To find Reference Materials look at print materials in the library and online reference databases. The Reference Collection includes commentaries, handbooks, atlases, theological and religious dictionaries and encyclopedias, and more. Use the library catalog and online full text reference databases to find biblical or theological reference materials.

Books are shelved in Library of Congress (LC) call number order, so similar subjects will be shelved next to each other.

Use the opens new window Library of Congress Classification Outline (select class B, then your subject area) or the ORU Theology Bookmark that lists general theological and biblical call numbers to identify biblical and theological books in the Reference Collection.

Reference books cannot be checked out; however, some titles may have a duplicate in the main collection that is available for checkout. Search the title you need in the library catalog to see if the book is located elsewhere in the library and availability for checkout. Assistance is available at the the Library Services Desk.

Try a subject search for your topic. From the list of subjects, click a subject to view the book titles. Change "View Entire Collection" to "Reference Collection."

Try a search for: church*, theolog*, Christian*, religio*, bibl* or missions AND encyclopedia OR dictionary

To get the citation for a book, go to the detailed record in the library catalog, click How do I Cite this?, and then select a citation style, such as Chicago/Turabian: Humanities. Copy/paste/edit the citation, as needed. Always check the citation references for accuracy with the ORU Graduate School of Theology & Ministry Research & Writing Manual and your professor's requirements. (Click the "Citation" tab above for more information,)

opens new windowView a list of Bible dictionaries.

opens new windowView a list of Bible encyclopedias.

See: opens new windowBiblical Research: Dictionaries & Encyclopedias