The Butter Lamb Reference Library (BLRL) contains more than 275 references* and is always expanding. The following is a (mostly) complete list of the books on the BLRL’s shelves (as of 12/17/2023) arranged by subject. At the end of the list are some supplementary notes.

 

Abbreviations

Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations 

 

Accounting

Glossary of Accounting Language

 

Allusion

Facts on File Dictionary of Classical, Biblical, and Literary

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions

 

Animal

Dictionary Of Animal Words and Phrases

 

Architecture

Penguin Dictionary of Architecture 

​

Bible

Pictorial Bible Dictionary

Bible Dictionary (Peloubet's) 

Dictionary of the Bible (Mckenzie)

Davis Dictionary of the Bible

Bible Dictionary (Harper Collins)

​

Biography

Webster's Biographical Dictionary

​

Books and Printing

American Dictionary of Printing and Bookmaking

Encyclopedia of the Book

​

Books on References

Chasing the Sun

Alpha to Omega

Brief History of Encyclopedias

Word Origins

Professor and the Madman

The Meaning of Everything

Word By Word

Defining the World

 

Catholicism

Basic Catholic Dictionary

Catholic Dictionary

Catholic Dictionary

New Concise Catholic Dictionary

​

Christianity

Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church  

​

Cliches

Dictionary Of Cliches

Cliches

​

Construction

Construction Dictionary

​

Critical Theory

Oxford Dictionary of Critical Theory

​

Culture

Geektionary 

Doomsday Dictionary

Dictionary of Global Culture

Dictionary of Cultural Literacy

Concise Glossary of Cultural Theory 

Dictionary of Bad Manners

​

Dreams

Wordsworth Dictionary of Dreams 

Dreamers Dictionary

Dream Dictionary from A to Z

Dream Dictionary

​

Encyclopedias

Columbia Encyclopedia 

Columbia Viking Desk Encyclopedia 

​

Eponyms

Dictionary of Eponyms

​

Etymology

Dictionary of Word Origins (Flavell)

Webster's New Explorer Dictionary of Word Origins

NTC's Dictionary of Word Origins

Dictionary of Word Roots And Combining Forms

Dictionary of Word Origins (Shipley)

Concise Dictionary of English Etymology

Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English

Dictionary of Word Origins (Ayto)

Chambers Dictionary of Etymology

Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories

Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins

Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins

 

Euphemism

Dictionary of Republicanisms 

Faber Dictionary of Euphemism

Rawson's Dictionary of Euphemisms and Other Doubletalk

Doublespeak Dictionary

Devil's Dictionary

Dictionary of Bullshit

​

Film

The Film Snob's Dictionary 

Dictionary of Film Quotation 

​

Finance

Barron's Dictionary of Financial Investment Terms

​

Folklore

Larousse Dictionary of World Folklore

Dictionary of Fairies

​

Foreign Language

Collins Latin-English Dictionary

Oxford Latin Dictionary

Routledge Dictionary of Latin Quotations

Cassell's Italian Dictionary

New Cassell's German Dictionary

Dictionary and Grammar of the Eastern Island Language

Dictionary of Foreign Terms

​

Gardening

Practical Encyclopedia of Gardening in Dictionary Form

​

Geography

Oxford Dictionary of Geography

MW Geographical Dictionary

​

General Dictionaries

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1969)

World Book Dictionary (Vol. 1 And 2)

Longman Dictionary of American English

Webster's Third New International Dictionary

Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary

Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary

The Volume Library

Shorter Oxford English Dictionary

Reader's Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary: A to Z

Courtis-Watters Illustrated Golden Dictionary for Young Readers

Webster's New World College Dictionary 

Microsoft Encarta College Dictionary

Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language

Webster's Eleventh New Collegiate Dictionary

Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary

Webster's New World Dictionary (Senior Edition)

Reader's Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary (vol. 3)

Winston Dictionary (1957)

Dictionary of American Regional English (vol. 1)

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

Oxford English Reference Dictionary

Random House Dictionary of the English Language

Websterisms 

B.B. New Nuttall's Dictionary

Johnson's Dictionary: A Modern Selection

National Dictionary (1940)

Donohue's Standard New Century (1914)

Webster's Dictionary

New Webster's Dictionary and Roget's Thesaurus

Wordsworth School Dictionary

School and Office Dictionary

Everyday American English Dictionary

Comprehensive Desk Dictionary A-K and L-Z

​

Graphology

Dictionary of Graphology

 

Ideas/Theory/Thought

Harper Dictionary of Modern Thought

New Dictionary of Thought

Dictionary of Theories

QPB Dictionary of Ideas

 

ldioms

Idiom Savant

Brewer's Dictionary of 20th Century Phrase and Fable

Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

NTC's American Idiom Dictionary

 

-Isms

A Compendium of Concepts, Doctrines, Traits, & Beliefs

​

Journalism

Oxford Dictionary of Journalism

 

Klingon

Klingon Dictionary

 

Law

Black's Law Dictionary

Law Dictionary

 

Lexicography

Dictionary of Lexicography

 

Linguistics

Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics

 

Literary

Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms

Reader's Guide to Literary Terms

Oxford Companion to American Literature

Dictionary of Imaginary Places 

Blake Dictionary

Oxford Guide to British Women Writers 

Reader's Encyclopedia

Dictionary of Fictional Characters

​

Mathematics

Universal Encyclopedia of Mathematics

 

Medical

Mosby's Medical & Nursing Dictionary

Duncan's Dictionary for Nurses

Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary

Pocket Medical Dictionary

Stedman's Medical Dictionary

Blakiston's New Gould Medical Dictionary

Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary

American Illustrated Medical Dictionary

Medical Dictionary and Health Manual

​

Misc.

The Browser's Book of Beginnings

A Book about a Thousand Things

Dictionary of Misinformation

Myth Information

​

Music

The Rock Snob's Dictionary

Music Theory Dictionary

Concise Oxford Dictionary of opera

Lectionary of Music

Harvard Dictionary of Music

Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians

 

Myth

Dictionary of Classical Mythology

Dictionary of Classical Mythology, Religion, Literature, and

The Dictionary of World Myth

Penguin Dictionary of Classical Mythology

Dictionary of Mythology

 

Names

Name Dictionary

​

Needlepoint

Complete Encyclopedia of Needlework

​

Old West

Dictionary of the Old West

​

Philosophy

Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion

New Dictionary of Existentialism

Oxford Companion to Philosophy

A Dictionary of Existentialism

Philosophical Dictionary (Voltaire)

A Dictionary of Philosophy (Flew)

A Dictionary of Philosophy (Lacey)

Philosophical Dictionary (Bunge)

Philosophy (Angeles)

Dictionary of Political Thought 

 

Photography

Focal Encyclopedia of Photography

 

Proverbs

Dictionary of Proverbs (Flavell)

Random House Dictionary of Proverbs 

Penguin Dictionary of Proverbs

 

Psychology

Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology

Oxford Dictionary of Psychology 

Psychiatric Dictionary

Freud Dictionary of Psychoanalysis

 

Quotations

Bartlett's Famous Quotations

Bloomsbury Treasury of Quotations

​

Religion

Dictionary of All Scriptures and Myths

Dictionary of Saints

Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions

Penguin Dictionary of Religions

Oxford Dictionary of Popes 

Watkins Dictionary of Religions and Secular Faiths

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature

Encyclopedia of Hell

 

Rhyme

Complete Rhyming Dictionary  (Wood)

Capricorn Rhyming Dictionary

​

Science

Science Class You Wish You Had

Dictionary of Scientific Literacy

Dictionary of Science and Creationism

Dictionary of Natural Resources

Dictionary of Forestry

Penguin Dictionary of Biology 

​

Shakespeare

Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

​

Sign Language

Signed English Dictionary

 

Similes

Wilsstch's Dictionary of Similes

Similes Dictionary

 

Slang

Dictionary of Americanisms

A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English

American Slang

Thesaurus of Slang

The Slang of Sin

 

Sociology

Penguin Dictionary of Sociology

Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology

 

Social Reform

Dictionary of American Social Reform 

 

Special Dictionaries

Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary

Reverse Dictionary

Webster's Dictionary Game 

Webster's Crossword Puzzle Dictionary

 

Superstition

How Did It Begin?

Cassell Dictionary of Superstitions 

 

Symbols

Mammoth Dictionary of Symbols

Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art

Herder Symbol Dictionary

A Dictionary of Symbols (Cirlot) 

Continuum Encyclopedia of Symbols

Dictionary of Symbols (Penguin)

Dictionary of Symbolism

Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols

​

Thesauri

Roget's Thesaurus

Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus 

Synonym Finder

Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms

Comprehensive Word Guide

Thinker's Thesaurus

Crabb's English Synonyms

​

Technology

Robotics Sourcebook and Dictionary 

The Way Things Work: Illustrated Encyclopedia of Technology

​

Usage

Dictionary of Modern English Usage

Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar

Webster's Dictionary of English Usage

​

Visual Dictionary

Ultimate Visual Dictionary

​

Words

Dr. Johnson's Reliquary of Rediscovered Words

Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words

One-letter Words 

International Dictionary of Obscenity

Heavens to Betsy 

Wicked Words

Dictionary of Uncommon Words

Dictionary of Obsolete English

The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate

When Is a Pig a Hog

There's a Word for It

The Word Lover's Dictionary

The Descriptionary of Confusable Words

Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions

F Word

 

Writing Reference

Elements of Style

Writer's Reference 

 

 

Notes:

 

Use of the word “references” here refers to general dictionaries, subject-area dictionaries, subject-area encyclopedias, and thesauri. I’ve also included some books on references that provide information on the development of dictionaries over the centuries and provide context on the various approaches to and trends in lexicography displayed in the BLRL’s collection. It does not include a significant number of other volumes in the BLRL’s holdings that straddle the line between non-fiction and reference, such as writing guides, how-to books, field guides, and the like.