Reference Books at Kenyon
Reference works are a good place to begin your research. They can provide a quick overview of a topic and are useful for developing a list of keywords that will help you when searching library catalogs as well as article indexes and databases. The following is a selective list of reference works in Kenyon's collection:
- The American Heritage Encyclopedia of American History
Call Number: KEN REF E174 .A535 1998
This encyclopedia contains brief entries for nearly 3,000 events and people in United States history. Some entries include additional bibliographic information.
- The Reader's Companion to American History
Call Number: KEN REF E174 .R43 1991
Provides entries which are generally one-half page or longer. Signed entries also include bibliographical information. It also includes cross-references to other relevant entries and a detailed index.
- Readers Guide to American History
Call Number: KEN REF E178 .R43 1997
Contains brief articles on a variety of topics and people in United States history. Each article is preceded by a brief bibliography for further reading on the topic.
- The Reader's companion to American history (electronic link)
- United States History: A Selective Guide to Information Sources
Call Number: KEN REF E178 .B57 1994
Provides listings of various types of reference resources useful in researching United States history. It also contains some sections on specific areas and eras of history.
- Atlas of American history
Call Number: KEN REF E179.5 .N37 2007
Contains maps of "the American people from the earliest peoples inhabiting the North American continent to the present day" (p. 1). Many maps and charts illustrate the social and political history of the United States, unrepresented racial and gender groups and give context to military campaigns and social movements.
Electronic Reference Works
Electronic titles may require access from Kenyon Campus.
- Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window
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Search across the full text of multiple Oxford reference works--you can also limit by discipline.
- Salem History OnlineSearch across multiple reference titles, including The Fifties in America and The Sixties in America.
- World Book WebSearch across a vareity of dictionaries and atlases. Choose the Advanced Option.
- Points of View Reference Source This link opens in a new window
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Designed to assist researchers in understanding the full scope of controversial subjects. High school and undergraduate students can use Points of View as a guide to debating, developing arguments, writing position papers, and developing critical thinking skills. Each Points of View Essay includes a series of questions and additional material to generate further thought. Also included are thousands of supporting articles from the world's top political and societal publications.
Salem Press Histories of the Twentieth Century Series
The Salem Press published a very nice set of three-volume sets of life in the United States divided into decades. These are accessible in the Library's Reference collection and are a great resource to begin research the social life and customs of a time period.
The Twenties in America
Call Number:KEN REF E 169.12 .I42 1920-29
The Thirties in America
Call Number: KEN REF E 169.12 .I42 1930-39
The Fourties in America
Call Number: KEN REF E 169.12 .I42 1940-49
The Fifties in America
Call Number: KEN REF E 169.12 .I42 1950-59
The Sixites in America
Call Number: KEN REF E 169.12 .I42 1960-69
The Seventies in America
Call Number: KEN REF E 169.12 .I42 1970-79
The Eighties in America
Call Number: KEN REF E 169.12 .I42 1980-89
The Nineties in America
Call Number: KEN REF E 169.12 .I42 1990-99
The 2000's in America
Call Number: KEN REF E169.12 .I42 2000- 2009
The volumes The Fifties in America through The Nineties in America are also available online through the links above. Online access is limited to the Kenyon community (ID number may be requested if you log in off campus)..
Additional Salem Press titles in American History:
Immigration in U.S. history
Call Number: KEN REF JV6450 .I565 2006
Specific Reference Resources
We have many reference books on topics such as:
The American Revolution
The Civil War
The Great War (aka: World War I)
World War II
The Korean War
The McCarthy Era
Vietnam
African Americans
Latino/a Americans
Native Americans
History of American Women
American Presidencies (including a link to the American Presidency Project)
All of these resources are the second floor of the Library, in our reference collection. The majority of the books are found in the Call Numbers D through E.