Chinese for Beginners: Reference Sources Plus

Reference books should only be used for an overview, and not as one of your major sources.  Because reference book articles are short, you are not going to find the level of detail required to write a successful paper.

Circulating books offers more specific information on one major subject with lots of details in its further subdivision.  You may also find lots of supporting materials via facts, personal experience or survey as well as possible some statistics.  It takes you to a deeper level of research.

The Garver Room houses the library’s main reference collection. Other reference books are housed in the S2 stacks.

Use reference materials, such as almanacs, fact books, dictionaries and encyclopedias to get an overview of key terms and concepts related to your topics as a way to begin the research process.

Reference books are located in the Garver Room (silent study room).

• Reference books CANNOT be checked out or leave the library.
• Please return reference books to the Garver Room when you're done using them.
• All reference books will have the prefix REF before the call number.

Circulating books are located in the stacks. 

• Please use the Stack Directory in the Main Help Desk area or ask librarians.
• If you don't find a circulating book in the stack, you may check 1) Books around the slot where it should be; 2) The shelves with "To be shelved" in the stacks; 3) Ask the librarian at the Circulation Desk to see if it is just returned.
• Librarians can help you to get a copy via an Interlibrary Loan service.

You may also explore OWHL's collection by youself via NOBLE Catalog to get titles like these:

Chinese 123 : I sing along 

Chinese Power Learning Games

Easy Chinese for kids. 1

Get talking Chinese : Mandarin Chinese for beginners

体验汉语拼音课本 = Experiencing Chinese Pinyin book

Ancient Chinese inventions = 中国古代发明

Four inventions in ancient China : papermaking, movable printing, magic compass, Taoist priest and gunpowder

Stories of scientists in ancient China  

China : 3000 years of art and literature  

China : a global studies handbook 

China : its history and culture 

The Classical gardens of Suzhou 

Qu wei Han zi 趣味汉字 = What's in a Chinese character 

Remember, we always welcome your recommendations. To make a recommendation to this list, please contact Ms. Pei via her email or click on the comments below . Thank you in advance for your participation.

汉语世界 The World of Chinese No. 12, 2008 to date in print on shelf.

It is a great source for modern Chinese culture and language with featured articles on each issue.  It also has some fun topics on economy, food, songs, love and people's daily life. You are going to love it!

Q. Dear librarian, After I searched the NOBLE Catalog system, I found one of the items I like to read having a call number like this:  C951 M12YI.  what does it mean and where I can find it?

A. This prefix means this item is in Chinese language. You can find it in the regular stacks for all books in the range of 951.  Ms. Pei

Q. What's the best way to memorize Chinese characters?

A. There are a number of ways to help you memorize: 1)Looking at the radicals and treat Chinese radicals as English prefixes, they will give you a very good idea of what the word is related to, for example: 你. The left side of the word means human or a person, which could tell you this word is a pronoun.