How To Figure Out What You Have Collected
Books will probably be your best resource to use when you start trying to figure out what samples you have collected. It is much easier to pick out books specifically about rocks and minerals than it is to go through the massive amount of information on the web. I use three resources to help me determine what samples are in my collection. I prefer to use an old print version of A Collector's Guide to Maine Mineral Localities and cross reference it with an updated version on the Maine Geological Survey site at http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/minerals/guide/guide.htm. This reference specifies what minerals are located at various locations across the state and can help you narrow down what you have found based on the location you collected samples from. I also use another book that is a great guide when you need to figure out exactly what minerals you have found because so many are so similar. This book is called, Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals. This book contains colorful pictures and also explains the various tests you can performed to identify your samples. Listed below are these and some other resources I have found helpful.
Resources
_Bingham, Caroline (2004). Rocks and Minerals. New York, N.Y. DK Eye Wonder.
Desautels, P.E. (1974) Collectors Series: Rocks and Minerals.New York, N.Y. Grosset and Dunlap.
Dussling, J. (2001). Looking at Rocks (My First Field Guides). New York, N.Y. Grosset and Dunlap.
Gans, R. (1997). Let's Go Rock Collecting. New York, N.Y. Harper Collins.
Jensen, D. E. (1960). My Hobby is Collecting Rocks and Minerals. Chicago, IL: Children's Press.
Thompson, W. B., Joyner, D. L., Woodman, R. G., King, V. T., & Anderson, W.A. (Eds.). (1991). A Collector's Guide to Maine
Mineral Localities (2nd ed.). ME: Maine Geological Survey, Department of Conservation.
Thompson, W. B., Joyner, D. L., Woodman, R. G., & King, V. T. (Eds.). (2005).A Collector's Guide to Maine Mineral Localities
(On line ed.). Retrieved from
http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/minerals/guide/guide.htm
Tomecek, S. (2010). Everything Rocks and Minerals. New York, N.Y. National Geographic.
Pellant, C. (2002) Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals. New York, NY. Dorling Kindersley.
Desautels, P.E. (1974) Collectors Series: Rocks and Minerals.New York, N.Y. Grosset and Dunlap.
Dussling, J. (2001). Looking at Rocks (My First Field Guides). New York, N.Y. Grosset and Dunlap.
Gans, R. (1997). Let's Go Rock Collecting. New York, N.Y. Harper Collins.
Jensen, D. E. (1960). My Hobby is Collecting Rocks and Minerals. Chicago, IL: Children's Press.
Thompson, W. B., Joyner, D. L., Woodman, R. G., King, V. T., & Anderson, W.A. (Eds.). (1991). A Collector's Guide to Maine
Mineral Localities (2nd ed.). ME: Maine Geological Survey, Department of Conservation.
Thompson, W. B., Joyner, D. L., Woodman, R. G., & King, V. T. (Eds.). (2005).A Collector's Guide to Maine Mineral Localities
(On line ed.). Retrieved from
http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/minerals/guide/guide.htm
Tomecek, S. (2010). Everything Rocks and Minerals. New York, N.Y. National Geographic.
Pellant, C. (2002) Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals. New York, NY. Dorling Kindersley.