Reference books offer concise and authoritative information on a topic. They are often compilations from many contributors. Due to a lengthy publication process the information in reference books is less current than that in periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals) or even non-reference books.
Reference books include:
Timelines of History by 
Encyclopedia of the U. S. Government and the Environment by 
The atlas of disappearing places : our coasts and oceans in the climate crisis
Handbook on the Human Impact of Agriculture by 
Encyclopedia of Artificial Intelligence: the Past, Present, and Future of AI by Because of the time it takes to publish, books usually contain more dated information than will be found in periodicals (newspapers, magazines, and journals).
Books are good sources for:
Scholarly sources take an academic approach to a subject; their purpose is usually to inform and they are intended for an educated audience.
Some books are more scholarly than others. For example, a ghost-written autobiography of a current celebrity is less scholarly than a carefully researched and annotated biography of a historical figure.
At times instructors or employers may stress the use of scholarly sources for your research project. You may decide to seek out scholarly sources for a complex or in-depth research project or for a project where you already know a lot about the topic.
The following elements indicate a scholarly orientation for a book:
Consult the following for more information on scholarly presses or publishers.
About AUPresses on the Association of University Presses Web site
Our Members on the Association of University Presses Web site
Academic Book Publishers from PublishersArchive.com
The experience of using an ebook is different than using a print book. We access an ebook through a computer or other electronic device, while print books are physical objects. We may take electronic notes with an ebook versus using a highlighter in a print book.
These differences in access have not significantly changed the content and publication process of books. As far as information evaluation the different formats of books—electronic and print—share the same advantages and disadvantages. As the publishing business continues to change we may see ebooks evolve into a distinct source type, but, for now, we can apply the information about books and reference books to electronic books and electronic reference books.
Consult the research guide Ebooks at Briggs Library for more information on ebooks.
Environmental Racism in the United States and Canada: Seeking Justice and Sustainability by 
