Reference sources can provide general background information (facts, definitions, dates, details), assistance in focusing your topic, quick access to important factual and statistical information, and references to other sources of information. It is therefore a good place to begin your research. Reference materials include almanacs, handbooks, encyclopedias, and dictionaries.
Few reference books are meant to be read from cover to cover. Instead, readers consult them for concise topic summaries in all subject areas, as well as for statistical, geographical, and biographical summaries. In addition, reference materials direct you to related sources and provide important supporting data in the form of statistics, definitions of technical terms, and tools for analyzing, broadening, or narrowing a topic.
These books are available in the Reference Room on the first floor of the library. Remember: titles that have REF before the call number are not eligible to be checked out of the library, but you are free to use them within the building and make copies.
The Penguin Concise Dictionary of Art History by 
