College of DuPage Library

Finding Books

Use the COD Library catalog to find books & videos. Click on the "keyword" tab to search using multiple search terms and limit your results by material type (book, video), date, or language. You'll need a current College of DuPage Library card to check out books.

Reference Works

Reference works, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are useful for learning about background information on a topic
Please note that print reference books may be used while in the library only. Online reference books may be accessed from any on or off-campus computer. You'll need a College of DuPage Library card to access online books and articles from off-campus.
Click on the links below to access the online book/website or record/description of the print book.

• American Environmental Leaders: From Colonial Times to the Present.
• Atlas of Biodiversity: Chicago Wilderness, a Regional Nature Reserve.
  Reference and General QH 105.I3 S95 1997
• Beacham's Guide to the Endangered Species of North America. 6 vols.
  Reference QH 77 .N56 B43 2001
• A Dictionary of Ecology
  Reference QH 540.4 .C66 2010.
• Dictionary of Environmental Science and Technology. Online.
• Encyclopedia of American Environmental History. 4 vols. Online.
• Encyclopedia of Biodiversity. 5 vols.
  Reference QH 541.15.B56 E53 2001
• Encyclopedia of Environment and Society. 5 vols.
  GE10 .E485 2007
• Encyclopedia of Environmental Biology. 3 vols.
  Reference QH 540.4 .E52
• Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy. Online.
• Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues. 4 vols.
  Online and Reference GE10 .E523 2011
• Encyclopedia of Environmental Studies.
  Reference TD 9 .A84 2001
• Encyclopedia of Global Change: Environmental Change and Human Society. 5 vols.
  Reference GE 149 .E443 2002
• Encyclopedia of Human Ecology. 2 vols.
  Reference GF 4 .E53 2003
• Encyclopedia of Sustainability. 3 vols.
  Reference GE 10 .E528 2010
• Encyclopedia of the Biosphere. 11 vols.
  Reference and General GF 75 .B5613 1999
• Encyclopedia of World Environmental History. 3 vols.
  Reference GE10 .E535 2004
• Endangered Species. 3 vols.
  Reference QL83 .N35 2004
• The Environmental Debate: a Documentary History. Online.
• Environmental Encyclopedia. 2 vols. Online via Gale
• Environmental Issues: Essential Primary Sources. Online via Gale
• Environmental Justice in Latin America. Online via EBSCO.
• Field Guide to Rivers of North America. Online.
• Great Events from History II. Ecology and the Environment Series. 3 vols.
  Reference GE 150 .G72 1995
• Green Ethics and Philosophy. Online via Gale
• Green Technology.Online via Gale
• Handbook of Environmental Sociology. Online.
• Handbook of Global Environmental Politics. Online.
• International Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics. Online.
• Man-Made Catastrophes
  Reference D 24 .D38 2002
• Wiley Encyclopedia of Environmental Pollution . 2 vols.
  Reference TD 173 .M48 1999

Videos

The Library owns many films on Ecology and Environmental Topics in DVD, VHS and streaming formats. Check the list of titles at:

• Ecology & Environment AV

The Library subscribes to many databases that provide access to thousands of popular and credible, scholarly journals. Many databases provide access to full-text articles, while some provide information about the article only (citation). Request (for free!) through Interlibrary Loan copies of articles to which the Library doesn't have full-text access.

Access the article databases listed below.

Best Bet links: Databases and Journal Holdings

• Academic Search Complete
  Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.
• Academic OneFile
  Multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of academic areas.
• Knovel Library
  This database is a cross-searchable collection of electronic books covering many subjects in technology, engineering, applied technology, science, chemistry and physics and much more.
• Science Direct
  Full-text of hundreds of scientific journals from the publisher Elsevier. Be sure to select "Subscribed Journals" from the Source drop-down menu.
• Scientific American Archives Online
  Indexing of every issue of Scientific American. PDFs of every article from 1993 to present.
• Health Research Databases
• Issues and Controversies
  Issues and Controversies helps students understand crucial issues we face today, exploring more than 800 hot topics in science, health, the environment and more.
• CQ Researcher
  The CQ Researcher offers in-depth, non-biased coverage of today's most important issues. Each report is on a single topic more than 12,000 words in text and extensive bibliographies. Each weekly issue provides up-to-date information on controversial subjects reported by CQ's staff of experienced reporters.
• List of ecology journals available online fulltext from databases.
• List of environmental science journals available online fulltext from databases.

Websites

• See Meteorology Research Guide for links related to Climate Change
• See Zoology Research Guide for links related to Endangered Species
• Biodiversity and Conservation
  Hypertextbook for University of California-Irvine Biological Conservation course. Includes information organized into 24 chapters with numerous weblinks.
• Biodiversity Hotspots
  Information about, conservation threats and useful links relating to the 25 areas on earth with the greatest diversity of species.
• Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  This center at the University of Georgia provides a portal to 28 hosted sites. Find over 100,000 of images, topic overviews to such subjects as urban forestry, prescribed fire, insects, etc., and more.
• Chicago Wilderness
  Informative guides on where to find natural areas such as prairies, forests, wetlands and dunes in the Chicago area, biodiversity protection resources, and how to get involved in protecting local habitats.
• Chicago Environmental Network
  Connections to over 200 environmental and natural resource organizations in the Chicago Region with a guide to volunteer activities, job and internship opportunities, and a list of all the organizations in CEN including mission statement and links to sources for more information.
• Daily Green
  Green living resources for home, cuisine, travel, tips & advice.
• Descriptions of the Ecoregions of the United States.
  Robert G. Bailey's guide to the ecoregions and finer division provinces ot the U.S.
• Encyclopedia of Earth an electronic reference about the Earth, its natural environments, and their interaction with society sponsored by the National Council for Science and the Environment
• Energy Explained
  From the Energy Information Agency of the Department of Energy, unbiased information on all aspects of energy, whether nonrenewable or renewable.
• Environment of the Great Lakes
  Links to news, flora & fauna, water data, pollution, legislative and environmental groups and much more provided by the Great Lakes Information Network.
• Environmental News Network
  A web aggregator of environmental news around the world. Topics include agriculture, pollution, energy, climate, and wildlife.
• Global Invasive Species Database
  An online database managed by the Invasive Species Specialist Group, part of the IUCN -International Union for Conservation of Nature.Search by species name, country, habitat, or organism type. Some entries are extensive, others very short. Provides information on invasive species worldwide: ecology,distribution, management, impact, references, web links and contacts when available. See top 100 invasive species for most worrisome organisms worldwide.
• Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board. Online links
  List of threatened and endangered species in Illinois.
• National Invasive Species Information
  The U.S. Department of Agricultures's gateway to invasive species information; covering Federal, State, local, and international sources..
• NatureServe
  From a non-profit conservation organization representing an international network of biological inventories, links to information about conservation projects and data on plants and animals in hundreds of ecosystems.
• United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  Official website of the federal agency charged with protecting the environment. Includes fact sheets, government reports, and issue discussion sites on many environmental topics.
• Web Soil Survey from the USDA
  Soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey with data on soils for over 95% of U.S. counties.
• Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois.
  From Ken Robertson of the Illinois Natural History Survey, a guide to the tallgrass prairie in Illinois, including a lengthy bibliography of print references and links to many prairie-related websites.
• Wildfinder.
  The World Wildlife Fund presents maps and information about 825 terrestrial ecoregions are nested within fourteen with information about animal species.
• World Wildlife Fund Ecoregions.
  26 major habitat types: terrestrial, freshwater and marine with information on characteristics of each biome.
• The World's Biomes.
  Basic information on aquatic, desert, grassland, forest, and tundra biomes.
• The United Nations tracks progress on drinking water sanitation, etc.
• List of Endangered and Threatened Species in Illinois. Or check the list by county.
  Compiled by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
• The National Resources Conservation Service includes data on soil, clean air, water, plants, and wildlife.
• Collaboration for Environmental Evidence seeks to promote and deliver evidence syntheses on issues of greatest concern to environmental policy and practice as a public service. Check out the library for systematic reviews and maps related to the environment, as well as their open-access journal.