When you need a general and up-to-date encyclopedia, try Britannica.  This is the online version of the venerable Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Tutt Library has print reference sources for Sustainability.  Reference books can't be checked out, but they can be photocopied. The Reference Stacks section is on the first floor, west of the Circulation Desk.  There are also style guides, dictionaries, phone books, etc. behind the Reference Desk which you are welcome to use.  The other side of the shelf behind the Reference Desk contains books on graduate school, preparing for graduate exams, career info and the like. 

An easy way to search for print Reference books only is to go to advanced search in the library catalog.  On the Shelving Location tab, select 2nd Floor from the list of locations. Then enter your search in the boxes.

Click here for a list of Reference-location books with Sociology as a keyword. Note that for some research areas, you may want to look at reference works from other disciplines.

Consult reference books when you need background information or an overview of a particular subject or concept. You may also find statistics and bibliographic references. Talk to your professor about what constitutes an acceptable souce for your assignment; a general encyclopedia may be considered too elementary.  However, a specialized reference source may be acceptable.