The world of sports is vast and varied. Sports of all kinds arouse passion in the spectator and heroic feats in the athlete. Team sports can stir loyalty and camaraderie that cannot be experienced in any other way. Individual sports engender self-confidence, poise, strength and exhilaration. Both types foster a spirit of competition, not to mention a feeling of fun!
From the professional to the amateur, every culture and every era has its favorite sports. The librarians in the Reference Department of the Upper Arlington Public Library have selected a few winning strategies to coach you to gold medal research on the topic.
Indexes / Databases
The following are part of the Upper Arlington Public Library’s premium resources. Unless you are in one of our library locations, you will need your library card number and PIN in order to access them.
Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints – Read a variety of viewpoints on some of the many controversial issues that come up when sports are involved, including articles on steroids, injuries, college athletics and much more.
Gale Reference eBooks – Search the UA Library’s entire collection of eReference titles for your sports-related topic. With eBooks covering history, law, pop culture, health, and more, there is plenty of information to be found here.
Reference Resources
Located in the Reference Room of the Main Library is an extensive collection of reference books covering a variety of sports, including information on rules, history, statistics, records and more. Below are just a few examples of titles you will find in the collection.
- Sports in America
- Berkshire Encyclopedia of Extreme Sports
- Complete Book of the Winter Olympics
- Elias Book of Baseball Records
- The World Cup: The Complete History
Sports research can also be done using the library’s collection of general reference books, which include:
- The World Almanac and Book of Facts
- Guinness Book of World Records
- ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States
Journals / Magazines
The following are some of the sports-related magazines in UA Library’s collection, which are available for checking out.
- American Rifleman
- Backpacker
- Bicycling
- Dance
- Field & Stream
- Golf Digest
- Golf Magazine
- Outdoor Life
- Outside
- Runner’s World
- Sail
- Sports Illustrated
- Sports Illustrated for Kids – Located in the Youth Department
- Tennis
- Yoga Journal
Archives / Special Collections
Ohio Room
The Ohio Room in the Reference Department of the Main Library is home to several books covering Upper Arlington, Columbus and Ohio Sports, including such titles as:
- Greatest Moments in Ohio State Football History
- What It Means to be a Buckeye
- My 55 Ways to Lower Your Golf Score by Jack Nicklaus
- One Game Season: 103 Games of College Football’s Greatest Rivalry
Also, check out UA Library Reference Department’s collection of newspaper clippings and magazine articles that cover sports history in Upper Arlington, Columbus and Ohio. See a librarian to access this collection.
Primary Sources in Sports History
The Reference Department retains many years of back issues and/or microfilm to some popular news and entertainment magazines containing historically valuable information written during important events and time periods, including Sports Illustrated going back to 1958. See a Reference Librarian for help finding specific articles.
Websites
The following are just a few librarian-recommended websites for finding information about local and national sports.
Media
Ohio Sports Teams
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cincinnati Reds
- Cleveland Browns
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Cleveland Guardians
- Columbus Clippers
- Columbus Crew
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Ohio State Buckeyes
Sports Museums in Ohio
Search Starters
Besides the various subject headings listed below, a wealth of information on sports topics can be found by typing in a specific sport, such as swimming, football, bicycling, etc. For a list of materials the UA Library has on general sports subjects, click on some of the following links.