Check Out Our December Hours.

 

Link to library's Facebook accountLink to library's Twitter accountlibrary@holyoke.org

Holyoke Public Library
250 Chestnut Street - Holyoke, MA 01040
413-420-8101


  Catalog     Website   Manage Your Account     Kids Catalog

Welcome to the Reference/Non-fiction Area

on the Library's Fourth Floor

 

The right side of the floor is the Reference area. Please be sure to browse this area and take the time to sit down and look at these books! This area is a good source of primary sources, large format, almanacs, etc. Even though you cannot take out these books, you are welcome to take them anywhere in the library. Also, you can take pictures, make copies or take notes!

The left side of the floor is the Non-Fiction area. Here you will find cookbooks, biographies, histories, etc. These books can be checked out.

There is also available in both areas: Spanish, large-print, oversized books.

As always, if you have any questions, please ask a staff member or call the Reference Desk at (413) 420-8106.

Reference Materials

Reference librarians are available to provide guidance in every aspect of the research process. Reference librarians can help you:

  • Find information on a topic.
  • Develop research strategies for papers and projects.
  • Search library catalogs, article databases, and Internet resources.
  • Locate facts and statistics.

The Reference Collection is located on the 4th floor (right side, just beyond the reference desk). Reference books are useful for locating:

  • Facts -- “What is the chemical formula for methane?”
  • Definitions -- “What is a podcast?”
  • Statistics -- “What is the rate of teen suicide in the U.S.?”
  • Biographies -- “Who was Karl Marx?”
  • Topic Overviews -- “What was the Boston Massacre?”
  • Geographical Information -- “Where is the Thames River?”

Resources found in the Reference Collection include dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, handbooks, bibliographies, indexes, and other reference books in all subject areas. Reference books are non-circulating, which means they cannot be checked out.

The library also has an extensive e-reference collection with full-text reference books available online. Browse several articles and references through the Gale Databases:

 

 

Also available on the fourth floor are computers, quiet study rooms and study tables. There is public wi-fi access throughout the building.