The Canadian Encyclopedia
REF 971.003 CAN
-Also available from LearnAlberta.ca's "Online Reference Centre." Contact Public Services Librarian for username/password.
SUBJECT ENCYCLOPEDIAS
Man, Myth and Magic:
the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion and the Unknown
REF 133 MAN
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures & Daily Life
REF 305.8 1998 WOR vols. 1-4
DICTIONARIES
Provide details about words: meanings, spelling, pronunciation, etc. Some of the Library's General Dictionaries include Oxford, Random House and Merriams Webster's. Dictionaries are shelved under the call number REF 423. Some dictionaries may be borrowed from the general collection.
Specialized Dictionaries cover aspects of language or terms related to a subject.
What does "RCMP" stand for?
Try Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary
REF 423.1 ACR
What does "biche" mean?
Use The Collins Robert French English /English French Dictionary
REF 443.21 COL
Oxford English Dictionary Online
If off-campus, contact Public Services Librarian for username/password.
ALMANACS contain useful facts and statistics. What was the average family income for Albertans in 1994? Who wrote Canada's national anthem? What is the population of China?
Canadian Almanac & Directory
REF 971.0025 CAN 2005
Scott's Canadian Source Book
REF 971.0025 SCO 2004
DIRECTORIES
First Nations Tribal Directory
REF 970.1025 FIR
BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARIES are an excellent starting point for researching the lives of famous people.
Canadian Who's Who
REF 920.071 CAN 2008
Dictionary of Canadian Biography
REF 920.071 DIC
HANDBOOKS AND GUIDES
The Right to Have a Job: a Straightforward Guide to Canada's Employment-Related Programs for Persons with Disabilities
331.59 GOO 1994
Career discovery encyclopedia Volumes 1-6
331.702 CAR 2000
Canada's Best Careers guide
331.702 FEA 1997
The Social Work Skills Workbook
361.32 COU 2000
The healing choice:you and a career in health [videorecording] 610.69 HEA 1999
Résumés in Cyberspace: Your Complete Guide to a Computerized Job Search
650.14 CRI 2000
How to Find Work in the 21st Century: Contracting Your Way to a Job or a Career
650.14 MCG 2000
GENERAL COLLECTION
WebCat & Library of Congress Subject Headings
The WebCat is the Library's computerized catalogue. It is the listing of books, videos, and journals available in the Library. You can locate material on specific topics by performing a Subject Heading search. Portage College Library uses Library of Congress Subject Headings.
If you need some help to find out how the WebCat works, ask library staff to assist you.
Some sample headings you can perform a search on in the WebCat:
Report writing
Resumes (employment)
The Library uses the Dewey Decimal Classification System to group books and videos together by subject on the library shelves. The call number on the WebCat corresponds to the number on the label on the spine of the book (e.g. 155.4 BEE).
Examples
650.14 - Resumes/Cover letters
PERIODICALS: MAGAZINES, JOURNALS, NEWSPAPERS
Periodicals are published at regular intervals, generally more frequently than annually. Each issue is numbered and/or dated consecutively, and normally contains separate articles, stories, or other writings. Scanning current issues of periodicals in your subject area can be useful when you are trying to think of a topic.
Cosmopolitan
Canadian Home Workshop
Good Housekeeping
Parents
Sports Illustrated
Alberta Sweet Grass
The Edmonton Journal
The Globe & Mail
Lac La Biche Post
National Post
ELECTRONIC DATABASES
An electronic database is used to find articles in magazines, journals and newspapers. Portage Library subscribes to a number of Web-based electronic databases. For a complete listing of these databases, please see this list and consult with a library staff on the appropriate database(s) to use for your research needs. The databases that you will find useful for your studies are:
Gale Cengage Databases
Academic OneFile has extensive coverage of the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature and other subjects. With millions of articles available in both PDF and HTML full-text with no restrictions, researchers are able to find accurate information quickly. Includes full-text coverage of the New York Times back to 1995. Updated daily.
EBSCO Databases
MasterFILE Premier
Covering virtually every subject area of general interest, MasterFILE Premier also includes nearly 500 full text reference books, biographies, primary source documents, and an Image Collection of photos, maps and flags. This database is updated daily.
Academic Search Complete is the world's most comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 5,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 4,600 peer-reviewed journals. The database features PDF content going back as far as 1887, with the majority of full text titles in searchable PDF format.
Access to databases is restricted to the Portage College students, faculty and staff
WEB SITES
The Internet is a rich source of material. The sites listed here are just a starting point. If you are looking for a specific topic, try typing keywords into one of the basic search tools such as Yahoo, AltaVista, Google, etc.
Essential Skills Online Learning Tool NEW
The Essential Skills Online Learning Tool is an innovative way to learn more about the complexity levels of Essential Skills. Various Authentic Workplace Materials are used to help demonstrate the differences between each level of the nine Essential Skills. Document Use, Numeracy, Writing, Working with Others, Thinking Skills, Computer Use and Continuous Learning are now available.
2Learn
A site put together by educators. Click on NetSteps for links organized by topic. Virtual Field Trips links to galleries, museums, zoos, etc. The Reference Collection includes encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.
Encyberpedia
An educational approach to finding information on the Internet. Topics include Biography, English, Health, and History.
Internet Public Library
A virtual public library that provides access to different types of collections, including Reference Sources, Online Books, Magazines, and Newspapers.
Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Grammar and punctuation guide. Includes examples and mini-quizzes in an easy to use format.
Job Futures
Full text of Government of Canada publication that describes the current and future job prospects for a variety of occupations. Updated annually.
David Aplin Recruiting (listings for most major Canadian cities)
Human Resources Development Canada
