A Few Useful Reference Books
Reference books are useful for identifying people, places, events, dates, etc. Many articles in reference books include a bibliography of recommended sources. The BGSU Libraries own hundreds of history reference books. Here are a a very small sample of the reference books that may be useful.
Encyclopedia of American Military History by Call Number: REF E 181 .E63 2003 v.1-3ISBN: 0816043558Publication Date: 2003- Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History. WarCall Number: Online
International Encyclopedia of Military History by Call Number: REF D 25 .A2 I58 2006 v.1-2ISBN: 0415936616Publication Date: 2006
The Oxford Companion to World War II by Call Number: REF D740 .O93 1995ISBN: 0198662254Publication Date: 1995- The World Almanac of World War II byCall Number: REF D 743.5 .W67 1986ISBN: 0886872758Publication Date: 1986
World War II in the Pacific by Call Number: REF D 767 .W68 2001ISBN: 0815318839Publication Date: 2000
Collins Atlas of World War II by Call Number: REF G1038 .C65 2006ISBN: 0060890770Publication Date: 2006-08-29
A Dictionary of the Second World War by Call Number: REF D740.W47 1990ISBN: 0872263371Publication Date: 1999-01-11
Start Here To Search for Books
When you know the title of the item you are seeking, the first step is to search by title in an online catalog.
- BGSU Libraries CatalogIndexes books, magazines and journals, videos, music, and electronic resources that are owned by BGSU.
- OhioLINK Central CatalogIf BGSU doesn't own the book, try the OhioLINK Central Catalog. It contains the holdings of the libraries at more than 80 colleges and universities throughout Ohio. You can request OhioLINK books online and have them delivered in 2-4 days.
- WorldCatWorldCat is a database of the holdings of many libraries throughout North American and some other countries. If you identify a publication you want to borrow, you can use your Interlibrary Loan (ILL) account to request it.
Searching for E-Books
The library provides access to more than 55,000 books from a variety of sources. For information about ebooks, see the online guide to Ebooks.
Finding Books That Include Primary Sources
One way to identify books that are primary sources is to look for books written by people who were involved in the event or activity you are researching. When you look at secondary sources, write down the names of people and then look for them as authors.
In the BGSU Libraries Catalog, the OhioLINK Central Catalog, and WorldCat, books that have been assigned subjects with the subheadings in the list below might be primary sources. However, don’t expect that a book that includes primary sources will always include one of these words or phrases in a subject heading. Also, these subheadings are not used in other databases.
--Diaries
--Correspondence
--Biography
--Sources
--Anecdotes
--Personal narratives
--Interviews
Examples:
Fighter Pilots -- United States -- Biography
World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives, American
Stalin, Joseph, 1879-1953 -- Correspondence
United States. Army. Women's Army Corps -- Biography
World War, 1939-1945 -- Cryptography -- History -- Sources
World War, 1939-1945 -- England -- London -- Diaries