A really great way to start researching a new topic is by getting an overview or in-depth background information.  One of the (many) great things about reference works in history is that they are written by scholars in the field and often include references to primary sources.

• General and specialized encyclopedias such as: The Encyclopedia of New York City, The Encyclopedia of Strikes in American History (print), Every Day of the Civil War: A Chronological Encyclopedia (print), and The Historical and Multicultural Encyclopedia of Women's Reproductive Rights in the United States
  
  Note: Print reference sources are located in the Reference section, on the 1st Floor of the Library. Print and online reference sources are searchable via OneSearch.

• Online reference sources such as: Gale Ebooks or Oxford Reference or Brill's New Pauly (Encyclopedia of the Ancient World).
   
• Bibliographies such as: Oxford Bibliographies Online, which includes a section on Atlantic History, the Renaissance and Reformation, and Medieval Studies