Text book and Reference book

           Text book-

A textbook is an informational book that you use specifically for a class at school. Your biology textbook might be so heavy that you dread lugging it to class.

Textbooks are manuals written for instruction in a subject, rather than books you might read for fun. Today many students read textbooks in electronic form, rather than as bound hardcovers. Starting around the 19th century (with easy access to printing and standardized education in many parts of the world), textbooks became a common educational tool. Earlier, a textbook was a name for "a book with wide spaces between the lines."

Ex.-A textbook of Biology.

Reference book-

 Any written or printed composition of some length is called a book. It covers all kinds of reading materials in any form, which serves the purpose of readers whether for general or recreational reading or for study and research or for more consultation as source of information. On the other hand a reference book is usually consulted briefly to determine specific information.

Book which are written so that this can read consecutively for inspiration, enjoyment or information is called ordinary or general book, than books which are design to be consulted or refereed to from time to time, for a specific piece of information, ordinarily these don’t lend themselves to continuous reading.

Broadly speaking any book can be called a reference book provide the information contained in it’s so organized so that it become readily accessible is called reference book.

Characteristics of Reference books-

A Reference book is designed by its arrangement and treatment to serve certain purpose. Some of the characteristics of reference books are:

1. They are intended primarily for occasional consultation.
2. They are consulted for definite items of information.
3. The information included in them is collected from a vast number of sources.
4. It is a miscellany of information and facts.
5. The arrangement of information is such that it can be conveniently and quickly recalled.
6. It follows some methods of arrangement e.g. Alphabetical, Chronological or other methods.
7. They include only the bird-eye-view of the topics and rarely deal them in depth.
8. They usually concentrate on facts.
9. They are normally not issued on loan and kept for use in the library only.
10. Information in a reference book is so organized that anyone can easily get their desired information.

Types of Reference books-

The followings are several types of reference books:

1.  Dictionary.
2. Encyclopaedia.
3. Directories.
4. Bibliographies.
5. Audio visual Materials.
6. Year-Books, Almanacs, and Supplements to encyclopaedia.
7. Geographical sources, Gazetteers, guide-books, maps, atlases etc.
8. Current sources: Handbooks, manuals and sources of statistics.

Definition of Dictionary-

1: a reference source in print or electronic form containing words usually alphabetically arranged along with information about their forms, pronunciations, functions, etymologies, meanings, and syntactic and idiomatic uses

2: a reference book listing alphabetically the words of one language and showing their meanings or translations in another language.

Ex-Oxford Dictionary.

Definition of Encyclopedia-

 A work that contains information on all branches of knowledge or treats comprehensively a particular branch of knowledge usually in articles arranged alphabetically often by subject.

Ex-Encyclopædia Britannica.

Definition of Thesaurus-

1: a book of words or of information about a particular field or set of concepts especially : a book of words and their synonyms.

2: a list of subject headings or descriptors usually with a cross-reference system for use in the organization of a collection of documents for reference and retrieval.

Ex-Roget’s Thesaurus.

Directory-

 A book containing an alphabetical or classified listing of names, addresses, and other data, such as telephone numbers, of specific persons, groups, or firms.

Ex-Telephone Directory.

Yearbook-

 A yearbook is the type of book that is published once in every year. It consists of the information regarding the achievements and events that had occurred the year before it. It may be published in accordance with a place or even an organization.  

Its different types are:

• Educational books: it helps the staff members to learn their skills regarding design, writing, photography, technology etc.

• Picture books: shows readers and their friends in action and also in reaction.

• History books: it consists of pictures regarding the events that had made the institution different from the other ones.

• Public relations books: this gives an outsider the complete detail regarding the school, which includes the achievements and the specialties that the school has.

• Fun books: these are actually meant for excitement in the readers.  

ALMANAC-

1. An annual publication containing a calendar for the coming year, the times of such events and phenomena as anniversaries, sunrises and sunsets, phases of the moon, tides, etc., and other statistical information and related topics.

2 .A publication containing astronomical or meteorological information, usually including future positions of celestial objects, star magnitudes, and culmination dates of constellations.

 Ex.- The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2020.

Gazetteer-

A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary or directory, an important reference for information about places and place names, used in conjunction with a map or a full atlas. It typically contains information concerning the geographical makeup of a country, region, or continent as well as the social statistics and physical features, such as mountains, waterways, or roads. Examples of information provided by gazetteers include the location of places, dimensions of physical features, population, GDP, literacy rate, etc. This information is generally divided into overhead topics with entries listed in alphabetical order.

Modern gazetteers can be found in reference sections of most libraries as well as on the Web.

Ex-The Columbia Gazetteer of the World, 1998).

 

 

Guide book-

A guide book or travel guide is "a book of information about a place designed for the use of visitors or tourists" 

It will usually include information about sights, accommodation, restaurants, transportation, and activities. Maps of varying detail and historical and cultural information are often included.

Ex. Blue Guide Greece: The Mainland (Blue Guides)- 2006

Audio visual Materials-

Audiovisual (AV) is electronic media possessing both a sound and a visual component, such as slide-tape presentations, films, television programs, corporate conferencing, church services, and live theater productions.

According to The Librarian Glossary (1987) “AVMs as non-book materials like tapes, slides, films which are renewed and recent to rather then read as books.”

Audio Visual Materials are important to all circle of learning that start from the lowest to the highest, including informal education that starts at home and then the nursery, primary, secondary, tertiary and University. 

Ex.-

• Telivision
• Film
• Motion Picture
• Video tapes
• Printed materials with recorded sound etc.

Atlas-

An atlas is a book of maps.

Atlases are usually large, oversized books that contain maps, diagrams, and information such as population figures. Traditionally, atlas refers specifically to a bound book of maps rather than to a folding map, a globe, or an online database.

Ex.- Oxford Atlas of the World.

Manuals-

A book that explains how to do or operate something.

Ex.- Popular medical manuals in the 19th Century United States.

Handbook-

A small book that gives instructions on how to use something or advice and information about a particular subject.

Ex.- The Valve employee handbook

Map-

A drawing or plan of (part of) the surface of the earth that shows countries, rivers, mountains, roads, etc.

Ex.-  PETERS WORLD map, 1973

LIBRARY,KV No.02,. MRN Mathura