History of Science and Technology

Bynum, W. F. et al. Dictionary of the History of Science. Princeton, NJ: :Princeton University Press, 1981. 
509 B994 D554 1981; Also Lilly and Med Center
"We have planned this Dictionary in the hope of explaining - to lay people as well as the scientifically trained - core features of Western science within the context of its development. We have organized it thematically around the key ideas of science."
Biography is not emphasized. Large fields such as evolution, light and nature, are represented at some length, with sub-areas of these fields such as neo-Darwinism represented by shorter entries. "See" and "see also" references are supplied, as are short bibliographies for some entries. Included are a separate general bibliography, a helpful introduction, a note on how to use the dictionary, a list of contributors, an analytical table of contents, a list of abbreviations, a 43-page biographical index and the 700 dictionary entries.

The library has no specialized encyclopedia for the history of science. The dictionary above is helpful, as is:

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. 20 vols. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. Ref. 503 M147 2002

More extensive information is available in general encyclopedias, especially:

The New Encyclopedia Britannica.15th ed. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2002. Ref. 031 N532 2002 v. 27
(look under Science)
 

In addition, an excellent source of historical information on ideas which several disciplines may share is actually an encyclopedia, although its title indicates otherwise:

Wiener, P. P. (ed.). Dictionary of the History of Ideas. 5 vols. New York: Scribner , 1973-74. Ref. q901.9 D554; 
Also Lilly, Law and Med Center
Although all of the seven "domains" noted in the preface may be relevant, two are particularly appropriate to this guide:
"I. The History of Ideas about the external order of nature studies by the physical and biological sciences, ideas also present in common usage, imaginative literature, myths about nature, metaphysical speculation" (which includes such entries as alchemy, atomism, evolutionism, nature, relativity and spontaneous generation).
"VII. The History of formal mathematical, logical, linguistic, and methodological ideas" (which includes such entries as anthropomorphism in science, infinity, mathematics in culture history, probability and unity of sciences from Plato to Kant).
These volumes contain signed, lengthy, thorough, authoritative articles which have "see also" references and extensive bibliographies. There are a list of contributors, an analytical table of contents, an alphabetical list of articles and a quite detailed subject index which makes up volume five. This work will more than repay a thorough examination.