LibGuides: A Guide to Geography: Reference Works

Using Reference Works

Reference books are excellent tools, especially when you are beginning a research project. They give broad overviews, orienting you to the larger context in which your topic occurs. They can provide definitions and give you ideas for search words. They might also clue you in to the major thinkers in your area. Sometimes they provide resources for further reading, giving you an instant source list. This list is not comprehensive. Please browse the shelves nearby to find more (books about similar topics are shelved together). Reference books are on the main floor of the library facing Beck Hall.

Geography in General

The Dictionary of Human Geography (5th ed.) by Michael Watts et al (Editors)
Call Number: Reference GF4 .D52 2009
The Dictionary of Physical Geography (4th ed.) by David S. G. Thomas
Call Number: Reference GB10 .D53 2016
Encyclopedia of Geography by Barney Warf (Editor)
Call Number: Reference G63 .E554 2010 (v. 1-6)
Geography Today: An Encyclopedia of Concepts, Issues, and Technology by Ian Muehlenhaus (Editor)
Call Number: Reference G63 .G53 2019

Focus on American Regions

The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia by Andrew R. L. Cayton et al (Editors)
Call Number: Reference F351 .A534 2007
Encyclopedia of the Great Plains by David J. Wishart (Editor)
Call Number: Reference F591 .E4856 2004
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures by Paul Piper (Editor)
Call Number: Reference E179.5 .G744 2004 (v.1-8)
The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture by Samuel S. Hill (Editor)
Call Number: Reference F209 .N47 2006 (v.1-14, 16-24)

World Regional Geography

Africa: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society by Daniel Jean-Jacques (Editor); Toyin Falola (Editor)
Call Number: Reference DT14 .A3415 2016 (v. 1-3)
Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture by Jay Kinsbruner (Editor)
Call Number: Reference F1406 .E53 2008 (v. 1-6)
Encyclopedia of Modern Asia by Karen Christensen (Editor); David Levinson (Editor)
Call Number: Reference DS4 .L48 2002 (v. 1-6)
Encyclopedia of the Arctic by Mark Nuttall (Editor)
Call Number: Reference G606 .E49 2005 (v. 1-3)
Encyclopedia of the Developing World by Thomas M. Leonard (Editor)
Call Number: Reference HC59.7 .E52 2006 (v. 1-3)
Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa
Call Number: Reference DS43 .E53 2004 (v. 1-4)
Europe Since 1945 by Bernard A. Cook (Editor)
Call Number: Reference D1051 .E97 2001 (vol. 1-2)