Atlas
A book of maps with or without text. The word atlas was first used as the title of a book by Gerardus Mercator in 1585.
Examples: Atlas of the World, Rand McNally Atlas of the Earth's Resources
Biographical Index
A book of information about people who are well known in a particular field.
Examples: Who's Who, Current Biography
Dictionary
Definitions, spellings, and pronunciations of words, arranged in alphabetical order.
Examples: The American Heritage Dictionary, The Misspellers' Dictionary, Young People's Science Dictionary
Directory
The names and addresses as well as other facts about specific groups, persons, or organizations.
Examples: Guide to Summer Camps, Children's Media Marketplace
Encyclopedia
Information on just about every subject arranged in alphabetical order.
Examples: World Book Encyclopedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Gazetteer
A geographical dictionary or index with the names of places and their locations in alphabetical order.
Example: Chambers World Gazetteer: An A-Z of Geographical Information
Guidebook
Information and directions, often for travelers.
Examples: Fodor's Travel Guides, Guide to the Ski Touring Centers of New England, Barron's Guide to the Most Prestigious Colleges
Manual/Handbook
Instructions on how to do or make something.
Examples: A Manual for Writing Term Papers, by Kate L. Turabian; The Manual of Martial Arts, by Ron van Clief
Thesaurus
Synonyms, or near synonyms, for words as well as related terms.
Example: Roget's Thesaurus
Yearbook/Almanac
Current information on a wide range of topics.
Examples: Time Almanac, Information Please Sports Almanac, Guinness Book of World Records
