Reference books can only be used within the Library in which they are located. Please note location in the catalogue records for each title.
Types of Reference books
Encyclopaedias. In addition to general encyclopedias there are subject or specialised encyclopaedias which often contain scholarly articles written by subject specialists and bibliographies which list useful background sources.
Dictionaries cover languages, subjects, and people providing meanings of words and concise information. Many are now available online. Check the library catalogue for dictionaries and databases for online versions. Specialist dictionaries,contain background details and important insights into a topic.
Bibliographies can be lists of publications by one author, or on one subject, or of one country. They may contain important information which is not located by searching in databases
Many reference books, are now available online eg databases such as Oxford Reference Online. Check the database tab on this guide for more information about databases for your subject.
In addition to printed dictionaries, the Library provides the database Oxford Reference Online which contains a range of dictionaries and reference works in the areas shown above including the following:
plus various Language dictionaries and Encyclopaedias
Atlases: contain useful historical information for particular periods and regions. Some examples in the Library are:
Bibliographies come in many shapes and sizes, as well as those found at the end of books they can be published as works on their own. They can be lists of publications by one author, or on one subject, or of one country.. They are useful because they can, for example, enable you to trace books and articles published on a particular subject or by a particular author. An annotated bibliography will give some explanatory notes about the books covered. Once you have found a bibliographical reference to a work, there is an excellent possibility you will be able to gain access to the publication itself.
Published bibliographies are the work of experienced scholars and researchers who have judged the material for inclusion, they also may contain important information which is not located by searching in databases eg book chapters, government documents, or primary sources. A bibliography may give you a good starting point to quickly assess what literature is available on a particular subject and save hours of online searching.
A bibliography of the works of an individual, or works about an individual, as well as other subjects can usually be found by doing an Keyword search on the Library Catalogue.
Some examples of bibliographies are listed below.
The Bibliography section in Coleraine is located in Reading Room 2 in the Z section, in Magee it is on the top floor of the LIbrary with the prefix REF Z.
Guides to Archives; where they are held and what they contain
The following is a select list of relevant reference books that you will find in the Library. Click on the title to get the shelf number and location for each book. Many reference books are online (check library catalogue and library databases), and some literature reference books are available in Literature Online (Lion).
| Books Ireland | Z2031.B7I6, Journals 028.1 Belfast, Coleraine, Magee |
| Burney Collection Online | A collection of 17th and 18th century English news media gathered by the Reverend Charles Burney held in the British Library |
| London Review of Books | AP4.L8R4, Coleraine |
| New York Review of Books (Available on Web of Knowledge (IS) | AP2.N5Y7, Coleraine |
| New York Times 1851- 3 years before present, Online | Historical access to the New York Times newspaper |
| Nexis UK, Online | Access to newspapers in the UK and Ireland |
| Proquest Complete | Select "Arts and Humanities" subject area to search for reviews of books relating to English Studies |
Reference Books in Special Collections
General material can be found in the Reference section of Coleraine Library. The Reference section contains a collection of English dictionaries including the Oxford English dictionary. It might also be useful to browse in the bibliography (Z) section
Other literary reference items are contained in our Special Collections, including the Shiels , Irish , Morris and Hewitt Collections.
There is a small separate sequence of older Magee stock. The shelf numbers on these books are prefaced by the letters MOB (Magee Old Books). In this sequence there is a considerable number of books on English and American literature.
The Magee Library has a separate Irish collection of over 5000 books covering primarily history and literature. The literature comprises Irish literature written in Irish and Irish literature written in English.
If you wish to borrow from the Irish Room, get details from the Catalogue, give them to Information Desk staff, and they will retrieve the books. This is done twice daily.
Books from the Collection published before 1950 are available for use in the Library, but may not be borrowed.
Reference material is located on the Top Floor of the Library. Items are prefixed by "REF" and may not be removed from the Library.