Reference books are encyclopedias and dictionaries that focus on specific subject areas, like American writers or American literature.
They provide great background information on a topic, usually written in the form of a short entry.
You can find reference books in the Reference Section in the Library. These books cannot be checked out, so plan to take pictures or scans of the pages you need for your research.
The Reference Section is on the Upper Level near the computer desks.
These encyclopedias and dictionaries in the Reference Section contain short biographical entries on American women writers followed a list of all their written works. They are all located in the 810s section of Reference.
American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present by 
The Oxford Companion to Women's Writing in the United States by 
Writing African American Women: 
Latino and Latina Writers 
Native American Women's Writing: 
American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies by 
Writers of the American Renaissance: An A to Z Guide by 
American Travel Writers, 1776-1864 
Magill's Survey of American Literature by 
The Chronology of American Literature: America's Literary Achievements from the Colonial Era to Modern Times by 
