2005 Reference works
2005 Reference works
Lots of debate over what works would appear in the reference (classically, a non-circulating collection) section of a library. As last year, we let OCLC's own librarian have final say on this updated list.
#1 | Census [ various] Library holdings: 460,628 Bibliographic records: 10,617 Rank on complete list: 2 |
#2 | Familiar Quotations Library holdings: 16,249 Bibliographic records: 114 Rank on complete list: 90 |
#3 | World Book Encyclopedia Library holdings: 14,984 Bibliographic records: 56 Rank on complete list: 114 |
#4 | MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers Library holdings: 11,657 Bibliographic records: 25 Rank on complete list: 186 |
#5 | History of Art Library holdings: 11,317 Bibliographic records: 54 Rank on complete list: 193 |
#6 | Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations Library holdings: 11,139 Bibliographic records: 20 Rank on complete list: 200 |
#7 | Elements of Style Library holdings: 10,851 Bibliographic records: 41 Rank on complete list: 211 |
#8 | Birds of America Library holdings: 10,127 Bibliographic records: 120 Rank on complete list: 250 |
#9 | Joy of Cooking Library holdings: 9,721 Bibliographic records: 63 Rank on complete list: 269 |
#10 | Oxford Companion to American Literature Library holdings: 9,491 Bibliographic records: 18 Rank on complete list: 275 |
#11 | Art through the Ages Library holdings: 9,289 Bibliographic records: 42 Rank on complete list: 287 |
#12 | Index to Poetry Library holdings: 9,205 Bibliographic records: 15 Rank on complete list: 294 |
#13 | Encyclopedia Americana Library holdings: 8,894 Bibliographic records: 17 Rank on complete list: 316 |
#14 | Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association Library holdings: 8,886 Bibliographic records: 11 Rank on complete list: 317 |
#15 | Handbook of Denominations in the United States Library holdings: 8,844 Bibliographic records: 17 Rank on complete list: 323 |
#16 | Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged Library holdings: 8,679 Bibliographic records: 25 Rank on complete list: 331 |
#17 | Law Dictionary Library holdings: 8,417 Bibliographic records: 23 Rank on complete list: 357 |
#18 | Roget's International Thesaurus Library holdings: 8,316 Bibliographic records: 20 Rank on complete list: 365 |
#19 | Medical Dictionary Library holdings: 8,262 Bibliographic records: 48 Rank on complete list: 368 |
#20 | Documents of American History Library holdings: 7,994 Bibliographic records: 27 Rank on complete list: 389 |
#21 | Larousse Encyclopedia of Prehistoric and Ancient Art Library holdings: 7,949 Bibliographic records: 18 Rank on complete list: 395 |
#22 | Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Library holdings: 7,700 Bibliographic records: 16 Rank on complete list: 420 |
#23 | Abridgment of Murray's English Grammar Library holdings: 7,555 Bibliographic records: 333 Rank on complete list: 438 |
#24 | Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Library holdings: 7,436 Bibliographic records: 9 Rank on complete list: 452 |
#25 | Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia Library holdings: 7,240 Bibliographic records: 6 Rank on complete list: 479 |
#26 | Atlas of the World Library holdings: 7,213 Bibliographic records: 18 Rank on complete list: 485 |
#27 | Oxford Companion to English Literature Library holdings: 7,152 Bibliographic records: 12 Rank on complete list: 494 |
#28 | Occupational Outlook Handbook Library holdings: 7,096 Bibliographic records: 39 Rank on complete list: 502 |
#29 | Collier's Encyclopedia With Bibliography and Index Library holdings: 7,076 Bibliographic records: 42 Rank on complete list: 507 |
#30 | Dictionary of Modern English Usage Library holdings: 7,030 Bibliographic records: 53 Rank on complete list: 517 |
#31 | New York Public Library Desk Reference Library holdings: 6,965 Bibliographic records: 7 Rank on complete list: 531 |
#32 | New Encyclopaedia Britannica Library holdings: 6,897 Bibliographic records: 15 Rank on complete list: 543 |
#33 | Decimal Classification and Relative Index Library holdings: 6,820 Bibliographic records: 54 Rank on complete list: 563 |
#34 | Outline of History Library holdings: 6,552 Bibliographic records: 154 Rank on complete list: 615 |
#35 | Architectural Graphic Standards Library holdings: 6,389 Bibliographic records: 37 Rank on complete list: 646 |
#36 | Textbook of Medical Physiology Library holdings: 6,296 Bibliographic records: 28 Rank on complete list: 665 |
#37 | Anatomy Descriptive and Surgical Library holdings: 6,237 Bibliographic records: 61 Rank on complete list: 685 |
#38 | Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine Library holdings: 6,223 Bibliographic records: 24 Rank on complete list: 686 |
#39 | Field Guide to the Birds Library holdings: 6,137 Bibliographic records: 14 Rank on complete list: 711 |
#40 | Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians Library holdings: 6,105 Bibliographic records: 6 Rank on complete list: 728 |
#41 | Encyclopedia of American Facts and Dates Library holdings: 5,993 Bibliographic records: 10 Rank on complete list: 752 |
#42 | Etiquette Library holdings: 5,959 Bibliographic records: 40 Rank on complete list: 770 |
#43 | Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance Library holdings: 5,952 Bibliographic records: 12 Rank on complete list: 775 |
#44 | American Political Dictionary Library holdings: 5,896 Bibliographic records: 20 Rank on complete list: 791 |
#45 | Dictionary of Contemporary American Artists Library holdings: 5,888 Bibliographic records: 10 Rank on complete list: 796 |
#46 | Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary Library holdings: 5,871 Bibliographic records: 14 Rank on complete list: 803 |
#47 | Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals Drugs and Biologicals Library holdings: 5,767 Bibliographic records: 12 Rank on complete list: 831 |
#48 | A To Zoo: Subject Access to Children's Picture Books Library holdings: 5,670 Bibliographic records: 7 Rank on complete list: 857 |
#49 | Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary Library holdings: 5,647 Bibliographic records: 18 Rank on complete list: 862 |
#50 | Encyclopedia of American Religions Library holdings: 5,598 Bibliographic records: 14 Rank on complete list: 884 |
#51 | Facts About the Presidents Library holdings: 5,479 Bibliographic records: 4 Rank on complete list: 924 |
#52 | Index to Plays in Collections Library holdings: 5,364 Bibliographic records: 11 Rank on complete list: 968 |
#53 | Academic American Encyclopedia Library holdings: 5,326 Bibliographic records: 37 Rank on complete list: 987 |