Fall 2007 - D. Lamothe
reference contact: Pamela Skinner x2961

FINDING BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Use these sources for background information and a list of suggested readings. This list is selective; please ask at the reference desk for other suggestions.

FINDING BOOKS

Five College Catalog
Note that the "correct" subject heading isn't always obvious. If a subject search doesn't work, try a KEYWORDS ANYWHERE search to find a few relevant titles. Then click on the subject headings on those records to conduct a more comprehensive subject search.

Examples of subject searches:

Black arts movement:
Black Arts Movement - United States
African American Arts - 20th century
African Americans - Intellectual life - 20th century
African Americans in literature
American literature - African American authors - History and criticism.
Arts - Political aspects - United StatesBlack nationalism - United States - History - 20th century
Black nationalism in literature

Black power movement:
African Americans - Civil rights - History - 20th century
Black power - United States - History
Black nationalism - United States - History - 20th century

For biography/criticism, use Subject Begins with and seach the author's name:
Hughes, Langston
Morrison, Toni
Followed by:
- Bibliography
- Biography
- Correspondence [=published letters]
- Criticism and interpretation
- Interviews
- Knowledge
- Religion
- Social views
[And names of specific works]

Use WorldCat to expand your search for books beyond the Five-College area. Watch for items that are owned by only one library: such unique material is often not obtainable via interlibrary loan. If you plan to use interlibrary loan to request books and theses, please allow at least 2 weeks for delivery.

FINDING ARTICLES

Use the databases below to identify articles and essays on your topic.

• Use the SC Links buttons within the databases below to see if Smith has the article you need either in electronic or print format
• If you identify an article from another source, use the Journal Locator to locate the article online or in print
• If you need to use interlibrary loan to requests articles, allow a week or so (though often the articles arrive within days)

Major databases for literature:

Humanities Abstracts - 1984 to present - A good place to start if you need just a few articles; covers core literature and history journals, as well as other humanities disciplines.

MLA International Bibliography - 1926 to present - Exhaustive indexing for American literature and folklore; lists articles, essays in books, and dissertations.

ABELL (Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature) - 1920 to present - Exhaustive listings of books, articles, book reviews, collections of essays and doctoral dissertations as well as critical editions of literary works,

Other possibilities:

Academic Search Premier - 1965 to present - Interdisciplinary array of both scholarly and popular journals and magazines.

America, History and Life - 1953 to present - The major database for articles on all aspects of American history; lists articles, book reviews, collections, and dissertations.

Recommended Full-text databases:

J-STOR - Full-text articles from major history journals, among other disciplines. Coverage lags ca.3 years behind printed version of the journal.

ProjectMuse - Full-text articles from major history journals, among other disciplines. Coverage limited to issues from the past 5-10 years.

SOPHIA SMITH COLLECTION

Located in Alumnae Gym, the Sophia Smith Collection is an internationally recognized repository of manuscripts, photographs, periodicals and other primary sources in women's history. Check their hours before visiting.

For one assignment, you will use the Voices of Feminism Oral History Project. It includes fifty in-depth interviews that document the persistence and diversity of organizing for women in the United States. Interviews average 5-6 hours and cover childhood, personal life, and political work. Most consist of video taped interviews, transcripts, biographical sketches, background research material compiled by interviewer, and there are some photos. You will be looking for the histories of women who participated in the Feminist or Black Power movements.

There is an online finding aid that details the contents of this collection. In addition, there is a
booklet about the project, including names of narrators, biographical sketches and abstracts of interviews to help you select your subject.

EVALUATING AND CITING SOURCES

• Remember to cite your souce, when either quoting directly or paraphasing.
• Cite your source whenever you present an idea that isn't your own.
• Websites must be cited in your notes/bibliography, too; if you cut and paste--or
  paraphrase--from a website, cite the webpage.
• When in doubt, cite your source.

Use this link to connect to online versions of Turabian, MLA Style Guide, etc.:
Style Manuals & Citation Guides

Evaluating internet resources (Univ. of Maryland)

Jacobson Center

REFERENCE DESK HOURS

Click here for Neilson Library reference desk hours.

CONTACT THE REFERENCE LIBRARIAN

Contact Pamela Skinner, the instructor for your library session: pskinner@email.smith.edu

YOUR FEEDBACK

Click here to provide feedback on this library session.

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