From a quirky book on geology to collections of historical newspapers to a resonant world radio map, the 40 reference works gathered here, across print, paid databases, and free online resources, expand the possibilities of research for students, general readers, and scholars.

Best Print Reference

Best Databases

Best Free Resources

Annotations compiled from reviews by Gricel Dominguez, User Engagement Librarian, Florida International University, Miami; Robert Eagan, Librarian, Windsor Public Library, Ontario; Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX; Wade Lee-Smith, Research Engagement Librarian, University of Toledo, OH; Michael Rodriguez, Content & Scholarly Communication Strategist, Lyrasis, Philadelphia; Laurie Selwyn, formerly with Grayson County Law Library, Sherman, TX; Rob Tench, Head of Resource Fulfillment, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA; Henrietta Verma, librarian, coauthor, and cofounder of firstcluereviews.com; and Marcia Welsh, formerly of Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH.