Reference

The UTPA Reference Department is located on the Second Floor.  The standard Library of Congress Subject Headings apply.  Reference materials are available through the usual designated call number, preceded by "REF."  These materials cannot be checked out, but copies may be made in accordance with Title 17, US Code, Copyright Law.

Reference Print Resources

Atlases

Following are some of many atlases kept on the atlas stand behind the Reference Desk.

National Geographic Collegiate Atlas of the World. - "Recent advances in mapping technology are evident in these 250-plus maps and 50 satellite images that present data on the political, physical, human, and economic worlds. Introductory entries discuss cartography in the 21st century and its use in interpreting global issues. The World presents visual and short textual global overviews of subjects such as Transportation, Defense & Conflict, Communication, Health & Literacy, Trade & Globalization, and Biodiversity. Next, sections on each continent provide maps, charts, and text on the continent and then on subregions, by theme. The maps mostly use the same scale, making comparisons easy. World Facts follows, preceding an exhaustive place index." (School Library Journal, Reviewer.) [REF G1021 .N392 2006]

Nuevo Atlas Nacional de Mexico. - Written in Spanish, this is a reliable source for the locales of Mexico.[REF G1605 .N8 2007]

Oxford Atlas of the World. - Contains a "World Geography" Section of tables, charts, photos, climate change, global warming, biodiversity, population growth, alternative energy sources, and standards of living.  Also contains detailed maps of 69 urban areas worldwide.[REF G1021 .G4337 2006]

Rand McNally Commercial Atlas; Marketing Guide. - Contains comprehensive business planning data.[REF G1200 .R322]

Dictionaries

A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Dealing with the origin of words and their sense development thus illustrating the history of civilization and culture. - This two-volume set is invaluable for those looking for origins of words.[REF PE1580 .K47]

Black's Law Dictionary. - THE authority in legal language, pronunciations, terms, and usage.[REF KF156 .B53 1999]

Dictionary of American Slang. - This dictionary traces the language of today back to its American roots.[REF PE2846 .C46 1995]

Dictionary of Marketing Communications. "The Dictionary of Marketing Communications is the most authoritative and comprehensive lexicon of marketing terms available today. Presented in down-to-earth language, it promises to be an essential and enduring resource for students, beginners, and seasoned professionals alike." (Rob Kopp, Reviewer).[REF HF5412 .G68 2004]

The New Oxford American Dictionary. - This dictionary is very user friendly, with the concept of each word having at least one core meaning, to which numbers of subsenses are attached.  The text design itself makes it easy to read.  It also contains a "Language Guide," which includes commonly misspelled words and redundant expressions.[REF PE 1628 .N429 2005]

The Oxford Spanish Dictionary: Spanish-English, English-Spanish. This dictionary includes over 300,000 words and phrases and contained 450,000 translations. It covers both European and Mexican Spanish.[REF PE 1628 .N29 2005]

Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged. - These 2,662 pages define more than 450,000 words spanning "a" to "zyzzogeton," including words not found in other dictionaries, plus clear definitions and comprehensive etymologies, along with various usage tools. [REF PE 1625 .W36 1986]

General Reference Materials Covering Various Subjects

American Decades. - This series covers the twentieth century by decade and is written for those looking for a brief overview of the events and people of the decades. The major value of this series is documentation of the time period.[REF E169.12 .A419 1994]

The American Revolutionary War: a Rolitical, Social, and Military History. - This offers over 900 articles on a very wide range of topics covering the War for Independence, its causes, and consequences.[REF E208 .E64 2006]

Bond's Franchise Guide. - Contains over 2,000 detailed franchisor profiles.[REF HF5429.235 .U5 S66]

Business: The Ultimate Resource. - This represents "a collection of 200 essays written by leading business and management thinkers; checklists for seven functional areas of management; four sets of action lists; summaries of the 70 most influential business books; biographical sketches of business and management thought leaders; a dictionary and almanac profiling the 50 states, 150 countries, and 24 industry sectors; and business information sources on numerous organizational, business, and management trends, topics, and issues." (M. J. Safferstone, Choice Reviews).[REF HD38.15 .B878 2006]

Contemporary Literary Criticism. - Excerpts from criticism of the works of today's novelists, poets, playwrights, and other creative writers.  Contemporary writers are those who are either now living or who have died since January 1, 1960 (Also available online).[REF PN771 .C59]

Note: See catalog for a list of other time periods covered in the literary criticism series.

CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics. - Contains mathematical definitions, formulas, figures, tabulations, and references.[REF QA5 .W45 2003]

Encyclopedia of Anthropology. - This five-volume set, with more than 1,000 entries, encompasses information on all of the various aspects of the field of anthropology.[REF GN11 .E63 2006]

Encyclopedia of Coastal Science. - This encyclopedia is of considerable interest to those both living near and studying coastlines.[REF TC203.7 .E53 2005]

Encyclopedia of Political Communication. - "A comprehensive work in the interdisciplinary field of political communication.  International in scope, the nearly 600 entries of this two-volume set will appeal to readers ranging from laypeople interested in the political process to political professionals to academics at all levels."  (N. Jane Goodman, Choice Reviewer.) [JA85 .E64 2008]

Encyclopedia of Psychology. - This encyclopedia is a joint effort of the American Psychological Association and Oxford University Press.  It contains  more than 1,500 alphabetically arranged, signed entries, including nearly 400 biographies.[REF BF31 .G35 1996]

Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: a Political, Social, and Military History. - There are some 1600 alphabetically arranged, concise articles on every aspect of the American Civil War, supplemented by battle maps and many of the most famous period black-and-white photographs.[REF E468 .E53 2000]

Environmental Analysis and Remediation. - Emphasis is placed on coverage of sampling, analysis and remediation, but topics such as pollution sources, transport, regulations, and health effects are also presented.[GE10 .E49 1998]

Facts on File World News Digest. - This is a weekly digest of national and foreign news events and a monthly cumulative index on deaths, science, sports, medicine, education, religion, crime, books, plays, films and persons prominent in the news.[REF D410 .F3]

The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine - "According to its introduction, this set is intended to be comprehensive but not definitive, and "to fill a gap between basic consumer health resources, such as single-volume family medical guides, and highly technical professional materials.'" (L.A. Blewett, Choice Reviewer.)[REF RC41 .G35 1999]

The... Mental Measurements Yearbook. - These yearbooks "serve as a guide to the complex task of test evaluation, selection, and use." (Editors, Mental Measurements Yearbook).[REF Z5814.P8 B932]

Milestone Documents in American History: Exploring the Primary Sources that Shaped America. - For those needing a primary source, along with an analysis, this set of documents should be explored.[REF E173 .M62 2008]

The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. - v. 1-12. Micropaedia : Ready reference -- v. 13-29. Macropaedia : Knowledge in depth -- v. [30] Propaedia : Outline of knowledge : guide to the Britannica -- v. [31] Index, A-K -- v. [32] Index, L-Z -- [v.33] yearbook.[REF AE5 .E363 2007]

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States. - This encyclopedia contains lengthy, detailed, and scholarly--yet highly readable--signed entries, accompanied by bibliographies. Its covers many of  the larger Latino groups (Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, Dominicans).[REF E184.S75 O97 2005]

Test Critiques. - A full spectrum of current test information and critiques.[REF BF176 .T419 1984]

Reference Web Sites

AnyWho - AnyWho is a free directory service with residential, business, and government white and yellow page listings.

Avalon Project from Yale - Avalon Project:  Documents in law, history, and diplomacy .  Aimed at providing primary source content, it includes documents dating back to Ancient Greece.

Education Research Information Center - (ERIC) This free search interface allows educators and researchers across the United States to search 1.2 million educational documents, providing access to the full text of articles when available.

Law and Technology Resources for Legal Professionals - A must resource for anyone researching  law.  "If researchers could choose only one legal research Web site, this would be the one."  (Jane Goodman, Choice Reviewer). 

The Library of Congress - The Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution, and it serves as the research arm of Congress.

Project Gutenberg - A library of  over 28,000 free ebooks whose copyright has expired.