Mahnaz Dar, Maggie Knapp, Dave Pugl, Laurie Selwyn, and Rob Tench

Though 2021 was another tough year, it also brought spots of joy with these 37 stellar titles selected by the LJ Best Reference Committee.

The 30+ reference titles honored as the best of 2020 speak to today’s issues and range across arts, literature, health, science, history, and more.

This year's Best Reference articles are marked by stunning visuals, from the stirring Protest! A History of Social and Political Protest Graphics to the quirky Atlas of Poetic Zoology.

Though reference works are generally thought to be purely informational, no book is free from its author’s point of view. Many of the titles this year demonstrate that reference can take a stand.