• Library of Congress, Main Reading Room, Alcove 9: An Annotated List of Reference Websites
• Librarians' Index to the Internet, lii.org ("reliable, trustworthy, librarian-selected Internet resources")
• Oxford Reference Online (core collection of Oxford University Press reference tools covering all subject areas)
• refdesk.com ("grass roots" site)

This Virtual Reference Shelf page provides links to (1) electronic databases purchased by the library (each is followed by an icon, which gives detailed information about its scope) and (2) quality resources free on the Web.  To use electronic databases purchased by the library, you must be a student, faculty or staff member.  Feel free to Ask! a librarian for help.

Abbreviations

• Abbreviations.com
• AF: Acronym Finder

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Almanacs and Fast Facts

• Farmers Almanac.com
• Fast Facts: Almanacs/Factbooks/Statistical Reports ...
• The Old Farmer's Almanac
• Infoplease.com
• U.S. Census Bureau, State and County QuickFacts
• World Almanacs (includes The World Almanac and Book of Facts, The World Almanac of the U.S.A., etc.)
• The World Factbook (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency)

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Associations
  see also Grant Resources, below

• American Council of Learned Societies (links to directory of Constituent Societies)
• Associations on the Net (directory from Internet Public Library)
• The Foundation Center (directory of foundations)
• GuideStar: The National Database of Nonprofit Organizations
• Scholarly Societies Project (information about scholarly societies – University of Waterloo Library)

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Awards and Prizes

• Oscar.com (Academy Awards)
• Grammy.com (Grammy Awards)
• Medal of Honor Citations (U.S. Army Center for Military History)
• Nobel e-Museum
• The Pulitzer Prizes 

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Biography
  see also Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and Thesauri : Specialized Dictionaries and Encyclopedias : History, below

• Biographical Dictionary
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (searchable directory of persons who have served in Congress)
• Biography and Genealogy Master Index (in Oxford Reference Online )
• Biography.com
• A Dictionary of Political Biography (in Oxford Reference Online )
• A Dictionary of Scientists (in Oxford Reference Online )
• Distinguished Women of Past and Present (site created by individual)
• Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (in Oxford Reference Online )
• WIC Biography Index (Women's International Center)
• Wilson Biographies Plus Illustrated (in Oxford Reference Online )

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Books and Book Reviews
 
E-Books (and all items on library "shelves") are found through Wichita State University Libraries Online Catalog.  There's also a separate Wichita State University Libraries, E-Books page.  See Periodicals, below, for information on finding full-text online journals and journal articles.

• Books
  • ACLS Humanities E-Book (Over 1,500 books of high quality in the field of history)
  • amazon.com, Search Books (large-scale retailer of books)
  • ClassicReader.com: Read Search, and Annotate the Classics
  • Global Books in Print 
  • IPL Books Collection (free online texts collected by Internet Public Library)
  • The National Academies Press (free online texts on science, engineering and medicine)
  • netLibrary  (e-books purchased through BCR [Bibliographical Center for Research] library services cooperative)
  • Making of America (books and journals – free online primary sources covering 1800-1925)
  • The Unbound Bible (collection of searchable Bibles)
  • Wichita State University Libraries, E-Books (major, free sources of online texts)
  • WorldCat  (catalog of libraries world-wide)
     
• Book Reviews
  • ARBA Online  (book reviews of reference works)
  • Book Review Digest 

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Calculators, Weights and Measures

• A Dictionary of Weights, Measures, and Units (in Oxford Reference Online )
• Martindale's Calculators On-Line Center (collected links to calculators of any kind)
• Measure 4 Measure (collected links that estimate, calculate, evaluate, translate, etc.)

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Calendars, Clocks/Times

• Clocks (collected links from Galaxy web directory)
• Earth Calendar (a book of days for holidays and celebrations around the world)
• The Official U.S. Time (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
• Perpetual Calendar
• Timeticker (shows current time, by time zone)

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Citation/Style Guides
  see also Language and Literature, below

• Compilations of sites, etc
  • Yahoo! Directory, Grammar, Usage, and Style > Internet Citation (collected links from Yahoo! search Directory of the web)
     
• American Psychological Association Citation/Style
  • APA Style.org, Electronic References (excerpted from American Psychological Association's Publication Manual, Fifth Edition)
  • Capital Community College, A Guide for Writing Research Papers Based on Styles Recommended by The American Psychological Association
     
• Chicago/Turabian Citation/Style
  • Online! a reference guide ..., Using Chicago Style to Cite and Document [Internet] Sources (based on The Chicago Manual of Style, Fourteenth Edition [not current edition])
     
• Modern Language Association Citation/Style
  • A Guide for Writing Research Papers Based on Modern Language Association (MLA) Documentation (Capital Community College)
  • Online! a reference guide ..., Using MLA Style to Cite and Document [Internet] Sources (based on MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 2003)
     
• Other Systems for Citation/Style
  • Columbia University Press, Basic CGOS [Columbia Guide to Online Style] Style
  • NARA, Publications, Citing Records in the National Archives of the United States (General Information Leaflet Number 17)
  • National Library of Medicine Recommended Formats for Bibliographic Citation, Supplement: Internet Formats (.PDF document, July 2001)
  • Online! a reference guide ..., Using CBE Style to Cite and Document [Internet] Sources (based on Scientific Style and Format: The CBE [Council of Biology Editors] Manual for Authors, Editors and Publishers, Sixth Edition) as used in natural sciences)

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Consumer Information

• Federal Citizen Information Center (National Contact Center for government related issues)

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Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and Thesauri

• Compilations of sites
  • Bartleby.com: Great Books Online, Reference
  • Google Directory, Dictionaries (collected links from Google Directory of the web)
  • LexiCool: Directory of Bilingual and Multilingual Dictionaries
  • Yahoo! Directory, Dictionaries (collected links from Yahoo! Directory of the web)
  • YourDictionary.com: The Last Word in Words (covers many world languages)
     
• General Encyclopedias
  • Encyclopedia Britannica Online  )
  • Encyclopedia.com (articles from Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition)
  • MSN, Learning and Research: Encyclopedia Center from Encarta (Microsoft's Encarta)
  • World Book Online
     
• English Language Dictionaries
    see also Language and Literature, below
  • Bartleby.com ...The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Fourth Edition, 2002)
  • The Concise Oxford English Dictionary (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • Merriam-Webster Online: The Language Center
  • The Online Slang Dictionary: A Collaborative Project ("open content," incorporating submissions from public)
  • Oxford English Dictionary (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • VOA: Voice of America, Pronunciation Guide (pronunciations of people, places, things in the news)
  • The Oxford American Dictionary of Current English (in Oxford Reference Online )
     
• Thesauri, etc.
  • Bartleby.com ... Roget's II: The New Thesaurus (Third Edition, 1995, Houghton Mifflin)
  • Getty, Research, Learn About the Getty Vocabularies (structured vocabularies for geographic names, art, etc.)
  • Merriam-Webster Online: The Language Center
  • The Oxford American Thesaurus of Current English (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Oxford Paperback Thesaurus (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • Web Thesaurus Compendium (links to thesauri and classification schemes, collected by a consultant for hire)
     
• English-Spanish Language Dictionaries
  • The Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary (Spanish-English) (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary (English -Spanish) (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Oxford Business Spanish Dictionary (English -Spanish) (in Oxford Reference Online ) 
  • The Oxford Business Spanish Dictionary (Spanish-English) (in Oxford Reference Online )
     
• English-French Language Dictionaries
  • The Concise Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary (English-French) (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Concise Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary (French-English) (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • French-English Dictionary (University of Chicago, project on Treasury of the French Language)
  • The Oxford Business French Dictionary (English-French) (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Oxford Business French Dictionary (French-English) (in Oxford Reference Online )
     
• English-German Language Dictionaries
  • The Concise Oxford-Duden German Dictionary (German-English) (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • German-English Dictionary (Technische Universität Chemnitz)
     
• English-Italian Language Dictionaries
  • The Pocket Oxford Italian Dictionary (English-Italian) (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Pocket Oxford Italian Dictionary (Italian-English) (in Oxford Reference Online )
     
• English-Latin Language Dictionaries
  • The Pocket Oxford Latin Dictionary (English-Latin) (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Pocket Oxford Latin Dictionary (Latin-English) (in Oxford Reference Online )
     
• Specialized Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
    see also Fine and Performing Arts, Geography and Maps, Health Sciences, Language and Literature, Law, Quotations, below

       Business and Economics

  • A Dictionary of Accounting (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Business (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Economics (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Finance and Banking (in Oxford Reference Online )

       Computer Science

  • A Dictionary of Computing (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of the Internet (in Oxford Reference Online ) 
  • whatis?com (information technology-related words)
     
        Food and Drink
  • An A-Z of Food and Drink (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition (in Oxford Reference Online )

       History

  • The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of British History (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Contemporary World History (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of World History (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • Dynasties of the World (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Kings and Queens of Britain (in Oxford Reference Online ) 
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Popes (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (in Oxford Reference Online )

       Mythology and Folklore

  • A Dictionary of African Mythology (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Asian Mythology (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of English Folklore (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Superstitions (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of World Mythology (in Oxford Reference Online )

       Philosophy and Religion 

  • A Concise Companion to the Jewish Religion (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Buddhism (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of the Bible (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Islam (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Popes (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Oxford Guide to People and Places of the Bible (in Oxford Reference Online )

       Sciences and Mathematics

  • The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Astronomy (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Biology (in Oxford Reference Online )      
  • A Dictionary of Chemistry (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Earth Sciences (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Ecology (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Physics (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Plant Sciences (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Statistics (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Weather (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Zoology (in Oxford Reference Online )

       Social Sciences

  • The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Contemporary World History (in Oxford Reference Online )           
  • A Dictionary of Political Biography (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • Dictionary of the Social Sciences (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • A Dictionary of Sociology (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • The Oxford Guide to the United States Government (in Oxford Reference Online )

        Other Specialized Dictionaries and Encyclopedias  

  • Assorted Encyclopedias on the Web (collected links from an encyclopedia project of University of Einhoven)
  • A Dictionary of First Names (in Oxford Reference Online )
  • Encyclopedia Mythica: An encyclopedia on mythology, folklore, and legend
  • ODLIS: Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science
  • Symbols.com (online dictionary-like look up for graphic symbols)

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Digital Library Resources

• OAIster ... find the pearls (search portal for digital collections of electronic books, journals audio and image files, etc.)

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Directories

• Associations
    see Associations, above
   
• Area Codes, Zip Codes, etc.
  • The Area Decoder (look up for telephone area codes, national and international)
  • United States Postal Service, Zip Code Look-Up and Address Information (includes zip+4 look-up)
     
• Federal Government
    see also WSU Subject Librarian's Government Information page
   
  • Federal Citizen Information Center (National Contact Center for government related issues)
  • Finding Military Personnel
     
• Finding People, Businesses, etc.
  • SBC, SMARTpages.com: Your Online Yellow Pages and More
  • AT&T, AnyWho Online Directory: Finding People, Places and Businesses (includes toll free, reverse telephone lookup)
  • SearchBug (includes reverse telephone and address lookup)
  • Switchboard.com (Yellow Pages)
  • Infobel.com (includes international telephone directories)
  • Search Systems (collected links to free searchable public records databases)
  • Verizon, SuperPages.com (Yellow Pages) 
  • Yahoo! People Search (White Pages)

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Dissertations

• Current Research @ Wichita State University: A Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses (hosted by UMI)
• Dissertation Abstracts Online  

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Education
  see also WSU Subject Librarian's General Information for Students and Internet Resources for Educators pages

• College and University Rankings
• collegeboard.com (Scholastic Aptitude Test information)
• CollegeSource (college catalogs)
• National Center for Education Statistics
• Peterson's Guide to Colleges and Universities
• students.gov: student gateway to the U.S. Government

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Fine and Performing Arts

• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (in Oxford Reference Online )
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms (in Oxford Reference Online )
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music (in Oxford Reference Online )
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera (in Oxford Reference Online )
• The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre (in Oxford Reference Online )
• A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (in Oxford Reference Online )
• A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art (in Oxford Reference Online )
• Grove Art Online  (Grove Dictionary of Art, continuously updated)
• Grove Music Online  (various Grove dictionaries of music, continuously updated)
• MRQE: Movie Review Query Engine (database of links to online reviews)
• The Oxford Dictionary of Art (in Oxford Reference Online )

• The Oxford Dictionary of Dance (in Oxford Reference Online )

• Performing Arts (in Oxford Reference Online )

• The Rap Dictionary (maintained by individual)

• Who's Who in Opera (in Oxford Reference Online )

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Genealogy

• Family Search (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
• Genealogy.com (basic genealogy glossary, with some how-to information)
• Gengateway.com
• Library of Congress, Other Internet Sources on Local History and Genealogy 
• The Oxford Dictionary of Local and Family History (in Oxford Reference Online )

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Geography and Maps

• Atlapedia Online (full color physical maps, etc.)
• A Dictionary of Geography (in Oxford Reference Online )
• A Dictionary of British Place-Names (in Oxford Reference Online )
• MapQuest (with driving directions)
• nationalatlas.gov (project of