You can access them 24/7. If you are off campus, you will be prompted to provide your Berea College log-in information.
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture by Call Number: E-bookISBN: 0684314169Publication Date: 2004-02-01A survey of food and its place in human culture and society. Includes photographs, illustrations, sidebars, recipes, menus, and timelines.
New Encyclopedia of AfricaCall Number: E-bookPublication Date: 2010Addresses the entire history of African cultures from the pharaohs and the ancient civilizations of the south through the colonial era to the emergence of 53 independent countries, some of them newly emergent in world commerce and others deep in conflict. Covers issues facing the continent such as global development, the AIDS crisis, and international terrorism.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, 13 editionCall Number: E-BookPublication Date: 2012Presents easy-to-understand information on countries and dependencies from around the world. Entries discuss a variety of topics in detail, from banking and securities to climate, from government data to demographic statistics.
