REFERENCE COLLECTION

Encyclopedias and other reference works provide background reading on your topic, bibliographies, names of authorities and important works in the field, and occasionally related websites. 

GALE SERIES IN LITERARY CRITICISM:

Contemporary Authors [REF PN451 .C6]
Provides complete biographical and bibliographical information and references on more than 120,000 U.S. and international authors.

Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB) [REF PN451 .D4)
Covers writers, movements, and periods. Scholarly essays by authorities. Selective bibliographies. To find an entry on a specific author/playwright, search the Contemporary Authors Cumulative Index, found under REF PN451 C632 2005, v.1-227.

Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC) [REF PN771 .C59; v. 1- 1973- ] Critical evaluations of modern literature up to the most current commentaries. Includes bibliographies and, in many cases, interviews with authors.

Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism (TCLC) [REF PN771 .G3; v.1- 1978- ] Excerpts from criticism on 20th century literature, arranged chronologically. Includes annotated bibliography at the end of each author section.

Short Story Criticism (SSC) [REF PN3373 .S386; v.1- 1988- ] Annual publication on short story criticism.

Drama Criticism (DC) [REF PN1601. D59; 1991- ] History and criticism of drama, theater reviews, biographies of dramatists. Use author or title index.

Poetry Criticism (PC) [REF PN1010 .P62; 1991- ] Poetry history and criticism. Use author or title index to locate a specific author or title. Chronological arrangement of listed criticism provides a perspective on changes in critical approaches over time. Includes bibliography.

Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800 (LC) [REF PN86 .L56 v.1- 1984-] "Critical discussion of world literature from the fifteenth through the eighteenth centuries."

Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism (CMLC ) [REF PA1 .C55; v.1- 1988- ] "Critical commentary on the works and authors of antiquity through the fourteenth century." Use author, topic, or title index as a shortcut.

Use Contemporary Authors Cumulative Index [REF PN451 .C632 2004] as a shortcut to identify all relevant titles within the Gale series. You may also use the on-line version of the Index at Gale's Lit Index.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCE TITLES:

The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English [REF PR471 .094 1996] Overview of literature in English from 1900.

Readers Guide to Literature in English  [REF PR85 .R33 1996] Covers critical writing in the literature of the British Isles, the U.S., and other major English-speaking traditions of the world.

Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century 4 v. [REF PN771 .E5 1999] "A comprehensive survey of significant literary activity of international scope and proportion."

Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction 14v. [REF PN56 .P55 B43 1996] Comprised of two series, i.e. biography and analyses, this source provides criticism for "some popular novelists who have received no critical attention other than the popular press." It also includes authors whose works enjoyed immense popularity among contemporary readers but are currently considered obsolete.

Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English 3v.  [REF PR9080 .A52 E53 2005]

BRIDGE CATALOG

Bridge is the online catalog for both St. Olaf and Carleton College. Use Bridge to search for books, specific journals, videos/dvds, musical scores, maps, etc.

• Use a Keyword search if you do not know the subject or wish to combine more than one idea, e.g. [morrison AND rac*] Use an asterisk (*) to search various endings (e.g. "rac*" will retrieve race, racism, racial, and racist)

• Once you have found a relevant record, explore the Subject Heading by clicking on that link.

• Use the limiting option to search for different types of material (e.g. videos, music recordings, government documents), specific publication dates, or language.

You may request materials housed at Carleton directly from Bridge by clicking on the button.

INDEXES AND DATABASES

Unlike the Bridge catalog, which searches for journal titles and book titles, indexes and databases allow you to search for articles within journals, essays within books, or conference papers within proceedings. Some indexes and databases are interdisciplinary, i.e. they include sources from many different disciplines or fields, some are disciplinary, i.e. specialized in a particular discipline. Information on all of these indexes can be found under the Libraries' Home Page, under Research Finding Tools: Articles and More.

General/Interdisciplinary Databases:

Academic Search Premier: A multidisciplinary database with access to over 8,040 scholarly and popular publications, many in full-text. Good source for book reviews. Covers 1975 to present.

MasterFILE Premier: A general interdisciplinary database to mostly popular publications. Includes biographies, reference books, primary source documents, maps and photos. Covers 1975 to present.

JSTOR: A multidisciplinary index to and full text of select, academic journals.

Project Muse: An index to and full text of journals published by Johns Hopkins University Press and other scholarly publishers.

Literature Databases:

MLA International Bibliography: Major index to literature journals and related fields (folklore, languages, linguistics). Covers 1963-present. Print index also available in Rolvaag Reference Room RR P1 .A1 M6; 1921-1993.

LitFinder: Consists of Poem Finder, a database with over 100,000 full-text poems plus 800,000 poem citations and excerpts, and Story Finder, a database with thousands of full-text short stories, explanations, and biographies.

History Databases:

America: History and Life: Scholarly index to articles on all aspects of U.S. and Canadian history, including recent events.

Historical Abstracts: An index to history journals, books, and dissertations. Excludes articles on North America (see its companion, America History & Life). Covers material published from 1955 to the present written about the time period 1450 to the present.

Biography:

Biography and Genealogy Master Index : An index to biographical encyclopedias and dictionaries.

For literary figures:
Contemporary Authors
Provides complete biographical and bibliographical information and references on more than 120,000 U.S. and international authors.

Newspaper Databases:

LexisNexis Academic: Excellent source for full-text articles in national and international newspapers. Provides access to a wide range of news, business, legal, and reference information. Contains book and arts reviews.

New York Times (1851 - 2003): Offers "full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue."

INTERLIBRARY LOAN

Any item not owned by St. Olaf may be ordered through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) provided you allow enough time (a week on average).

RESOURCES ON THE INTERNET

Remember to evaluate each site critically for authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage.

A few good review sites that evaluate web content:

Librarians' Index to the Internet: "A searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 14,000 Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians for their usefulness to users."

Infomine: Scholarly Internet Resource Collections: "A virtual library of Internet resources relevant to faculty, students, and research staff."

The Scout Report Archives: "A searchable and browseable database containing critical annotations of carefully selected Internet sites and mailing lists."

MLA CITATION STYLE

While there are many web sites that may provide some information on MLA style, the most comprehensive and reliable source is the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. The Modern Language Association defines proper MLA style, and this manual, published by the MLA, clearly outlines how to cite information of any material type (books, articles, chapters, web sites, government publications). Rolvaag Library has 3 copies of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers in the Reference Room. Call # LB2369 .G53 2003. See the MLA's own website, which provide useful MLA Style information in its online FAQ. It also includes a section on citing online resources.

For simple on-line guides, see:

Citation Guide from Purdue University by Jennifer Liethen Kunka and Joe Barbato. Provides examples and explanations of in-text citations and works cited in MLA format.

See Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper , a simple online guide to cite your sources in all major styles, from Duke University.

---