Unit 7: Evaluating Reference Resources

Lesson 3: Using Reference Resources

Reference resources have different designs, organizational lay-outs, and formats. To quickly find the information you need, take the following steps when opening a reference book:

1. Follow the instructions in the front of the book.
2. Review the table of contents at the beginning of the book, which provides a broad outline of the information covered.
3. If the reference book has an index, and most do, look to see if your topic or keyword is listed in the index. Indices, which are arranged in alphabetical order, provide detailed information about the book’s contents. Some reference resources have multiple indices, such as a subject index, title index, and author index.
4. If you cannot find what you need, or don’t understand how to use a particular reference resource, ask a librarian for help.
   

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