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E-N-C-Y-C-L-O-P-E-D-I-A!

February 28, 2007

The most popular electronic books have proven to be in the "quick reference" category, including encyclopedias that can provide answers to such questions as:

What are the characteristics of craterlike features on Earth that were caused by impacts of extraterrestrial bodies? consult the Encyclopedia of Global Change

In what two locations did an ethnic group once speak the Ainu language? consult the International Encyclopedia of Linguistics

Now the University Libraries have a set of 15 online encyclopedias from Oxford University Press encompassing the fine arts, humanities, social sciences and the sciences. Each entry is signed, and the Contributor list identifies the author's academic affiliation. Each entry also has a bibliography for further reading, and many of the entries are illustrated with charts or tables of data.

The "Browse" feature functions as a table of contents, providing a quick scan through each encyclopedia's entries by title.

Each subject entry is enhanced by links to relevant "See also" entries.

Example: the "Influenza" entry in the Encyclopedia of Evolution has "See also" links to
Plagues and Epidemics
Vaccination

When a surname is searched, names are found in these areas of retrieved entries:

• author
• bibliography listings
• biographical entry heading
• footnotes
• full-text

For the convenience of those writing formal research papers, a "How to cite this entry" guide is provided at the bottom of each entry.

Example:
How to cite this entry:

Tim Lenton "Gaia Hypothesis" Encyclopedia of Global Change. Ed. Andrew S. Goudie. © 2001, 2005 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. Encyclopedia of Global Change: (e-reference edition). Oxford University Press. University of Nevada, Reno. 28 February 2007 http://www.oxford-globalchange.com/entry?entry=t178.e0174

Another user-friendly feature is the ability to send an entry to a colleague via email.

Title list of our Oxford University Press Online Encyclopedias:

• Encyclopedia of Evolution
• Encyclopedia of Global Change
• Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment
• Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages
• International Encyclopedia of Dance
• International Encyclopedia of Linguistics
• Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature
• Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt
• Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature
• Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature
• Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History
• Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America
• Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States
• Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation
• Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance

We also have two new online encyclopedic dictionaries from Oxford University Press that specialize in two specific periods in history:

• Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (the Eastern Roman Empire, 4th-15th centuries)
• Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance (Europe, 14th-17th centuries)

These online encyclopedias and dictionaries can be found by using the TITLE search in the Library's online catalog. They are also listed alphabetically on the master list of databases by title. And they are in the "Reference Books" section on the Electronic Books" page.