Salem Press

Salem Press’ reference plays a unique role in schools and libraries. Our works are the perfect starting point, the first resource to which to turn. They provide excellent information, building a foundation of understanding, and offer guidance for further research. These materials are written in clear and succinct language that is accessible to high school and undergraduate level students. Individual essays are robust enough to be thorough but not so exhaustive as to overwhelm someone on the first leg of his research journey.

Salem’s literary and history reference libraries have been library standards for decades. Our much-awarded medical, social science and science sets bring clarity and scope to these important subject areas. Plus, our newer efforts provide insight into current and topical subjects that are provoking research today… and tomorrow.

Available Online Databases

Salem Press has pioneered the delivery of both printed and online reference content. It's offerings now include a wide variety of printed reference that includes free online access to the content in those printed works. For more information on Salem's online offerings, click Online.

Three Printed Formats
Salem provides reference excellence in three formats. Each is designed to suit its subject matter and the intended users of these reference sets.

SALEM PRESS REFERENCE BOOKS

Salem Press reference books are designed to be easy-to-use. They objectively survey a broad field of learning, be it literature, history, biography or science. The information provided is presented in a standardized format, letting the user know where to locate key ready reference information, more extensive narrative background about the topic, objective critical evaluation and references to sources for further reading. Multiple indexes are provided to help readers locate the information they are looking for, among them comprehensive subject, author, title, key word, geographical and category indexes.

Salem Press reference sets are either 6" x 9" or 8" x 10" and include from four to twelve volumes per set.

READY REFERENCE
Salem Press began identifying certain publications as Ready Reference in 1994 with the publication of Ethics. Ready reference titles are encyclopedias covering in depth a narrow subject, such as ethics, criminal justice or censorship.

Articles are arranged alphabetically and are of varying lengths. They discuss topics related to the subject surveyed, both in theory and practice. Readers will use these encyclopedias as a jumping off point for more specialized study. Valuable reference resources appropriate to the subject matter appear in the back of each book and include web site directories, biographical tables, directories of organizations, timelines, and bibliographies. Indexes are designed to help readers locate information quickly and include comprehensive subject indexes, category indexes and others appropriate to the subject being covered.
Salem Press Ready Reference sets are generally 8" x 10" and include from two to four volumes per set.

MAGILL'S CHOICE REFERENCE BOOKS

Established as an imprint of Salem Press in 1997, Magill's Choice titles are designed to offer concise, essential reference at an affordable price. Smaller school and public libraries are the target audience for this imprint, and our editors select subjects and essays that bring students to the library to prepare reports and find sources for further study. Consisting of one-, two-, and three-volume works, the core content is drawn from the Salem Press database in the humanities, social sciences and sciences and is updated and supplemented with new essays to provide basic reference with a long shelf life.

Magill's Choice reference sets are generally 6" x 9" and include from two to three volumes per set.