The library has access to many online encyclopedias. Online encyclopedia articles are a great way to find out more information about a topic you don't know much about--it's like using a scholarly version of Wikipedia! You can use the search bar to look for articles on the archetypes you are interested in. Many of the books listed in the reference section, are available online through Gale eBooks (Reference eBooks). Click on the Gale eBooks link below to get started, or, if you prefer to browse, the links below that will take you to the tables of contents for the specific encyclopedias mentioned.
Encyclopedias are produced by experts in a particular field and are not intended to be read from cover-to-cover: instead, you can find an entry in an encyclopedia that mentions your topic and just read that entry.
Encyclopedias at the BC Library are shelved in the Reference Collection, or the green-labeled shelves in the library. You cannot check out reference books from the library, but you can look at them for as long as you are in the library, and you may take photo-copies of reference books.