Reference Books & E-Books
Often times using a reference book to begin your research can be the most helpful starting point to explore a topic or find some contextual information. However, even if you have some knowledge of your topic, a reference book could be used to discover leads to more in-depth resources.
You can find general, subject-specific, or data-focused reference books like some of these below searching InfoKat Discovery.
Here is a short sample list of reference e-books to get you started.
Reference Databases
Another resource for learning more about a topic is the Gale Virtual Reference Library. It is a collection of full-text encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources. Additional helpful online reference resources include: