Schedule a Research Consultation with a Reference Librarian if you need assistance. A general encyclopedia covers all areas of knowledge. Encyclopedia Britannica , the Columbia Encyclopedia , World Book, Encyclopedia Americana, Academic American, and Encarta are general encyclopedias. Subject-specific encyclopedias focus on a particular field of knowledge and usually offer more detailed and more technical information than general encyclopedias. Dictionaries Libraries often offer many types of dictionaries.
Most people are familiar with the type of dictionary that focuses on the words in a language.
Most dictionaries, however, are abridged and offer a selection of frequently used words. A collegiate dictionary such as the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language or the MerriamWebster 10th Collegiate Dictionary aims to meet the needs of a more sophisticated audience than a general dictionary. Some dictionaries, such as the DK Illustrated Oxford Dictionary, are profusely illustrated. Also, if you do not know the word for a particular thing, you may be able to use a visual dictionary like the Dorling Kindersley Ultimate Visual Dictionary, Facts on File Visual Dictionary or What's What to find the correct term. Subject-specific or specialized dictionaries focus on the terminology used in a particular field of study, e.g., The Dictionary of Cell Biology .