Reference Resources
Bibliographies, Catalogues, Guides | Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Handbooks
Directories | Statistical Publications

The following selection of reference books in Memorial Library Reference (262 Memorial Library) provides a good starting point for EU-related research projects.

Bibliographies, Catalogues, Guides (top)

Accessing European Union Information. Washington, D.C.: Library, Press and Public Affairs Section, Delegation of the European Commission, 2003.
Memorial Reference JN27 A3 2003
Also on the web. Url: http://www.eurunion.org/infores/resguide.htm
A thorough introductory guide to EU institutions, procedures, and publications.

Deckmyn, Veerle. Guide to Official Information of the European Union. Rev. ed. Maastricht, The Netherlands: European Institute for Public Administration, 1996.
Memorial Reference KJE927 D42 1996
A very brief and understandable guide to EU institutions and their publications.

EIA Quick Guides. Manchester, England: European Information Association, 2004.
No. 1: How to Use the Official Journal
No. 2: How to Trace a Directive
No. 3: How to Trace COM Documents
Memorial Reference KJE928 E4

Key Publications of the European Union. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1999-
Memorial Reference HC241.2 E8783
"...a promotional tool for recent publications and those titles most in demand."

Thomson, Ian. The Documentation of the European Communities: A Guide. London: Mansell, 1989.
Memorial Reference JN15 T56 1989
The most complete guide available to EC documents and publications pre-web.

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and Handbooks (top)

Blair, Alasdair. The Longman Companion to the European Union since 1945. London: Longman, 1999.
Memorial Reference JN15 B59 1999
A historical approach, with chronologies, a glossary, information on the institutions and the member states, biographies of office holders and more.

Bainbridge, Timothy. The Penguin Companion to European Union.
3rd ed. London: Penguin, 2002.
Memorial Reference JN30 B35 2002
A useful reference book, with short articles in alphabetical order.

Council Guide. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1997-
Memorial Reference JN34 C6
Labeled "internal document", this guide seems intended for EU bureaucrats and may have more information on the Council of the European Union (formerly Council of Ministers) than you want to know. But it does give interesting insight into the workings of this body.

Encyclopedia of the European Union. Ed. By Desmond Dinan. Updated ed. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2000.
Memorial Reference JN30 E52 2000
Over 700 in-depth articles on EU topics; all are signed and include bibliographies.

The European Council. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2000.
Memorial Reference JN15 E872 2000
A very short guide intended to inform the public about the European Council (periodic summit meetings of the heads of government of the member states).

The European Union: A Guide for Americans. Washington, DC: Delegation of the European Commission, 2002.
Memorial Reference JN30 E97 2002
Also on the web. Url: http://www.eurunion.org/infores/euguide/euguide.htm
Colorful and basic, this short guide introduces Americans to the EU–history, policies, institutions, and relations with the U.S.

The European Union Encyclopedia and Directory. 5th ed. London: Europa Publications, 2005.
Memorial Reference HC241.2 E974 2005
An attempt to get everything under one cover: a dictionary of short topical articles, a series of essays, an extensive directory of institutions and officials, and statistics.

The European Union Handbook. Ed. By Jackie Gower; adviser Ian Thomson. 2nd ed. London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2002.
Memorial Reference D1060 E97 2002
Signed, fairly lengthy chapters on various aspects of EU history and policies. Also includes a chronology, glossary, short biographical dictionary, and a substantial bibliography.

Leach, Rodney. Europe: A Concise Encyclopedia of the European Union from Aachen to Zollverein. London: Profile Books, 2000.
Memorial Reference JN30 L43 2000
Entries vary in length from one paragraph to several pages. Topics selected based on whether they "might crop up in an informed current discussion". Therefore topics of interest only to "historians " and "bureaucrats" have been omitted.

Medhurst, David. A Brief and Practical Guide to EU Law. 3rd ed. Oxford, England: Blackwell Science, 2001.
Memorial Reference KJE949 M43 2001
Intended for lawyers, but the lay person can also benefit from chapters on treaties, institutions, legislation and other topics.

Phinnemore, David, and Lee McGowan. A Dictionary of the European Union. London: Europa, 2004.
Memorial Reference KJE926.5 P55 2004
Over 1,000 entries in dictionary format, ranging in length from a few sentences to a page. Covers names of people and places, terms, institutions and more.

Ramsay, Anne. Eurojargon: A Dictionary of European Union Acronyms, Abbreviations and Terminology. 7th ed. Comp. and ed. by Eric Davies. Manchester: EIA, 2004.
Ref HC240 E748 2004

Vanthoor, Wim F. V. A Chronological History of the European Union 1946-1998. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 1999.
Memorial Reference HC240 V258 1999
227 pages of chronology, with enough text for each date to clearly explain events. Ends with "The Euro is born".

Directories (top)

Day, Alan J. Directory of European Union Political Parties. London: John Harper, 2000.
Memorial Reference JN50 D39 2000
Information on parties in member countries plus European Parliament party groups.

Euro Guide: Annuaire des institutions de l'union européenne = Yearbook of the Institutions of the European Union. Bruxelles: Editions Delta.
Memorial Reference JN15 A651
[Latest ed. in Reference; earlier editions in Memorial Stacks Oversize shelving]
Detailed directory; includes photos of EP reps.

Who's Who in the European Union? Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1997-
Memorial Reference HC241.2 I5974
[Latest ed. in Reference; earlier editions in Memorial Stacks Oversize shelving]
Also on the web. Url: http://europa.eu.int/idea Click on "Interinstitutional Directory."
Good brief intro to the institutions; primarily a directory of institutions, bodies and agencies in the EU.

Statistical Publications (top)

Economic Portrait of the European Union. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2000-
Memorial Reference HC240 A1 E36
[latest ed. in Reference; earlier editions in Memorial Stacks Oversize shelving]
Tables, graphs and text presenting macroeconomic data on the EU and member states.

European Business: Facts and Figures. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2002-
Memorial Reference HC241.2 P313
[latest ed. in Reference; earlier editions in Memorial Stacks Oversize shelving]
Data included "traces the major developments of output, employment and external trade."

Eurostat Yearbook. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1995-
Memorial Reference HA1107.5 E976
[latest ed. in Reference; earlier editions in Memorial Stacks Oversize shelving]
Tables and graphs with data on people, environment, economy, business and agriculture, trade and the candidate countries. The 2002 yearbook covers the period 1990-2000.

Regions, Statistical Yearbook. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2000-
Memorial Reference HA1107.5 A273
[accompanying CD-ROM in Microform/Media Center, 443 Memorial]
"...comparable data on a wide range of themes across all regions of the EU15 and the candidate countries..."