Reed Library has an extensive collection of
Very Short Introductions published by Oxford University Press. These books provide succinct introductions (usually under 200 pages) to hundreds of subjects.
Explore the full collection or those available online!
It is always a good idea to do some preliminary research, or background research, to help familiarize yourself with a new topic. Reference works, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, almanacs, etc., are great places to start. The resources provided here are just a sampling and not an exhaustive list of resources you could consult.
Use these as alternatives to Wikipedia:
reedref@fredonia.edu @ReedLibrary@SUNYFredLibrary @SUNYFredLibrary
Except where otherwise noted, this guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Daniel A. Reed Library • The State University of New York at Fredonia • 280 Central Ave., Fredonia, NY 14063 • 716-673-3184 • Fax: 716-673-3185 • reedref@fredonia.edu