St. Olaf College Libraries | Northfield, Minnesota, USA

Great Conversation 116: Medieval Synthesis
A Guide to Library Resources

Spring 2008

Reference Collection | Indexes and Databases | Catalogs
Interlibrary Loan | Resources on the Internet | Citation

REFERENCE COLLECTION

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

PLEASE NOTE : This list of resources is far from exhaustive. If your topic is not addressed in this list, please talk with one of us at the reference desk so we can help you get started on your research.

B: PHILOSOPHY

Routledge History of Philosophy. See v. 2, From Aristotle to Augustine and v. 3, Medieval Philosophy [RR B72 .R6]

Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy 10v. [RR B51 .R68 1998]

BL-BX: RELIGION

Encyclopedia of Religion 15v. [RR BL31 .E46 2005]

Encyclopedia of Monasticism 2v. [R.R. BL631 .E53 200]

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World 2v [R.R. BP40 .E525 2004]

Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān 6v. [RR BP133 .E53 2001]

The Qur'ān and Its Interpreters 2v. [RR BP130.4 .A835]

Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church [R.R. BR95 .O9 1997]

Encyclopedia of Christianity [R.R. BR95 .E47 2005]

Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition, Vol. 1: Early, Eastern, and Medieval [R.R. BT990 .C64 2003]

New Catholic Encyclopedia 15v. [R.R. BX841 .N4 2003]

Butler's Lives of the Saints. 4v. [R.R. BX4654 .B8 1990] - organized by the calendar but there is an index at the end of v4.

The Papacy: An Encyclopedia 2v [R.R. BX955.2 .D53 2002]

D: HISTORY

Dictionary of the Middle Ages 13v. [RR D114 .D5 1982]

Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages 2v. [RR D114 .E53 2000]

Key Figures in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia [RR D115 .E56 2006]

Trade, Travel, and Exploration in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia [R.R. D117 .T68 2000]

Encyclopedia of Barbarian Europe [R.R. D135 .F73 2003]

Encyclopedia of the Crusades [R.R. D155 .A6 2003]

Medieval Germany: An Encyclopedia [RR DD157 .M43 2001]

Medieval France: An Encyclopedia [RR DC33.2 .M44 1995]

Medieval Italy: An Encyclopedia 2v. [RR DG443 .M43 2004]

Medieval England: An Encyclopedia [RR DA129 .M43 1998]

Medieval Iberia: An Encyclopedia [R.R. DP99 .M33 2003]

Encyclopedia Judaica, 2nd Ed. 22v. [R.R. DS102.8 .E52 2007]

HQ: WOMEN'S STUDIES

Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia [RR HQ1147.E85 W66 2006]

Women in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia 2v. [RR HQ1143 .W643 2004]

See also: The Annotated Index of Medieval Women [RR CT3220 .A56 1992]

M: MUSIC

Grove Music Online -- This is the online version of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. It offers keyword searching of articles, biographies, bibliographies, and contributors. You can also browse by article title, abbreviations, or contributors.

P: LITERATURE

Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature [RR PN669 .R88 2006]

A Dictionary of Medieval Heroes: characters in medieval narrative traditions and their afterlife in literature, theatre, and the visual arts [RR PN682.C5 V3513 1998]

A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture [RR PT7113 .C66 2005]

Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: A Critical Guide [RR PT7161 .O4 1985]

Encyclopedia of Catholic Literature [RR PN485 .E53 2004]

A Companion to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales [RR PR1874 .H27 1995]

The Oxford Companion to Chaucer [RR PR1924 .O94 2003]

A Companion to the Medieval Theatre [RR PN2152 .C66 1989]

THE GALE SERIES OF LITERARY CRITICISM (Use Contemporary Authors Index to access all pertinent series and volumes of Gale):

Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB) [RR PN451 .D4-] -- also available online
Covers writers, movements, and periods. Scholarly essays by authorities. Selective bibliographies. See especially: v. 146: Old and Middle English literature; Medieval philosophers, v. 115; and Literature of the French and Occitan Middle Ages: eleventh to fifteenth centuries, v. 208.

Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism (CMLC) [RR PA1. C55-]
Critical evaluations of major classical and medieval authors and works.

Poetry Criticism (PC) [PN1010 .P62-]
Excerpts from criticism of the works of the most significant and widely studied poets of world literature. See, for example, volume 19 for Chaucer, volume 21 for Dante, or volume 22 for Marie de France.

N: ART

The Dictionary of Art 34v. [RR N31 .D5 1996]

Encyclopedia of Medieval Church Art [RR N7943.A1 T3 1993]

Dictionary of Islamic Architecture [R.R. NA380 .P43 1996]

U: MILITARY SCIENCE

Weapons & Warfare. See v. 1, Ancient and medieval weapons and warfare (to 1500) [RR UF500 .W48 2002]

The Hutchinson Dictionary of Ancient & Medieval Warfare [RR D25.A2 H88 1998]

DICTIONARIES:

Oxford English Dictionary 20v. [RR PE1625.087 1989] Entries outline the history of a given word, from the date of its introduction to the present. Entries illustrate how meaning, pronunciation, and use have evolved over time. You may access the complete text of OED Online.

Middle English Dictionary 13v. [RR PE679.M4]
Covers terms "from the Norman Conquest to the beginning of printing." As in the OED, entries include examples of use and note sources and dates. Citations to sources are often abbreviated - check the list of abbreviations among the front material. Also available online from the Middle English Compendium.

ATLASES (call numbers beginning with the word "Atlas" are in the special atlas section of the reference room)

Atlas of the Christian Church [Atlas: R.R. BR98 .A74 1987]

The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History [R.R. D118 .M26 1992]

Atlas of Medieval Jewish History [Atlas: R.R. G1034 .B413 1992]

The Atlas of the Crusades [Atlas: R.R. G1034 .R5 1991]

Atlas of Western Art History [Atlas: R.R. G1046 .E64 S7 1994]

Historical Atlas of Islam [Atlas: R.R. G1786 .S1 R9 2004]

INDEXES & DATABASES

MLA International Bibliography -- The online version of MLA, produced by the Modern Language Association. MLA provides access to scholarly research in over 3000 journals and series. Also covers monographs, essays, working papers, proceedings and other formats. Subjects include literature, language, linguistics and folklore.

International Medieval Bibliography
An index to literature on the medieval era. Print only [RR RR D111 .I57; 1989-present]

Middle English Compendium --"The Middle English Compendium has been designed to offer easy access to and interconnectivity between three major Middle English electronic resources: an electronic version of the Middle English Dictionary, a HyperBibliography of Middle English prose and verse, based on the MED bibliographies, and an associated network of electronic resources."

Iter: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance -- An index to books and journals in all areas of medieval and Renaissance studies (400-1700) since 1842.

JSTOR -- An index to and full text of select, academic journals. Among various disciplines covers language and literature, including PMLA and a range of core journals in the diverse fields of literary criticism that have emerged in the last thirty years.

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

Academic Search Premier -- This database provides access to over 8040 multi-disciplinary publications, many in full-text. Covers 1975 to present.

See also:

Philosopher's Index -- An index with abstracts to Philosophy books and journals.

ATLA Religion Database -- An index to religion journals, book reviews, and festschriften. Corresponds to the print versions of Religion Index One, Religion Index Two, Research in Ministry, Methodist Reviews Index, and Book Reviews in Religion. It is the full file version of ATLA Religion Database with the addition of links from article citations directly to the complete content of the articles.

Index Islamicus -- Access to over 250,000 records from 2000 journals on Islam, the Middle East and the Muslim world. Covers all historical periods, with items published 1906 to the present.

Art Index -- Indexes English-language art periodicals, plus museum bulletins, bibliographies, film reviews, and conference reports.

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

Multimedia (Art and Music)

ARTstor -- A "repository of hundreds of thousands of digital images and related data." Covers architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, and design from many cultures.

Naxos Music Library -- Naxos Music Library is a collection of classical music. "It includes the complete Naxos and Marco Polo catalogues of over 130,000+ tracks". You can read notes on the works being played as well as biographical information on composers or artists in Naxos's extensive database.

CATALOGS

catalogs resources available at St. Olaf and Carleton libraries. Use Bridge to search for books and periodicals, but not chapters within books or articles within periodicals.

Use a Keyword search if you do not know the subject or you wish to combine more than one idea, e.g.["war* AND (middle OR medieval)] Use asterisk (*) to search various endings (e.g. "war*" will retrieve "war, wars, warrior, warfare, " etc.)
Once you have found a key reference, explore the subject by clicking on the link in the catalog.
Use the limiting option to search for different types of material (e.g. videos, DVDs), or specific publication dates.

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

is a union catalog for libraries around the world, including most libraries in the United States. You may request materials from WorldCat through Interlibrary Loan, just remember to plan ahead!

INTERLIBRARY LOAN

Any item not owned by St. Olaf may be ordered through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) provided you allow enough time. See the Reference Librarian for ILL forms. Also available on the homepage.

RESOURCES ON THE INTERNET

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

	Ask:	Look for:
Authorship	Who wrote the page? Does the author have appropriate education, training, or experience to write with authority (credibility) on this topic?	Linked biographical statements, resumes, or other background about the site author. If no individual author is named, consider the reputation of the organization associated with the site.
Coverage	Is the topic explored in depth? Is there considerable content on the page? Are entire articles or items provided or just excerpts from larger works? Does the site point you to other sites?	Sources documented with footnotes or links. Balance of text and images.
Objectivity	Is the presentation biased (one-sided) or balanced (both pro and con viewpoints provided)? Are claims and arguments supported (with documentation) or unsubstantiated?	References to alternative points of view. Factual documentation od arguments.
Currency	When was the page written or last updated? Is the site well maintained (eg.are links functional or broken)?	Page creation or revision dates. "What's New" page that describes when content was updated. Press releases or other dated materials.
Recognition	Do others recognize the value of this site, either in reviews or by linking to it?	Other sites that link to a site you are evaluating. Reviews of the site.

Based on "Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask." UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops. 7Jan. 2005. 14 Feb. 2005. <http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html>, and "Evaluating Web Sites." The Ohio State University Libraries. 14 Feb. 2005. <http://gateway.lib.ohio-state.edu/tutor/>.

A few good review sites that evaluate web contents:

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 browsable database containing critical annotations of carefully selected Internet sites and mailing lists."

A few good sites to try include:

Middle Ages -- "Portrays every day life in Medieval times and contains sections on feudal life, religion, homes, clothing, health, arts & entertainment, and town life. Each section has an essay with links to related sites. Several also offer an interactive quiz or activity." From Annenberg/CPB Projects Learner Online site.

Chaucer: An Annotated Guide to Online Resources -- "This site lists, evaluates, and describes many Geoffrey Chaucer -related Web sites. Topics include biography, bibliography, background, commentary, images, Middle English, and teaching resources. Searchable."

Augustine of Hippo -- "Definitive site for Saint Augustine of Hippo. There are English and Latin translations of his works, including the all-important Confessions , research papers, and links to pop culture references to St. Augustine." Maintained by a Classical Studies professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Digital Dante -- "Everything you want to know about Dante Alighieri, Medieval Italian poet and author of "The Divine Comedy," is here: biographical information, electronic texts, associated artwork, scholarly articles, even a list of the books he read." Searchable.

Medieval Resources -- "WWW Medieval Resources covers the literature and history of this period well with links to databases of texts, images, and archives of manuscript facsimiles, art, etc. Resources relating to the Canterbury Tales, Piers Plowman, and Bisclavret, among others, will be found.

The British Library Online Gallery
-An attractive site with a simple search box to find available e-books. One special offering of
this gallery is the " Turning the pages" feature, which strives to provide the reader with an
authentic "real book" experience.

Timeline of Art History -- "The Timeline of Art History is a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world, as illustrated especially by The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection."

Chartres - Cathedral of Notre Dame -- This web site provides access to a comprehensive collection of images and detailed descriptions of Chartres Cathedral.

CITATION

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers Sixth Edition [Ready Ref. LB2369 .G53 2003]

The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Ed. [Ready Ref. Z253 .C5 2003]; also online

For an online guide to cite your sources in all major citation styles, consult Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper.

Contact Information:	Page Information:
Ken Johnson Rolvaag Library 305 507-646-3793 johnsonk@stolaf.edu	Created by: Kasia Gonnerman \| 3/13/07 Created for: Karen Marsalek, Vicki Harper, Douglas Casson Updated by: Ken Johnson \| 2/2008