Reference Books Online
Best Source for Online Books
HCC Online Catalog
Most of HCC's online books are linked from the online catalog. The catalog also includes physical items in the library: reference books, circulating books, music, dvds, audio books, and other media. You may also use the online catalog to search for items in your public library.
Online Books
Ebrary collection of Online Books
This is a collection of 29,000 books online.
Encyclopedia Britannica
The complete encyclopedia, as well as Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary & Thesaurus, and the Britannica Book of the Year. Also includes illustrations (photographs, drawings, maps, and flags) and more than 130,000 links to web sites selected, rated, and reviewed by Britannica editors.
Encyclopedia of Associations
Provides comprehensive information on more than 123,000 organizations, associations and societies from the national level to the local level. Coverage includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands in categories such as trade, business, and commercial; legal, governmental, public administration, and military; cultural; educational; veterans, hereditary, and patriotic; athletic and sports; fan clubs, and many more.
Encyclopedia of Evolution
A comprehensive guide to the essentials of evolutionary biology, these entries by leading experts survey essential concepts and theories, present methods, models and findings, and discuss both the history of the field and current controversies. Readers will find brief treatments on discrete concepts and individuals to illuminating lengthy essays by towering figures in the field. Topics include: Darwin, natural selection, human origins, behavioral ecology, diversity, mathematical models, and cell and developmental biology. Special essays include Stephen Jay Gould's "Macroevolution" and Jane Goodall and Elizabeth Vinson-Lonsdorf on "Culture in Chimpanzees."
Encyclopedia of Global Change
Encompassing tsunamis, elephant conservation, ocean pollution, mining regulation, and permafrost melt, the 300 authoritative articles in this unique and wide-ranging encyclopedia investigate all types of phenomena that change life on Earth. The entries cover a range of general research categories: altered ecosystems, climate change, food and water supply, population, politics and global change, institutions and policies, biographies, and case studies.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
Simultaneously search through 92 encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
Thousands of entries with definitions, pronunciation guides, word histories, synonyms, and antonyms are available through the dictionary and thesaurus. You can search these valuable resources by entering a word in any search box, or, when you discover an unfamiliar word in an encyclopedia or magazine article, simply double-click the word to see the appropriate dictionary entry in a pop-up window.
Merriam-Webster's Thesaurus
Thousands of entries with definitions, pronunciation guides, word histories, synonyms, and antonyms are available through the dictionary and thesaurus. You can search these valuable resources by entering a word in any search box, or, when you discover an unfamiliar word in an encyclopedia or magazine article, simply double-click the word to see the appropriate dictionary entry in a pop-up window.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature
Written by an international roster of more than 300 authors, the Encyclopedia comprehensively documents and interprets the books read by children throughout the world. With a global perspective that pays attention to significant international trends and the multicultural expansion of the field, it includes brief biographies of every major author and illustrator. Also included are feature essays on all genres of children's literature, individual works, and prominent trends and themes, as well as general essays on the traditions of children's literature in many countries throughout the world.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance
This encyclopedia provides authoritative and up-to-date information about theatre and performance from ancient Greek theatre to the latest developments in London, Paris, New York, and around the globe. In addition to performances in playhouses, it covers dance, opera, radio, film, television, and popular performance, including carnivals, circus, and public executions. Entries range from short definitions of terms to lengthy considerations of genres and movements, such as feminism and psychoanalytic criticism. Entries on cities and regions place performance in its local social and political context. Written in accessible language, this encyclopedia brings together an international cast of over 300 specialist contributors.
Oxford English Dictionary
The accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. Includes the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. It traces the usage of words through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources. Covering words used across the globe, it also offers the best in etymological analysis and listings of variant spellings.
Pop Culture Universe
This database includes more than 250 volumes of reviewed, published material that offer thousands of overviews of pop culture from the 1920's through the present, including TV shows, awards, fads, fashions, and news. Includes images, Decades Pages, Web links and more.
Salem Health
Salem Health is a collection of complete online reference books. The collection includes: Cancer, Genetics, Magill's Medical Guide (Sixth Edition), and Psychology & Mental Health.
Salem History
Salem History is a collection of complete online reference books. The collection includes: Musicians & Composers, Milestone Documents in History, Great Events from History, American Decades, and the Encyclopedia of American Business.
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture
Includes more than 2,700 signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and, where appropriate, photographs and textual cross-references to related essays.
West's Encyclopedia of American Law, 2nd ed.
Provides current information on more than 5,000 legal topics. Includes completely revised articles covering important issues, biographies, definitions of legal terms and more. Covers such high-profile topics as the Americans with Disabilities Act, capital punishment, domestic violence, gay and lesbian rights, and physician-assisted suicide.
World Almanac and Book of Facts
The on-line version of the standard World Almanac & Book of Facts offers expanded content, full text searching, color photos, and links to thousands of websites. Monthly updating keeps information timely.
