Encyclopedias, handbooks and companions are great ways to get background information to situate oneself within a broad topic, understand the terms used to describe some topics, and identify sources related to a particular topic. In addition to the online resources listed below, one can also do a Subject (browse) search in the library catalog: e.g. RENAISSANCE ENCYCLOPEDIAS, identifying any topic you can think of. ONLINE options can be filtered out, keeping in mind that titles available in the HathiTrust ETAS won't be designated as ONLINE.
Dictionaries with timelines covering nations of the world, ancient civilizations, intelligence & security, literature, peoples & cultures, philosophy, pop culture (art, music, cinema), religion, sports, United States politics, and wars & conflicts,
Provides overview of classic and current research and future trends in the social sciences and humanities, while at the same time providing an authoritative guide to theory and method, the key sub-disciplines, and the primary debates of today.
Full-text, searchable versions of several hundred paperbacks published by Oxford University Press. Each volume treats a large subject, is written by a well-known scholar (several are Princeton faculty), and includes further readings. These works provide more context on a topic than does an encyclopedia article.
While it is not advisable to use this as a source in an academic paper, it can sometimes LEAD you to other great sources, especially on contemporary topics.
A Cultural History of Gardens presents an authoritative survey from ancient times to the present. Vols: 1. A Cultural History of Gardens in Antiquity 2. A Cultural History of Gardens in the Medieval Age 3. A Cultural History of Gardens in the Renaissance 4. A Cultural History of Gardens in the Age of Enlightenment 5. A Cultural History of Gardens in the Age of Empire 6. A Cultural History of Gardens in the Modern Age
The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture by Nikolaus Pevsner; John Fleming; Hugh Honour
Call Number: NA31.F55 1998 (Marquand Ref. room)
ISBN: 014051323x
For over thirty years, The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture has been a standard work of reference. Now with 'Landscape Architecture' added to its title to reflect the huge expansion of interest in this area, this new edition has been thoroughly revised by John Fleming and Hugh Honour to update many entries, add a great many new ones and gives new prominence to landscape architecture. A classic in its field, this remarkable dictionary contains: biographies of architects, ancient and modern; history and development of architectural styles by country; detailed descriptions of architectural terms; explanations of styles and movements in architecture; new terminology and modern topics; information on contemporary architects; entries on types of buildings and building materials; and clear, detailed drawings where appropriate.
Researching a Garden's History: A Guide to Documentary and Published Sources by David Lambert, Peter Goodchild and Judith Roberts
A Cultural History of Gardens by 
A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture by 
Encyclopedia of Gardens by 
The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture by 
