reference materials
Lookup book collection
Reference materials are sources consulted for specific information rather than read cover to cover: dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, almanacs, handbooks.
Libraries traditionally keep reference materials in a separate section where they cannot be checked out.
The term extends to any authoritative source kept on hand for consultation: She assembled reference materials for the research project.
- compendiumCondensed reference collection
- guidebookReference for travelers
- almanacYearly data compilation
- gazetteerDictionary of locations
- manualWritten instructions for use
atlas · concordance · dictionary · textbook · phrasebook · glossary · thesaurus · encyclopedia · historical map · microfiche · index cards · factbook · word list · lexicon · pronunciation guide · style guide · user manual · bibliography
- library materialsbooks, magazines, newspapers, journals, periodicals
- library resourceslibrary, books, librarian, archive, archives
- teaching materialsteaching manuals, teacher manuals, worksheets, lesson plans, teacher editions
- library researchliterature review, citation, database search, journals, scholarly articles
- library storagestacks, book stacks, shelves, storage vault, depository
- Lab QualityQC, QA, precision, accuracy, traceability
reference materialsfiction
Imagined narrative work
novels · leisure reading · recreational reading · page-turners · stories
reference materialscreative writing
Original literary expression
stories · narrative fiction · literary fiction · fantasy · poetry