LMU | LA - Loyola Marymount University

Reference Collection

The Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation Information Commons houses the library's reference collection. The nearly 20,000 volumes provide access to the latest facts, figures, definitions, statistics, trends, data analyses, digests of literature criticism, maps, charts, biographical sketches, and many other formats of the world's basic information. Most of the reference books are updated as frequently as new editions are published, but some are timeless works on specific subjects that have yet to be surpassed or improved, and have been relied upon by generations of scholars.

From the world-famous Oxford English Dictionary to not-so-famous but academically essential titles such as the Bibliography of Bioethics or the Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns, the collection provides the starting place for any research. Along with the many electronic reference resources, the print reference collection may be consulted along with the librarian or on one's own (but we think you'll get more out of it if you ask us about your information need!).

Together, the electronic and print reference collections provide access to well-organized, fundamental information that is either not available for free on the Internet, or very difficult to find in a well-edited and easy to use format. In many cases, the reference book is available to the library user in both print and online format, allowing for consultation from wherever one is working, on campus or off.