Dictionary & Encyclopedia Resources
Our Online Resources

Britannica Library Reference Center
Reference Center is the Britannica source for older students and adults. Use it to conduct research, complete assignments, and work on special projects across a wide range of subjects.
Reference Center is the Britannica source for older students and adults. Use it to conduct research, complete assignments, and work on special projects across a wide range of subjects.

Britannica School Edition
Read articles, view videos, and explore this school-friendly version of Britannica with articles written on the elementary, middle, and high school level.
Read articles, view videos, and explore this school-friendly version of Britannica with articles written on the elementary, middle, and high school level.
Boston Public Library Online Resources
You will need a Boston Public Library e-card to access these resources. All Massachusetts residents are able to sign up for a BPL e-card for free. If you do not already have one, sign up here.
Credo Reference: Full-text searchable articles and entries from hundreds of sources, including general and subject-specific encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other books covering a wide range of topics. Includes an alphabetical topic list for easy browsing.
Gale Virtual Reference Library: Encyclopedias and other specialized reference sources covering the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences, including medicine, business, law, and more.
Oxford English Dictionary: Widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language, The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world.