LibGuides: Sustainability: Getting Started

Reference Sources

Before you search the stacks for books and the databases for articles, you may want to browse through the STL Reference Collection. Reference sources provide background information, identify key dates, events, and people, and introduce new researchers to the language and terminology of each topic. The Sojourner Truth Library uses the Library of Congress Classification System for the call numbers it assigns to most of the items in its collections. Here are some of the call number categories for sustainability themes in the Reference Collection:

GE1 - 350 - Environmental Sciences
GF1 - 900 Human Ecology
HC10 - 1085 - Economic History and Conditions
S1 - 972 Agriculture (Conservation of natural resources also falls into this category)
TJ807 - 830 Renewable Energy Sources

In addition, the library subscribes to several online reference databases that contain a wide range of subject encyclopedias:

Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Full-text entries from encyclopedias and reference works for multidisciplinary and subject-specific research in areas such as social sciences, education, business, psychology, art, history, etc.
Sage Knowledge This link opens in a new window
Searchable collection of encyclopedias, covering the social sciences and humanities. Formerly known as Sage Reference Online.

Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues
Provides information from numerous fields of knowledge relevant to the study of environmental issues, including biology, geology, anthropology, demographics, genetics, and engineering, and explains the interrelationships of these issues.
Environmental Encyclopedia
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Provides in-depth, worldwide coverage of environmental issues. Each article is written in a nontechnical style and provides current status, analysis, and suggested solutions whenever possible.