LibGuides: Microbiology: Books

About Books

Using Books for Research

You do not necessarily need to read the entire book.

Use the table of contents and the index to find where in a book information about your topic is located.
The introduction to a book may be a good place to find background information on the topic the book is about.
Sometimes chapters in books are complete works written by different authors, making them ideal for research.

Reference, Circulating and E-Books

Reference books are generally used to find basic information and overviews of topics, such as definitions, physical description and characteristics of microorganisms, lab techniques, and toxicity or virulence. Microbiology books you can check out (circulating books) may go into greater depth about specific microorganisms or diseases caused by them. Both kinds of books may be available either as printed books in the STLCC libraries or as e-books.

Reference Books

Microbiology reference books are excellent places to find information about microorganisms including:

nomenclature and taxonomy
physical description and characteristics
ecology and habitats
lab techniques
toxicity and virulence

They are also are good source to find articles on general topics and processes in the field of microbiology.

AccessScience This link opens in a new window
Collection of science reference materials including articles, videos, and animations.
AccessScience is a collection of science reference materials with full search capabilities of the 10th edition of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and Research Updates from the McGraw-Hill Yearbooks of Science & Technology. AccessScience also includes access to 110,000+ definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, biographies of scientists, late-breaking science and technology news, and bibliographies containing more than 28,000 literature citations. It provides links to evaluated related learning resources including web sites, study guides, and images. Includes a Q&A section that is updated weekly.

Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology by John G. Holt
Call Number: Reference 589.9 B496 1994
Users will find short general descriptions that encompass all organisms by Groups; shape and size, Gram reaction, other pertinent morphological features, motility and flagella, relations to oxygen, basic type of metabolism, carbon and energy sources, habitat and ecology. BMDB-9 also includes discussions of difficulties in identification, keys or tables to genera and species, genus descriptions, synonyms, other nomenclatural changes, and numerous illustrations.
Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2nd ed. by George M. Garrity (Editor-In-Chief); David R. Boone (Editor); Richard W. Castenholz (Editor)
Call Number: Reference 579.301 B4963
Bacteriologists from all levels of expertise and within all specialties rely on this Manual as one of the most comprehensive and authoritative works. Descriptions of over 2000 new and realigned species are included in this new edition along with more in-depth ecological information about individual taxa and extensive introductory essays by leading authorities in the field.
Dictionary of Microbiology & Molecular Biology
This Third, Revised Edition of a unique, encyclopaedic reference work covers the whole field of pure and applied microbiology and microbial molecular biology, from A to Zythia. Online access from Credo Reference.