This is a selection of ready-reference sources, including dictionaries, directories, and general guides, that are currently available in electronic format. Consult with a reference librarian for information about additional printed reference materials. 

Biography Index (New York: H. W. Wilson, 1946 - .)
SML Reference Z5301 B56 (LC)
Access Biography Index online (via WilsonWeb)

Cumulative index to biographical information in books and magazines. The print volumes cover 1946- present, and the online version goes back to 1984.

Britannica Online
Access Britannica Online
Britannica Online includes the following:

* Britannica Online and Book of the Year articles -- More than 65,000 subjects are addressed in articles ranging from concise explanations to comprehensive expositions and from historical treatments of subjects to current-events coverage.

* The Index to Britannica Online -- More than 400,000 references have been compiled, edited, and hypertext-linked to text articles for easy navigation. Additionally, there are more than 10,000 links to imagesand tables.

* Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition -- The best-selling dictionary, with itscomprehensive treatment of words, has been included for your convenience.

Global Books In Print (New York: R.R. Bowker, 1948- )
Access Global Books in Print

Index to books in print, forthcoming books, and recently out-of-print books. The current printed volumes are available at the following libraries under the title Books in Print: Engineering and Applied Science, Forestry, Kline, Law, Medical, Music, Social Sciences, and Sterling Memorial Library.

Books in Print/Books Out of Print is a collection of links to many international books in print catalogs.

Access Oxford English Dictionary Online (Oxford: Oxford UP)
The online version of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is now available to the Yale community. This version of the OED offers a Quick Lookup option, as well as a Basic Search which allows you to browse entries or limit your search to definitions, quotations, etymology, labels, and more. Boolean and proximity searches are also supported.