Guide to Reference Books

How do you know which reference book to use?  I need information but I’m not sure where to start!  Help!!

Why use a dictionary? 1) to learn meanings of unfamiliar words 1) to learn meanings of unfamiliar words 2) to find correct spellings 2) to find correct spellings 3) to find out how to correctly use a word – as what part of speech 3) to find out how to correctly use a word – as what part of speech 4) to find the pronunciation for a word 4) to find the pronunciation for a word 5) to find the derivation of a word (the origins of the word ) 5) to find the derivation of a word (the origins of the word ) 6) to find the correct spellings of derivatives (root words with suffixes or other regular endings ) 6) to find the correct spellings of derivatives (root words with suffixes or other regular endings )

Why use an encyclopedia?  When we want to know more about a subject, we use the encyclopedia  When writing a report about a person, subject, place, or event, an encyclopedia is a good place to begin.  When writing a report about a person, subject, place, or event, an encyclopedia is a good place to begin.

Why use an almanac? An almanac includes brief factual information about a broad range of subjects. Almanacs contain interesting facts about almost anything: population statistics, entertainment, sports, geographical data, political and historical data. If you have questions about specific dates, facts, times, amounts, etc, the best source to find information quickly is an almanac. You can find the name of who won the best actor Oscar in 1982, the name of the largest city in the world, the names of presidential cabinet members, or who won the World Series in 1995?

Why use an Atlas?  Although basically a book of maps, an atlas is a book that provides brief information such as population, climate, resources, rainfall, and cities.  One of the main reasons for using an atlas is to locate specific places on a map.  There are two major types of maps in an atlas--physical maps and political maps. Physical maps show the physical characteristics of the earth's surface such as mountains, rivers, deserts, and lakes. Political maps show the man- made boundaries between countries, states, and continents. The political divisions are shown using different colors on the maps.  There are two major types of maps in an atlas--physical maps and political maps. Physical maps show the physical characteristics of the earth's surface such as mountains, rivers, deserts, and lakes. Political maps show the man- made boundaries between countries, states, and continents. The political divisions are shown using different colors on the maps.

Why use a Thesaurus?  A thesaurus is used to locate synonyms and antonyms such as: GET – gain, win, procure, obtain, acquire, earn