by Paul Streby
Last Updated Nov 14, 2019
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Introduction
This guide contains online resources for general and background information on many topics, as well as a search for reference books in print.
Search the Thompson Library's Print Reference Collection
The print Reference Collection is located on the 3rd floor of the Thompson Library. You can search for words and phrases in most of these books, and use Mirlyn to locate the books on the shelf.
Searchable index to over 5,000 print reference volumes shelved in the Thompson Library.
This collection in the HathiTrust Digital Library makes it possible to search the full text of many of the print books in the Thompson Library's Reference Collection (3rd floor), as well as a few in the Main Collection on the 1st and 2nd floors.
Most of the works covered are "Search Only," meaning that the full text cannot be viewed online, but search results indicate on which page(s) of the volume a match with the search terms occurs, so you can then retrieve the print volume and know to what page(s) to turn to locate the search terms in the printed text. (For the approximately 8% of materials covered that are in the public domain, the full text of the reference work can be viewed online.) To find the call number of a particular book, you can search in Mirlyn.
Note: No reference works published since 2010 are covered by this index. Neither are reference works that the library has acquired only in online form. This is an index to print reference works only.
A collection of bibliographies and indexes in the Reference Collection of the UM-Flint Thompson Library.
This collection in the HathiTrust Digital Library makes it possible to search the full text of many of the print bibliographies and indexes in the Thompson Library's Reference Collection (3rd floor), as well as a few in the Main Collection on the 1st and 2nd floors.
Most of the works covered are "Search Only," meaning that the full text cannot be viewed online, but search results indicate on which page(s) of the volume a match with the search terms occurs, so you can then retrieve the print volume and know to what page(s) to turn to locate the search terms in the printed text. (For the approximately 16% of materials covered that are in the public domain, the full text of the reference work can be viewed online.) To find the call number of a particular book, you can search in the Library Catalog.
Note: No reference works published since 2010 are covered by this index. Neither are reference works that the library has acquired only in online form. This is an index to print reference works only.
Authoritative coverage of thousands of topics in all areas of study.
Encyclopaedia Britannica's latest article database (including hundreds of articles not found in the print edition), Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, and the Britannica Book of the Year (1994-present), with thousands of web links selected by editors. Updated daily.
Documents regional aspects of English language usage in the U.S., including variations in words, phrases, and pronunciation.
In addition to searching, the online version of DARE allows you to browse by region using an interactive map. You can also create your own maps based on the extensive survey data and hear audio clips from over 4,000 interview recordings.
Online version of the largest, most comprehensive American dictionary of the English language.
Continuously updated electronic version of Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged, which is considered to be the largest and most comprehensive American dictionary of the English language. The resource also acts as a portal to these other popular Merriam Webster reference works: Collegiate Dictionary, Collegiate Thesaurus, Medical Dictionary, Spanish-English Dictionary, French-English Dictionary, and Concise Encyclopedia. This dynamic resource also offers the Citations database which offers over a million real-world word usage examples.
Contains more than 600,000 biographies on more than 528,000 people from around the world and throughout history.
Combines more than 135 frequently consulted Gale biographical sources with more than 325 full-text periodicals and journals, more than 27,000 portraits, and thousands of Recent News briefs on high-interest individuals. Updated continuously.
Grants, publications, citations, alternative metrics, clinical trials, patents, and policy documents; helps find and access relevant information, analyze the academic and broader outcomes of research, and gather insights to inform future strategy.
Dimensions Plus brings together various research-related data sources in a venue that is consistent and accessible to the community. Data include grant information and also information on several publication types, including Books, Journal Articles, Conference Proceedings, and Patents. Dimensions Plus provides the community with a data discovery engine that offers both context and perspective.
Online access to profiles on over 1.4 million of the most accomplished individuals from all fields of endeavor.
Current cumulative edition. Contains all entries that have appeared in Marquis print editions since 1985. Updated daily. Includes:
• Marquis Biographies Online
• Who's Who in America
• Who's Who in the World
• Who's Who in American History
• Who's Who in American Art
• Who's Who in American Politics
Searchable database of research expertise across disciplines at the University of Michigan.
Michigan Research Experts (formerly Michigan Experts) is a searchable database of research expertise that profiles faculty in selected schools, colleges, institutes and research centers at the University of Michigan. It has been developed to foster intramural and extramural collaborations, and interdisciplinary research. It contains publication citations (extracted from a variety of indexes including Scopus, Web of Science, etc.), grants, and patents data.
Family history resource including more than 6 billion historical records from the United States, Europe, Latin America, and other regions.
Includes the full USA federal census (1790-1940); census of England and Wales (1841-1901); U.S. World War II Army Enlistment as well as records of Union and Confederate Civil War soldiers. Over 2 billion family trees.
Orbis has information about 40 million companies, including 18 million European companies from 46 countries, 16 million US and Canadian companies, 6.5 million South and Central American companies, 1.3 million Japanese companies, 300,000 Chinese companies, and 90,000 African companies. Orbis includes information about 30,000 banks and 8,000 insurance companies.
Statistics on the population, economy, and life in the United States.
The US Census Bureau published the Statistical Abstract of the United States from 1878-2012. The company ProQuest picked up the series beginning in 2013.
Online collection of statistical compendia from around the world.
These statistical abstracts are generally issued by the national statistical offices of foreign governments and contain country-level data not easily found elsewhere. The first release includes data from 29 countries; more will be added later. Global and regional statistical compendia issued by international organizations and research firms will also be included.
Combined access to all available ProQuest news databases, both historical and current.
Combined access to all subscribed ProQuest news source databases, including ProQuest Newsstand, Gannett Newsstand, and ProQuest Historical Newspapers, as well as ABI/INFORM Dateline, Alt-Press Watch, American Periodicals, and Ethnic NewsWatch. Includes full text of thousands of newspapers, dozens of news wire services, and many news-oriented magazines and periodicals, from the past up to the present. Includes both major and smaller English-language newspapers from around the world and across the U.S., as well as selected newspapers in Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Polish, and other languages.
