Hickory Public Library Print Reference Resources

  This page will give you a brief overview of the HPL Reference collection and help you locate print-based reference materials.

Reference is the place to find answers to many types of questions concerning dates, names, definitions, statistics, addresses, maps, general background information for a subject field, bibliographies, and topical overviews. This is where material for most research needs will be found.

Reference contains a lot of information that can be hard to locate and knowing which resource information is located within can be daunting. Our collection runs the gamut from general encyclopedias and dictionaries to more specialized materials concerning statistical information, literary criticism, obscure facts, and much more. Peruse our Reference shelves to get a better overview.

The categories at the bottom of this page list and briefly discuss some owned reference works, are categorized by topical area, and a library call number is given for each discussed reference work. Click a category to find out more about reference resources owned within that category. If a particular title within a category is hyperlinked, it has a usage guide.

 

General Reference Works

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, atlases, directories, and other similar books provide information in a concise, indexed format to help locate things easily and quickly. These may contain bibliographies so check the bibliographies in each reference resource consulted since this may refer you to another useful work.

 

Specialized Reference Works

Reference works dealing with a particular topical area. Numerous works like this are owned. Check the categories/sub-categories below to find some. The lists below are not a complete representation of our reference collection. For a full overview of owned reference works, check the shelves or our library catalog.

 

Periodicals Collection

Periodicals and magazines are good information sources. Numerous periodicals and some newspapers are owned. Bear in mind our periodicals are usually kept for only five years. A rare few are kept indefinitely. The only newspapers archived are the Hickory Record and Charlotte Observer. These are available on microfilm. Some periodical titles are also archived on microfilm. To find available periodicals, check the periodicals list.

  To find periodical articles, use the "Readers Guide To Periodical Literature", a print index to popular magazines. NCLive can be used to access periodicals we do not own and to act as an electronic version of the Readers Guide. However, from outside the library, users must have a password to access NCLive.

 

Guides And Tutorials

Guides and tutorials for using some of the print-based reference resources can be found here.

 

Online Databases

NCLive is an online source of reference works. Many reference books formerly offered in print are now only available online due to the publisher only releasing the material in electronic format or the library not purchasing items already available in electronic form. If you are used to using a particular print-based reference that is no longer available in print, check NCLive. Click here to learn more about available NCLive databases.

Specific Categories

Both print and electronic resources for specific categories are available here. Bear in mind the listed resources are not a complete representation of owned reference works.

  Each category has a link at the bottom of the page that will take you to an OPAC search for your subject area. Click that link for a card catalog search for your area of interest.