The following resources are useful starting points to begin research on a topic. They offer broad coverage on several subjects.
When you want a very brief introduction to a topic, general encyclopedias are your best bet.

• Encyclopaedia Britannica Online (click here if you are not in the library)
  Britannica offers a variety of encyclopedic knowledge as well as a dictionary, statistical data, an atlas and country comparisons.
  
  
• World Book Online (click here if you are not in the library)
  World Book provides encyclopedia entries on a variety of subjects, as well as pictures, maps, videos, animations, sounds, and 3-D bubble views.
  
  
• Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
  Have a general question? This encyclopedia provides extensive coverage on a variety of subjects, including images and biographies.

If you’re looking for in-depth coverage, consider some of the following resources which contain highly specific reference materials on a given subject. Searching the collections below will gain you access to some of these tremendous resources.

• Gale Virtual Reference Library
  Imagine a comprehensive reference library right at your fingertips; it’s all here- encyclopedias, almanacs and reference books on a wide variety of topics from college scholarships to the civil war to endangered species. Examples of the dozens of resources include The College Blue Book, Encyclopaedia Judaica, The New Catholic Encyclopedia, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever, and West's Encyclopedia of American Law.
  
  
• Facts On File
  This group of databases is a virtual one-stop reference library for people of all ages. Search across multiple history databases within Facts on File Online.
  
  

  Subject areas include:

  African-American History Online American History Online (Facts on File) American Indian History Online (Facts on File) American Women's History Online (Facts on File) Ancient and Medieval History Online (Facts on File) American History Online (Facts on File)

  
  

  In addition to history, Facts on File offers highly specialized encyclopedias on health topics in the Health Reference Center.

  The Health Reference Center is your premier source for all health related matters. It describes a number of testing procedures and has an extensive further reading list on numerous subjects. Reference sources include, among others: The Encyclopedia of Cancer, The Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements, The Encyclopedia of Senior Health and Well-Being, The Encyclopedia of HIV and AIDS, The Encyclopedia of Learning Disabilities, The Encyclopedia of Fertility and Infertility, The New Complete Book of Herbs, Spices & Condiments, and The New A to Z of Women's Health.