Reference sources are perfect tools for helping a researcher gain a basic understanding of a topic. They're also great for starting a topical bibliography because they can direct you to additional sources for further reading. Reference sources take several forms here at Musselman Library. This guide will help you understand.
Most of our print reference book collection resides on the shelves in the Reading Room, on the library's main floor. Many can be checked out of the library for short, 3-day loans. Watch for the "BLUFFTON READING ROOM" designation in the library's online catalog.
With our connections to OhioLINK, Bluffton University subscribes to hundreds more reference sources online. Their keyword searchability makes them ideal as a starting point for your research.
Need help with a reference source? Ask Us!
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This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new windowProvides over 25,000 encyclopedic entries. Searchable by subject or keywords within the entry.
This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new windowProvides users with a broad spectrum of information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and timeframes. Also searches MLA Bibliography and Humanities International Complete.
This link opens in a new windowHistorical dictionary of the English language.
This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new windowProvides coverage for 25 subject areas with over 2 million entries from Oxford dictionaries, companions, and encyclopedias.
This link opens in a new window This link opens in a new windowSuite of research tools including World Book Advanced for university level along with foreign language and K-12 resources.
Reference sources are arranged by call number in the library's Reading Room. Call numbers beginning with A are shelved to the left on entry to the Reading Room, just past the bulletin board. Shelving continues clockwise around the room, ending with Z call numbers near the archway toward the Red Room.
Selected examples of print reference sources in our collection include:
Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health by 
Berkshire Encyclopedia of Sustainability by 
People of Color in the United States by 
Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions by 
Encyclopedia of Public Relations by