West Valley High School : Library

Virtual Reference Library
Take this link for one search to find information in 10 Gale Reference Books provided online.
Or search an individual reference title:

Biography: Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. 23 vols. 2004. A multicultural biographical source that covers notable individuals from every part of the world and from all time periods who have made significant contributions to human culture.

Health: Drugs and Controlled Substances: Information for Students. 2003: Detailed information on the physiological and psychological effects of addictive drugs and substances, from illegal drugs to commonly abused classes of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Entries cover the name of the drug, including official, street, variant and historical names; an overview of the substance; statistical analysis of the growth and decline of the use of the drug; mental, physiological and long-term effects of use; and treatment and rehabilitation options.

Health and Sports Medicine: World of Sports Science. 2 vols. 2007. Includes theoretical and practical treatment of all aspects of sports science and exercise physiology, kinesiology, and biomechanics. Particular emphasis is placed on such high-interest topics as sports medicine, specifically the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries; and much more.

History, Ancient: Ancient Europe, 8000 B.C. to A.D. 1000: Encyclopedia of the Barbarian World. 2 vols. 2004. This encyclopedia explores the many peoples of early European civilizations responsible for such accomplishments as the rise of farming in the Neolithic era and the building of Stonehenge. Coverage expands from prehistoric origins through the early Middle Ages (8000 BC to AD 1000) when tribal movements helped define the end of ancient culture and the rise of the modern European world.

History and Science: Groundbreaking Scientific Experiments, Inventions, and Discoveries of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. 2004. Describes experiments, inventions, and discoveries of the period, as well as the scientists, physicians, and scholars responsible for them. Individuals such as Leonardo da Vinci, Marco Polo, and Galileo are included, along with entries on reconstructive surgery, Stonehenge, eyeglasses, the microscope, and the discovery of smallpox.

History and Science: Science and Its Times: Understanding the Social Significance of Scientific Discovery. 8 vols. 2000. The histories of science, technology, and mathematics merge with the study of humanities and social science. Articles show the impact of science on the course of human history and how science affects everyday life, from about 2000 B.C. through the end of the twentieth century.

History, U. S.: American Decades Primary Sources. 10 vols. 2004. Full or excerpted primary sources from the period representing a diversity of views that provide insight into the arts, medicine and health, media, education, world events, religion, government and politics, lifestyles and social trends, law and justice, religion, business and the economy, and sports from the decade.

History, U. S.: Political History of America's Wars. 2007, 2009. Reports and analysis of each conflict in American History. Includes chronologies and primary sources.

History, World: World War II Reference Library. 5 vols. 2000. Covers significant events, topics, and people related to the World War II period. Provides in-depth information including biographical profiles and primary source materials

Literature: Modern American Literature. 5th ed. 3 vols. 1999. Each entry for over 400 of the most significant American authors of the twentieth century excerpts a variety of critical approaches and shows the evolution of the critical reception of that author's work. The authors discussed exemplify the best American writing in a variety of genres, from poetry to expository essays, and reflect the diversity of the American experience in the twentieth century.

Social Science: Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America.5 vols. 2002. Arranged chronologically by decade and by broad topics within each decade, this set focuses solely on the popular culture of the twentieth century. Major topics include products and brands, toys and games, music and dance, holidays, shopping, sports, movements, and much more.

Social Science: Countries and Their Cultures 4 vols. 2001. Focuses on cultures and countries around the world, specifically what is and is not shared culturally by the people who live in a particular country. Entries contain descriptive summaries of the country in question, including demographic, historical, cultural, economic, religious, and political information.

Social Science: Encyclopedia of World Cultures. 10 vols. 1996. Lists and describes more than 1,500 global cultures. Based on research of social scientists, it is the source for historical, social, political, economic, linguistic, religious, and other information on virtually every existing culture.

Social Science: Encyclopedia of World Cultures Supplement. 2002. Covers cultures not included in the original set and provides updates to cultures that have changed significantly in recent times.

Social Science: Major Acts of Congress. 3 vols. 2004. Examines landmark pieces of legislation, explaining the historical factors that led to the proposal of each act, looking at the adoption process and assessing each act's impact on American life. All aspects of legislation are covered, including the National Prohibition Act, the Civil Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Freedom of Information Act and much more.

Social Science: New Dictionary of the History of Ideas. 6 vols. 2005. Articles covering ideas that make up Western culture. Each entry explores origin, cultural interpretations, and historical themes of topics as diverse as abolitionism, beauty, communism, diveristy, feminism, love, physics, social capital, and others.

Social Science: St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture.5 vols. 200. A comprehensive and scholarly look at popular culture, with emphasis on ideas, people, events and products that symbolize America. Major topics include: television, movies, theater, art, books, magazines, radio, music, sports, fashion, health, politics, trends, community life, advertising and many other influences on American life.

ONLINE SUBSCRIPTIONS:

(Ask the library staff for home passwords)

Ancient World History: Primary Sources

(from McDougal Littell Classzone textbook support)

Navigating Primary Source Materials on the Internet

Check the Ports to Visit, including National Archives

and Library of Congress.

Also includes links to Subject-Specific Sites.

American Memory

Search Library of Congress collections for documents and images from American history and life.

National Security Archives

Declassified documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and a repository of government records on a wide range of topics pertaining to the national security, foreign, intelligence, and economic policies of the United States.

Repositories of Primary Sources

Listing of over 5000 websites describing holdings of

manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs

and other primary sources.