Travel the World with UC Libraries: Guides, Phrase Books, and other Helpful Information to Aid You in Your Travels

People love to travel; and UC students really love to travel. According to UC International, over the past five years, between 830 and 874 students participated in the study abroad programs annually. In addition, numerous UC faculty, students, and staff travel abroad for pleasure, business, performances, community service, and other reasons.

So what makes a successful travel experience? A good guidebook. UC Libraries’ print and digital collections provide excellent resources for travelers. Travel the World with UC Libraries, an exhibit currently on display on Langsam Library’s 4th floor, features guidebooks, phrase books, and websites that will aid people in their travels.

Resources covered in the exhibit include:

  • general guidebooks on such places as Afghanistan and Asia,
  • numerous Rick Steve’s guidebooks,
  • specialized guides covering foreign architecture, movies, and more,
  • customs and etiquette guides to help travelers avoid committing a faux pas while in a different culture,
  • conversation and phrase books covering such important communications as “hello” to asking directions to the best pizzeria, and
  • online resources of general guides and language resources. 

In addition to the resources included in the exhibit, additional online resources for travelers include: 

  • Mango, an online language-learning system that can help travelers learn languages like Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Italian, Russian, and more. 
  • The Global Road Warrior: The Ultimate Guide to the World provides international travelers with information on 175 countries. Topics include country facts, climate, society & culture, demographics, money and banking, points of interest, transportation, maps, communication, and much more. 

Travel the World with UC Libraries is in celebration of International Education Week, November 12-16. The exhibit was curated by Olga Hart, Reference and Instruction Librarian, and designed and produced by Melissa Cox Norris, Director of Library Communications. A printed bibliography of the works included in the display is available at the exhibit and online.