Gale Virtual Reference Center is a database containing reference works (dictionaries and encyclopedias). It may be a very helpful resource for you.
Finding encyclopedias in Discovery is very similar to finding books. There is just one additional step, adding "encyclopedia" as one of your keywords. Below is a screenshot of how to search for encyclopedias in the Libraries' Catalog.
Below are a few encyclopedias from the Library Catalog that you may find useful.
Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television by The first work of its kind, this encyclopedia provides 360 brief biographies of African American film and television actresses from the silent era to 2009. It includes entries on well-known and nearly forgotten actresses, running the gamut from Academy Award and NAACP Image Award winners to B-film and blaxpoitation era stars. Each entry has a complete filmography of the actress's film, TV, music video or short film credits. The work also features more than 170 photographs, some of them rare images from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Encyclopedia of New Media by Edited by Steve Jones, one of the leading scholars and founders of this emerging field, and with contributions from an international group of scholars as well as science and technology writers and editors, the Encyclopedia of New Media widens the boundaries of today's information society through interdisciplinary, historical, and international coverage. With such topics as broadband, content filtering, cyberculture, cyberethics, digital divide, freenet, MP3, privacy, telemedicine, viruses, and wireless networks, the Encyclopedia will be an indispensable resource for anyone interested or working in this field. Unlike many encyclopedias that provide short, fragmented entries, the Encyclopedia of New Media examines each subject in depth in a single, coherent article. Many articles span several pages and are presented in a large, double-column format for easy reading. Each article also includes the following: A bibliography Suggestions for further reading Links to related topics in the Encyclopedia Selected works, where applicable Entries include: Pioneers, such as Marc Andreesen, Marshall McLuhan, and Steve Jobs Terms, from "Access" to "Netiquette" to "Web-cam" Technologies, including Bluetooth, MP3, and Linux Businesses, such as Amazon.com Key labs, research centers, and foundations Associations Laws, and much more The Encyclopedia of New Media includes a comprehensive index as well as a reader's guide that facilitates browsing and easy access to information. Recommended Libraries Public, academic, government, special, and private/corporate
The Encyclopedia of 20th Century American Television by A reference of American 20th-century television and a celebration of the medium. It provides a historical guide to the programmes, personalities and practices of network television from its early days to the end of the century. From game shows to the nightly news, from sitcoms to serious dramas and everything in between, more than 1000 entries provide story synopses, biographies, production histories, air dates, and more.
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture by The St. James Encyclopedia Of Popular Culture, 2nd ed., updates and augments the over ten-year-old first edition. It includes 3,036 signed essays (300 of them new), alphabetically arranged, and written or reviewed by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. The entries cover topics and persons in major areas of popular culture: film; music; print culture; social life; sports; television and radio; and art and performance (which include theater, dance, stand-up comedy, and other live performance). The entries analyze each topic or person's significance in and relevance to American popular culture; in addition to basic factual information, readers will gain perspective on the cultural context in which the topic or person has importance.
The Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction by An A to Z guide to TV science fiction, covering nearly 40 years of memorable - and forgettable - programmes. Over 250 entries cover all major series, plays and cartoons, and over 2000 individual episode and plot lines. This book provides an inexhaustible supply of TV trivia.
International Encyclopedia of Media Studies by 
Encyclopedia of Gender in Media by The media strongly influences our everyday notions of gender roles and our concepts of gender identity. The Encyclopedia of Gender in Media critically examines the role of the media in enabling, facilitating, or challenging the social construction of gender in our society. The work addresses a variety of entertainment and news content in print and electronic media and explores the social construction of masculinity as well as femininity. In addition to representations of gender within the media, we also analyze gender issues related to media ownership and the media workforce. Despite an abundance of textbooks, anthologies, and university press monographs on the topic of gender in media, until now no comprehensive reference work has tackled this topic of perennial interest in student research and papers.
Encyclopedia of Race and Racism by The Encyclopedia of Race and Racism is the first such work examining the anthropological, sociological, historical, economic, and scientific theories of race and racism in the modern era. The set delves into the historic origins of ideas of race and racism and explores their social and scientific consequences. Some of the nearly 400 articles address broad theoretical topics that have helped to shape modern ideas about race and racism; others address more specific subjects in the larger fields. The set includes biographies of dozens of significant theorists, as well as political and social leaders and notorious racists. The Encyclopedia of Race and Racism also includes a carefully chosen selection of primary documents that enhance and reinforce the content of the articles. Set includes a thematic outline, a filmography, and a comprehensive general index.
Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society by "This ambitious undertaking touches all bases, is highly accessible, and provides a solid starting point for further exploration." -School Library JournalThis three-volume reference presents a comprehensive look at the role race and ethnicity play in society and in our daily lives.. The Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society offers informative coverage of intergroup relations in the United States and the comparative examination of race and ethnicity worldwide. Containing nearly 600 entries, this resource provides a foundation to understanding as well as researching racial and ethnic diversity from a multidisciplinary perspective.Key FeaturesDescribes over a hundred racial and ethnic groups, with additional thematic essays discussing broad topics that cut across group boundaries and impact society at largeAddresses other issues of inequality that often intersect with the primary focus on race and ethnicity, such as ability, age, class, gender, and sexual orientationBrings together the most distinguished authorities possible, with 375 contributors from 14 different countries Offers broad historical coverage,, ranging from "Kennewick Man" to the "Emancipation Proclamation" to "Hip-Hop"Presents over 90 maps to help the reader comprehend the source of nationalities or the distribution of ethnic or racial groupsProvides an easy-to-use statistical appendix with the latest data and carefully selected historical comparisonsKey Themes· Biographies· Community and Urban Issues· Concepts and Theories· Criminal Justice· Economics and Stratification· Education· Gender and Family· Global Perspectives· Health and Social Welfare· Immigration and Citizenship· Legislation, Court Decisions, and Treaties· Media, Sports, and Entertainment· Organizations· Prejudice and Discrimination· Public Policy· Racial, Ethnic, and Nationality Groups· Religion· Sociopolitical Movements and Conflicts
Poverty in America by How has the U.S. dealt, throughout its long history, with one of the worlds oldest problems? Although poverty has always been part of the human experience, societal reactions and responses to it have been as varied as the condition has been static. Poverty in America has its own turbulent history of causes, effects, and remedies, from debtor's prison to the War on Poverty, from Social Darwinism to food stamps. This in-depth encyclopedia covers the entire history of American poverty from every angle--historical, social, cultural, political, spiritual, and literary. How has poverty been defined in America? What has been done to prevent it? How have minority groups been affected? How has the church reacted? And what, if anything, can be done to eliminate it? Poverty in America covers these issues in vivid detail, from the colonial period to the Industrial Revolution to the global economy of the 21st century. Impactful primary document excerpts from key periods throughout American history are also included, providing firsthand accounts from all sides of the issue. A chronology of events and an extensive bibliography round out this fascinating work. * Impactful primary document excerpts from key periods throughout American history are also included, providing firsthand accounts from all sides of the issue. * A chronology of events and an extensive bibliography round out this fascinating work.
Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia by 