This list is a sample of our reference sources in the library. Reference sources include Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Directories, Handbooks, Guides, and much more.

• General History & Culture
• Biographies
• Art
• Film

• Literature
• Politics
• Terminology

General History & Culture

Completely Queer: The Gay and Lesbian Encyclopedia

Short, alphabetized articles on people, places, events and concepts relating to gay and lesbian culture in the 20th century and select historical items. Includes some photographs.

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Encyclopedia of Homosexuality

Contains over 770 articles on topics of gay and lesbian history and culture, from a United States as well as an international perspective. Includes an index and a reader’s guide.

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

LGBT: Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History in America

Chronicles the LGBTQ experience in America from colonial times to the present. This work is interdisciplinary, examining LGBTQ topics in a variety of settings. Includes photographs and illustrations which are indexed.

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Gay Almanac

Includes a variety of information about the gay community: culture, activism, statistics, time lines, notable people, quotes, directories and more.

Location:
Gleeson Stacks, 2nd Floor

Gay Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia

Volume 2 of The Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures. This resource focuses on the history, politics and lives of gay men. An excellent starting point in researching gay subjects.

Location: Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

The Harvey Milk Institute Guide to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Internet Research

This guide is indispensable to internet researchers of GLBT topics. Contains an exhaustive catalog of web site organized by categories, including Health and Medicine, Arts and Education, and Human Sexuality Studies. Newsgroups, listservs, and interviews are also included.

Location:
Gleeson Stacks, 2nd Floor

Historical Dictionary of the Gay Liberation Movement: Gay Men and the Quest for Social Justice

As the title implies, the focus is on gay men, but this resource is a useful reference of gay liberation.

Location:
Gleeson Stacks, 2nd Floor

Lesbian Almanac

Includes a variety of information about the lesbian community: culture, activism, statistics, time lines, notable people, quotes, directories and more.  

Location:
Gleeson Stacks, 2nd Floor

Lesbian Histories and Cultures: An Encyclopedia

Volume 1 of The Encyclopedia of Lesbian and Gay Histories and Cultures, this work focuses on prominent figures, historical milestones and broader social issues in lesbian history.

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

St. James Press Gay and Lesbian Almanac

This almanac contains a wealth of information organized into 23 topics. A great source of clearly presented facts including statistical data, political history and profiles of GLBT arts. Includes an extensive bibliography and index.

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Biographies

Gay & Lesbian Biography

An alphabetically arranged biographical dictionary.

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Art

Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol, and Spirit: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Lore

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

The Queer Encyclopedia of the Visual Arts

Examines the history of art as it represents same-sex relationships. Includes essays discussing the works, the artists, and the themes. Works included are from historical times to the present, and are international in scope.

Location:
Gleeson Stacks, 3rd Floor

Film

Bent Lens: A World Guide to Gay & Lesbian Film

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Images in the Dark: an Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video

This comprehensive work is broken down into various categories, including gay, lesbian, transgender and camp. Includes biographies and filmographies for GLBT directors, actors and writers, many with accompanying photos. Global in scope with several useful indices.

Location:
Gleeson Stacks, 3rd Floor

Literature

Contemporary Gay American Poets and Playwrights: An A-to-Z Guide

A collection of biographies and bibliographies of contemporary gay male poets and playwrights, with brief interpretations of their work.

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Gay and Lesbian Literary Heritage: A Reader’s Companion to the Writers and Their Works, From Antiquity to the Present

A collection of entries that explore gay and lesbian literature, writers, and themes. International in scope, but emphasizes American and British literature.

Location:
Gleeson Stacks, 3rd Floor

Gay Theatre Alliance Directory of Gay Plays

A compilation of information on plays with gay and lesbian themes and/or major gay and lesbian characters.

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Politics

Gay and Lesbian Americans and Political Participation: A Reference Handbook

From a series on political participation by a variety of groups, this volume chronicles the participation of gays and lesbians in elections, protests, social movements, and holding offices. Includes a directory of organizations, a chronology of major events, and listings of prominent people, terms and laws. 

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Terminology

The Queen's Vernacular: A Gay Lexicon

Although it was published in 1972, Rodger's work is a fascinating collection of gay terminology--many of them sexual in nature--spanning the late 20th century.

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor

Wimmin, Wimps and Wallflowers: An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Gender and Sexual Orientation Bias in the United States

A dictionary of terms related to sexual orientation and gender, this work pays special attention to words omitted from standard dictionaries. Controversial terms, including commonly-used pejoratives assigned to GLBT people, are defined and discussed.

Location:
Gleeson Reference Room, 1st Floor