Background Information - SSI2-117 | Coming Out! The Gay Liberation Movement - Collins Memorial Library at University of Puget Sound

Getting Started with Subject Encyclopedias

Subject encyclopedias, handbooks and overviews are scholarly, tertiary works written by experts on a variety of topics. The articles are typically longer and more detailed than those found in general encyclopedias. The background information provides a good starting point as you begin the research process. These resources can help you with:

Understanding the scope of a topic
Suggesting ideas for narrowing a topic
Identifying key concepts, terms, dates and names
Listing subject areas related to a topic
Recommending sources for further exploration

In Collins Library, the print reference collection is located on the first floor, and most of the online reference collection is available in one of the database collections listed on the right. Use Primo to identify subject encyclopedias in either format; or ask a librarian for recommendations.

Featured Subject Encyclopedias

Start with these subject encyclopedias and branch out as needed.

Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History in America by Marc Stein (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
Publication Date: 2004
Provides a comprehensive survey of lesbian and gay history and culture in the United States. Articles range from short biographical entries to longer essays surveying topics such as the Stonewall riots, federal law and policy, same-sex institutions and AIDS.
LGBTQ Events: Great Events from History by Salem Press Editors (Editor); Robert C. Evans (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9781682175910
Publication Date: 2017
This resource chronicles important historical events that have identified, defined, and legally established the rights of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities.
The Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History by Howard Chiang
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9780684325538
Publication Date: 2019
Covers LGBTQ topics in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East, as well as North America, and takes an interdisciplinary approach to the subject, using film, literature, human rights, politics, landmark legislation, activism, the arts, language, sports, and historical events as points of entry into the content.
Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian and Gay Liberation Movements by JoAnne Myers
Call Number: HQ76.5 .M944 2013 Print Books
ISBN: 9780810872264
Publication Date: 2013
Covers the history of this movement through a cross-referenced dictionary with over 1000 entries on specific countries and regions, influential historical figures, laws that criminalized same-sex sexuality, various historical terms that have been used to refer to aspects of same-sex love, and contemporary events and legal decisions.
Routledge International Encyclopedia of Queer Culture by David A. Gerstner (Editor)
Call Number: HQ76.96 .R68 2006 Reference
ISBN: 9780415306515
Publication Date: 2006
Covers gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (GLBTQ) life and culture post-1945, with a strong international approach to the subject. Major entries provide in-depth information and consider the intellectual and cultural implications of their subjects in a global context.
The SAGE Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies by Abbie E. Goldberg (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9781483371306
Publication Date: 2016
Focuses on LGBTQ issues and identity primarily through the lenses of psychology, human development and sociology, emphasizing queer, feminist and ecological perspectives on the topic.
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies by Abbie Goldberg (Editor); Genny Beemyn (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9781544393810
Publication Date: 2021
This encyclopedia, featuring more than 300 well-researched articles, takes an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to trans studies. Entries address a wide range of topics, from broad concepts, to specific subjects, to key historical figures, events, and organizations. Entries focus on diverse lives, identities, and contexts, including the experiences of trans people in different racial, religious, and sexual communities in the United States and the variety of ways that gender is expressed in other countries.
Handbook of Lesbian and Gay Studies by Diane Richardson (Editor)
Call Number: HQ75.15 .H36 2002 Print Books
Publication Date: 2002
Drawing from a team of global contributors and carefully structured to elucidate the core issues in the field, the Handbook is organized into 4 sections: History & Theory, Identity & Community, Institutions and Politics.
Encyclopedia of Gender and Society by Jodi A. O'Brien (Editor)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
Publication Date: 2008
Covers the major theories, research, people, and issues in contemporary gender studies. Offers a cross-national/cross-cultural perspective that provides comparative analyses of the life experiences of men and women around the world.
Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender by Fedwa Malti-Douglas
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
Publication Date: 2007
Addresses issues of sex and gender at the personal and the social level; examines issues of identity, status, class, ethnicity, race, and nation; of sexuality and the body; of social institutions and the structures of representation.
American Countercultures: an encyclopedia of nonconformists, alternative lifestyles, and radical ideas in U.S. history by Gina Misiroglu
Call Number: HM647 .A44 2009 Reference
ISBN: 9780765680600
Publication Date: 2009
Examines the impact of countercultural movements on American social history, highlighting the writings, recordings, and visual works produced by these movements to educate, inspire, and incite action in all eras of the nation's history. Includes numerous illustrations, a topic finder, primary source documents, a bibliography and a filmography, and an index.
Dictionary of American History by Stanley I. Kutler, Editor
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9780684805337
Features updated and revised entries from previous editions, as well as more than 800 new entries covering recent events and topics not covered previously. This authoritative work serves students, scholars, and general readers interested in a wide range of topics in American history, from the well studied and familiar to the obscure.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Social History by Lynn Dumenil (Contribution by); Paul Boyer (Contribution by)
Call Number: Click on the title above for online access
ISBN: 9780199743360
Publication Date: 2012
Social structures and the environment that shaped American life, including family, work, leisure, social movements, and patterns of mobility and settlements, are central to this encyclopedia, as are themes of race, gender, ethnicity, and class. Includes over 450 articles by expert scholars, with numerous cross references as well as additional sources for further study.

Online Reference Collections

Not sure where to look? Each of these online collections will introduce you to a wealth of dictionaries and encyclopedias.

ABC CLIO eBooks This link opens in a new window
This eBook Collection contains encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and guides from ABC-CLIO, Greenwood Press, Libraries Unlimited, and Praeger.
Gale eBooks
Provides full text online access to Gale electronic books, including encyclopedias and other reference resources.
Literature Resource Center
Contains articles from academic journals and literary magazines as well as excerpts from scholarly monographs, literary correspondence and diaries.
Oxford Reference
Contains the complete texts of many Oxford companions, encyclopedias, dictionaries and other reference titles in a fully indexed, cross-searchable database. Included in addition to articles are images, maps, timelines, bibliographies, photographs and much more.
SAGE Knowledge
The social sciences platform for SAGE and CQ Press books, reference materials and other content.