Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other resources to help you discover basic information—names, dates, definitions, summaries, etc. These are good places to start when narrowing or choosing your topic, and when beginning research on an unfamiliar subject.
The Complete Index to Literary Sources on Film by 
A Dictionary of Media and Communication by 
Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film by 
Film Encyclopedia by 
The Queer Encyclopedia of Film and Television by 
Women Filmmakers and Their Films by Search by background information in the library catalog.
You can search Discover to find many more reference sources such as specialized encyclopedias. Perform a keyword search for your topic and add one of the following words: encyclopedia, dictionary, handbook, guide.
