General Reference

This chapter stands out from the other chapters in this book. Whereas chapters 2-19 are arranged by subject, this one is a general reference resource guide. It includes almanacs, bibliographies, and guides to the literature, biographical sources (formerly a stand-alone chapter), general-purpose databases, and Internet search sites. Library search tools such as discovery layers are also described here. The Internet continues to have a huge impact on reference services. Some of that influence is via search interfaces like Oxford Reference or general databases like Academic Search Complete. It can also be seen with Internet sources that go beyond the library, like Google Search or Facebook. This chapter hopes to guide reference librarians by describing these changes