Encyclopedias and Guidebooks
The reference books listed here provide general information about some wilderness topics, but keep in mind we have many more titles in the stacks, which are listed below. Note: The following can be found in the Library's reference area only (1st floor).

Encyclopedia of Outdoor & Wilderness Skills.  Chris Townsend and Annie Aggens.  Camden, Me.: Ragged Mountain Press/McGraw Hill, 2003.
(Ref GV191.3 .T69 2003)
An overview of terms and concepts associated with wilderness skills, from bouldering to bee stings, from hip snap to hang dogging, from roping up to rucksack  - you can look it up here.  Compiled by two very experienced wilderness guides.

Encyclopedia of Leisure and Outdoor Recreation.  John M. Jenkins and John J. Pigram.  London; New York: Routledge, 2003.
(Ref GV11 .E55 2003)
Provides definitions of concepts related to leisure and recreation.  Some terms relate to wilderness studies, such as "Countryside," "Parks," "Rural Recreation," and "Nature-Based Tourism," for example.  Most entries have references and further reading suggestions as well.
 

The Bird Almanac: the Ultimate Guide to Essential Facts and Figures of the World's Birds.  David M. Bird.  Toronto: Firefly Books, 1999.
(Ref QL673 B565 1999)
Contains almost anything you could ever want to know about birds around the world (except pictures).  Topics include fossil history, anatomy, mascot birds, bird-watching info, endangered and threatened species, and a world checklist of birds.  Just what you need after spotting an interesting-looking winged creature somewhere along your hike.

The Green Encyclopedia: an A-Z Sourcebook of Environmental Concerns - and Solutions.  Irene Franck and David Brownstone.  New York: Prentice Hall General Reference, 1992.
(Ref GE 10 F73 1992)
A compilation of terms, concepts, places and institutions related to the environment, plus lists of endangered species, hazardous substances and biosphere reserves, among others.  Some of the contact information is dated.

The Shrub Identification Book. George W.D. Symonds. New York: William Morrow & Co., 1963.
(Ref QK 482 S89 1963a)
This book  is filled with up-close photographs of all kinds of shrubs, vines and groundcovers and their flowers, leaves, stems, thorns, bark and other characteristics.  Although it was published 40 years ago, the information is still relevant.

The Whitewater Sourcebook: a Directory of Information on American Whitewater Rivers.  Richard Penny. Birmingham, Ala. : Menasha Ridge Press, 1989.
(Ref GV 776.A2 P46 1989)
This comprehensive guide lists whitewater rivers by state, and includes information such as sections for paddling, length of runs, location, maps, when "runnable," if a permit is required, and sources for more information.

Maps and Atlases
The following maps and atlases can be found on the atlas stand or in the Reference area of Ely Library.  Ask a Reference Librarian for assistance.

DeLorme Atlases & Gazetteers.  Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme Mapping, 2002.
(Ref G1200 .D44)
Very detailed topographic and road maps for all 50 states.

Macmillan Color Atlas of the States.  Mark T. Mattson. New York : Macmillan Library Reference USA; London: Prentice Hall International, 1996.
(Ref G 1200 .M4 1996)

Rand McNally 1998 Road Atlas: United States, Canada, and Mexico. [Chicago, IL]: Rand McNally, 1998.
(Ref G 1201.P22 R3 1998)

Materials in the Stacks
To find books and other items in the Ely Library, use the Ely Library Catalog, http://catalog.lib.wsc.ma.edu/.  For information about Wilderness Leadership, the following are just a few Library of Congress Subject Headings that may help you.  Search for these under "Subject Browse" in the Catalog:

"Outdoor Cookery"
"Outdoor Education"
"Outdoor Life"
"Outdoor Medical Emergencies"
"Outdoor Recreation"
"Survival after Airplane Accidents, Shipwrecks, etc."
"Survival skills Handbooks, manuals, etc."
"Wilderness Areas"
"Wilderness Survival"

There could be many different terms that work for your search, so for more help, go to the Searching the Ely Library Catalog guide, or just ask one of the Reference librarians!

Suggested Titles:
Adventure Education.  John C. Miles, Simon Priest.  State College, PA: Venture Publishing, c1990.
(GV200.52 .M5 1990)

The Complete Ropes Course Manual. Karl Rohnke, Catherine Tait, Jim Wall.  Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., c1997.
(GV362 R555 1997)

The Complete Wilderness Training Book.  Hugh McManners.  London ; New York : Dorling Kindersley ; Boston : Distributed by Houghton Mifflin Co., 1994.
(GF86 .M35 1994)

Eating Hearty in the Wilderness with Absolutely No Clean Up: a Backpacker's Guide to Good Food and "Leave No Trace Camping!"  Kreissman, Bern.  Davis, Calif.: Bear Klaw Press, 1994.
(TX823 .K74 1994)

The Encyclopedia of Survival Techniques. Alexander Stilwell.  London: Lyons Press, 2000.
(GV200.5 .S74 2000)

A Handbook for Wilderness Survival.  New York: M. Evans and Co., 1996.
(GV 200.5 .H37 1996)

Incidents in Challenge Education: A Guide to Leadership Development.  Thomas E. Smith.  Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., c1994.
(LB1047 S584 1994)

Mountainman Crafts and Skills: a Fully Illustrated Guide to Wilderness Living and Survival.  David R. Montgomery.  New York, N.Y.: Lyons Press, c2000.
(TT23.6 .M65 2000)

NOLS Wilderness First Aid.  Tod Schimelpfenig and Linda Lindsey; illustrated by Joan Safford.  Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, c2000.
(RC88.9.O95 S35 2000)

Orienteering.  Steve Boga.  Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, c1997.
(GV200.4 .B64 1997)

Outdoor Survival. Garth Hattingh.  Mechanicsberg, PA : Stackpole Books, 2003.
(GV200.5 .H38 2003)

Solo: On Her Own Adventure.  Ed. by Susan Fox Rogers. Seattle, WA: Seal Press ; [Emeryville, CA] : Distributed to the trade by Publishers Group West, c1996.
(PS648.O88 S65 1996)

Wilderness Management: Stewardship and Protection of Resources and Values.  John C. Hendee.  Golden, Colo.: Fulcrum Pub., c2002.
(QH76 .H46 2002)

Wilderness survival. Gregory J. Davenport.  Mechanicsburg, PA : Stackpole Books, c1998.
(GV200.5 .D38 1998)

Databases: Library Catalog and Periodical Indexes
If you do not find the information you're looking for in these databases, some of the websites listed in the next section have "research" links that you might find helpful.

Ely Library catalog  For BOOKS, VIDEOS and more at the Ely Library
http://catalog.lib.wsc.ma.edu/
Use the subject headings as described above, or search by author, title or keyword.  For help with using the catalog, go to the Searching the Ely Library Catalog guide, or ask a librarian at the reference desk.

SportDiscus  Limited to WSC community use
http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#SportDiscus
Here you can find citations and abstracts for articles, book reviews and other documents.  Among the most useful subject headings are "Wilderness," "Wilderness Survival," "Outdoor Education," "Adventure Education," "Backpacking," and "Camping."

ERIC  Limited to WSC community use
http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#ERIC
Here you can find citations and abstracts for articles, book reviews and other documents.  Some sources may be similar to those found in SportDiscus.  ERIC actually has many more records under "Outdoor Education," but some have more to do with environmental education, field trips, or science classes, for example, than with wilderness leadership.  But both ERIC and SportDiscus are very worth your while to search.

Academic Search Premier    Limited to WSC community use
http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#ACADEMIC
Contains a wide range of articles, from scholarly to popular in full-text.  Search under Subject for "Outdoor Education," "Wilderness," and "Wilderness Medicine," for example.  Also a good source for book reviews on wilderness/outdoor  topics.

Expanded Academic ASAP    Limited to WSC community use
http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/dbalpha.htm#ExpandedAcademic
Also contains scholarly and popular articles in full-text.  Search under Subject Guide for "Wilderness Survival," "Wilderness Areas," "Survival After Airplane Accidents, Shipwrecks, Etc.," and "Survival Equipment," for example.

Recommended Websites
Outdoored.com - The Professional's Resource
http://www.outdoored.com/
Great source for all kinds of information about outdoor education, including equipment, safety, risk management, conferences, job listings, new technology, and links to news articles related to Outdoor Ed.  Also, under the "Research" or "Articles" link, you can search for article citations and some links to full-text articles. Functions better in Internet Explorer.

The Outdoor Network
http://www.outdoornetwork.com/
Great resource for up-to-date information about the "outdoor industry."  Includes the latest news, gear reviews and book reviews and back issues of the newsletter, "The Outdoor Network."  Also has a "Jobnet."  And if you're looking for journal articles, go to "Sourcenet" and "Resources" for a great list of links to quality research articles and other information!

Leave No Trace
http://www.lnt.org/
A non-profit organization promoting greater respect for the environment by "leaving no trace" of your visit to a wilderness area.  Contains, for example, the Principles of Leave No Trace, Teaching Resources, information about their courses, and publications for sale.

National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
http://www.nols.edu/
Site of one of the best known wilderness leadership programs in the U.S.  Contains lots of useful information, including a "research" section with numerous well-researched articles and studies in full-text!  Also lists available jobs.

Outward Bound
http://www.outwardbound.com
Also a well-known wilderness leadership program.  Site describes its many courses and schools, has listing of jobs and other information about leading people in the outdoors.

Wilderness Emergencies
http://www.emedicine.com/wild/contents.htm
An online textbook written by physicians that provides information for the lay person on the recognition and treatment of wilderness medical illnesses.

Wilderness.net
http://www.wilderness.net/
Has almost any information you might want about "wilderness" in the United States.  Includes the meaning of wilderness, legislation affecting it, education tools, news and more.  For scholarly research, click on  "Research" and then "Databases," where you'll find all kinds of links to free databases on specific wilderness topics.

Lii.org - Outdoor Recreation
http://lii.org/search/file/outdoor
A dependable online directory of websites (maintained by librarians!), with many relevant topics under "Outdoor Recreation."  Topics include Backpacking, Birdwatching, Orienteering, Rafting and Topographic Maps, for example.

 

Page maintained by B. Hubbard
Last revised 9-11-07