To find printed reference material relevant to your topic start with the library's online catalog. Do a Reference Materials search using keywords to describe your topic.
Below are a few titles to get you started.
A Chinese-English dictionary of enigmatic folk similes (xiehouyu)
Main, 2nd floor 398.9 R636c
Historical dictionary of revolutionary China, 1839-1976
REFERENCE, 1st floor 951 H629
Hsin Han Ying tz'u tien = New Chinese-English dictionary
Main, 2nd floor 495.1 N425
The Indiana companion to traditional Chinese literature
Main, 3rd floor 895.109 In2 v.1 and 2
Modern Chinese fiction : a guide to its study and appreciation : essays and bibliographies
Main, 3rd floor 895.135 Y16m
Niu chin hsien tai kao chi Ying Han shuang chieh tz`u tien = Oxford advanced learner's English-Chinese dictionary
Main, 2nd floor 495.1 N64
Use these sources to quickly search for your topic across several reference works at a time.