Available Mon - Thurs
10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 2pm
Tutoring - Writing, math and more
Learning Guides - Quick learning
Hours - Find out when we're open
Library Search - Find materials
Databases - Articles and more!
InterLibrary Loan - Request books
Books - Recommended books
eBooks - Thousands of free eBooks
Streaming Video - Learn by watching
Use the Library Search to find books, eBooks, articles, and more!
You can find Learning Commons information, book recommendations and so much more on JCTC's social media.
A reference source is background information on a topic. A reference database contains reference sources. Researchers use reference sources to:
Reference sources can be found in many places like:
Working from home? To access databases from home, you'll need to log in just as you would for Blackboard, using your KCTCS ID and password.
Credo Reference allows access to hundreds of reference books, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, subject-specific texts, and many more. The Mind Map feature helps draw connections between different aspects of a topic.
What you need to know:This database is useful for locating background and general information in almost all subject areas to help you better understand your topic.
CQ Researcher examines contemporary issues by providing overviews, opposing viewpoints, statistics, Pro/Con arguments, and bibliographies on topics such as religion, war, human rights, law, and global warming.
What you need to know:This database is useful for starting research on current events topics, especially for speeches and/or argumentative papers.
This link opens in a new windowBritannica Academic provides encyclopedia articles, dictionary and thesaurus entries, an atlas, biographies, and magazine articles.
What you need to know:This database is useful for finding background and reference information on any topic.
This link opens in a new windowFunk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia contains over 25,000 entries covering many subject areas. Entries are often brief and easy to read but provide essential information about the topics covered.
What you need to know:This database is useful for locating background and general information in almost all subject areas.
Biography Reference Bank provides full-text articles, images, and abstracts. When researching an individual, this database can find information on their occupation, activity, place of origin, and more.
What you need to know:This database is useful for researching people. You can limit your search to “Names with Biographies” or “Names with Images” depending on your research needs.
There are several books within the Reference section at the Downtown Library that may be good resources. However, Reference section materials cannot be checked out. You can take notes from them at the library or make copies of the pages you need. The following books are located in the Reference section on the second floor of the JCTC DT Learning Commons:
