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.
These are just a sampling of some of the reference books that contain background information on Chemical Sciences. Search the catalog or ask a librarian to find more, or ones most relevant to your topic.
Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary by 
Organic Chemist's Desk Reference 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.
