U.S. Literature 1865-1930
English 656

How to Find:
Books | Journal Articles | Web Sites | Citing Sources

FINDING BOOKS

Using Catalogs to locate books:

1.) Ariadne

• Search by Keyword
• Find and Use Subject Headings
• Browse the shelves by Call Number

2.) MeLCat

• Search by Keyword
• Find and Use Subject Headings
• About MeLCat

3.) WestCat - Western Michigan's catalog

• Search by Keyword
• Find and Use Subject Headings
• Browse the shelves by Call Number
• Waldo Library: Hours and How to get to Western

4.) WorldCat and 5.) Interlibrary Loan

• Search by Keyword
• Find and Use Subject Headings
• Order item through Interlibrary Loan
  ($1 per filled request waived during Library Renovation)

SUBJECT HEADINGS AND CALL NUMBERS

Sample Subject Headings

• American Literature 19th Century
  • American Literature 20th Century History And Criticism

Sample Call Numbers

PS 2124 .H463 1996
Henry James : the Contemporary Reviews /
edited by Kevin J. Hayes

P Language and Literature
PS American literature
2124 19th century
.H463 Hayes, Kevin

See the English Research Guide on Finding Books.

To find information about authors and their works:

• Dictionary Of Literary Biography, PS221 .D45, Reference
  Multi-volume series offering bio-bibliographical information on significant British and American authors. Each volume is separately cataloged and includes a cumulative index to locate entries on individual authors.
• Contemporary Literary Criticism, PN771 .C59, Reference
  Multi-volume collection. Excerpts from current criticism of the works of today's novelists, poets, playwrights, short story writers, scriptwriters, and other creative writers. (Authors now living or who died after Dec. 31, 1959).
  To locate entries on individual authors, use the cumulative index and/or last volume.
• Twentieth-century Literary Criticism, PN771 .G27, Reference
  Multi-volume collection. Each entry provides a comprehensive survey of an author's career or an individual work of literature, and several interpretations.
  (Authors who died between 1900 and 1960). To locate entries on individual authors, use the cumulative index and/or last volume.
• Poetry Criticism, PN1111 .P6, Reference
  Multi-volume collection. Excerpts from criticism of the works of poets of world literature. To locate entries on individual authors, use the cumulative index and/or last volume.
• Contemporary Authors, Z1224 .C63, Reference
  Multi-volume series. To locate entries on individual authors, use the cumulative index
• Black Literature Criticism, PS 153 .N5 B556, Reference
  Multi-volume series. Major black writes of the past two hundred years. To locate entries on individual authors, use the cumulative index
• Short Story Criticism, PN3373 .S56, Reference
  Multi-volume series. Includes authors from all eras and nationalities. Each entry has a historical survey of the critical response to the author's work. To locate entries on individual authors, use the cumulative index

For authors in this course, look in:

Guides, Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

• Handbook for research in American history: a guide to bibliographies and other reference works Z1236 .P78 1994, Reference
• Benet's reader's encyclopedia of American literature, PN41 .B4 1991, Reference
• The Columbia history of American poetry, PS303 .C64 1993, Reference
• Encyclopedia of American Poetry: the nineteenth century, PS316 .E63 1998, Reference
• The Oxford companion to American literature, PS21 .H3 1995, Reference
• The Oxford companion to African American literature, PS153.N5 O96 1997, Reference
• Walt Whitman and the critics : a checklist of criticism, 1900-1978, Z8971.5 .B65
• An Emily Dickinson encyclopedia, PS1541.Z49 E47 1998, Reference
• The poems of Emily Dickinson : an annotated guide to commentary published in English, 1890-1977, PS1541.Z5 D8, Reference
• The poems of Emily Dickinson : an annotated guide to commentary published in English, 1978-1989, PS1541.Z49 D8 , Reference.
• Henry James : a reference guide, 1975-1987, Z8447 .F85 1991, Reference
• Nineteenth-century American women writers : a bio-bibliographical critical sourcebook, PS217.W64 N56 1997, Reference
• The Oxford book of women's writing in the United States, PS508.W7 O95 1995, Reference
• A half-century of Eliot criticism; an annotated bibliography of books and articles in English, 1916-1965, Z8260.5 .M3, Reference
• Faulkner, an annotated checklist of recent criticism, Z8288 .B38 1983, Reference
• Langston Hughes : a bio-bibliography, Z8423.3 .M53 1990, Reference

Circulating Collection

• Critical essays on Walt Whitman, PS3238 .C74 1983
• Walt Whitman : the contemporary reviews, PS3238 .W3693 1996
• Dickinson and the strategies of reticence : the woman writer in nineteenth-century America, PS1541.Z5 D57 1989
• A Companion to Henry James studies, PS2124 .C55 1993
• Henry James : the contemporary reviews, PS2124 .H463 1996
• Kate Chopin reconsidered : beyond the Bayou, PS1294.C63 K385 1992
• Critical essays on Kate Chopin, PS1294.C63 C75 1996
• The Cambridge companion to T.S. Eliot, PS3509.L43 Z64728 1994
• T.S. Eliot : the poet and his critics, PS3509.L43 Z6473
• William Faulkner--the contemporary reviews, PS3511.A86 Z985697 1995
• Langston Hughes : critical perspectives past and present, PS3515.U274 Z672 1993
• Claude McKay : a black poet's struggle for identity, PS3525.A24785 Z89 1991
• Critical essays on Zora Neale Hurston, PS3515.U789 Z67 1998
• All about Zora : views and reviews by colleagues and scholars , PS3515.U789 Z53 1991
• The American 1890s; life and times of a lost generation, PS214 .Z5
• American thought and writing: the 1890's, PS658 .P5

Scholarly journals and Popular Magazines/Newspapers

Scholarly Journals

• Authors are scholars or researchers in their fields.
• Authors cite their sources in footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies.
• Individual issues have little or no advertising.
• Articles must go through a peer-review process.
• Articles usually report original scholarly research.
• Most illustrations are charts, figures, or graphs.
• Authors use the specialized language or jargon of the discipline.

Popular Magazines

• Authors are free lance writers or magazine staff members.
• Authors may mention sources, but rarely cite them in notes or bibliographies.
• Individual issues contain many advertisements.
• There is no peer review process. Articles are reviewed by editors or publishers.
• Illustrations are numerous and colorful.
• Articles are meant to inform and entertain an educated audience.
• Language is written for the general adult audience (no specialized jargon).

Scholarly or Not?
Use Ulrich's Periodicals Directory (Ref. Desk Z6941 .U5)
Look for section called "Document Type"
Document Type MUST say "Academic/Scholarly Publication" to be considered scholarly!

FINDING JOURNAL ARTICLES

Locating Periodical Articles on Literature.

Literature Journals in Kalamazoo College Library Print Collection
History Journals in Kalamazoo College Library Print Collection

See the English Research Guide: Using Indexes and Databases to help select an Index.

MLA Bibliography < about >
The Modern Language Association International Bibliography indexes 3,000 English language and foreign periodicals as well as books, book chapters, and dissertations. Its subject matter includes critical works on literature, language, linguistics, and folklore. Reviews of literary and scholarly works are not included. There are no abstracts. Dates Covered: 1963 - Present.

Arts and Humanities Search < about >
Arts & Humanities Citation Index is a multidisciplinary index to more than 1,100 journals spanning 25 disciplines. Records referencing many of the world's leading arts and humanities journals. Includes all aspects of visual and performing arts plus humanities.

Historical Abstracts < about >
Historical Abstracts is a complete reference guide to the history of the world from 1450 to the present (excluding the United States and Canada, which are covered in America: History and Life). Published since 1954. Access through ABC-CLIO.

Humanities Abstracts < about >
Humanities Abstracts is a bibliographic database that covers English language periodicals in the diverse subject areas of the humanities. Humanities Abstracts offers detailed abstracts describing the content and scope of source articles.
Coverage: Indexing - 1984 - present; Abstracting - 1994 - present.

19th century Readers' guide to periodical literature
Reference Stacks AI3 .R22, Library has: vols. 1-2.

Poole's index to periodical literature
Reference Stacks AI3 .P7, Library has: vols. 1-6, 1802-1906.

Humanities Index
1974 - 1993 Ref. / Index 5 AI3 .H8 Library has: vols 1-20
For more recent coverage, consult Humanities Abstracts.

Essay and General Literature Index
A good source for locating literary criticism in collections of essays.
Reference Stacks AI3 . Es73 Library has: vol 1 - 1900 - Present.

Annual bibliography of English language and literature
Library has v.24 (1943-44) to v. 66 (1991) Ref. Z2011 .M69
Western Michigan University’s Waldo Library has current issues.

Do you have access to a journal?  

1.) Ariadne (print)

• Title search on Title of the Journal to locate print journal

2.) Electronic Journal Finder (online)

• Title search on Title of the Journal to locate article in a Full Text Database

3.) WestCat - Western Michigan's catalog

• Title search on Title of the Journal
• Waldo Library - Hours and How to get to Western

4.) Interlibrary Loan

• Order item through Interlibrary Loan
  ($1 per filled request waived during Library Renovation)
• Use *only* when the journal is not available through Ariadne, Electronic Journals, or WestCat.

FULL-TEXT RESOURCES

Advanced Search Help

Off-Campus Access to Licensed Resources

Electronic Journal Finder

Wilson Select < about >
Contains indexed and abstracted articles from periodicals, all with ASCII full text online. The database is comprised of records from the following H.W. Wilson databases: Readers' Guide Abstracts, Social Sciences Abstracts, Humanities Abstracts, General Science Abstracts and Wilson Business Abstracts.
(Please note that each periodical can begin on a different month and year.)
Dates Covered: 1994-Present.

Project Muse < about >
Project MUSE was launched in 1995 by the Johns Hopkins University Press, in collaboration with the Milton S. Eisenhower Library at Johns Hopkins University, to offer the full text of JHUP scholarly journals via the world wide web. In general, Literary Theory & American Studies journals begin with the 1995 volume, while most others start with 1996.
Included Journals:

JSTOR < about >
JSTOR includes the complete runs of 117 important journal titles in 15 disciplines, with 112 journals currently available. JSTOR's focus is on becoming a trusted archive and does not publish current issues of the journals. JSTOR has established a lag period, called the moving wall, that defines the point at which the JSTOR archive stops, and "current" issues start. In some cases, the moving wall is three years (meaning the last issue available in the JSTOR archive would be one published three years ago); in other cases it is five years.
Included Journals:

NOTE: Don't forget to use Bibliographies!

WEB SITES

To find Web sites, use search engines and web indexes. See Finding Web Sites and Web Indexes and Directories.
See also Finding Web Sites on Literature.

WorldCat < about >
WorldCat contains bibliographic citations for high-quality Web sites on a variety of subjects. When you search WorldCat for Web sites, remember to check the box for "Internet Resources" in the section called "Limit type to". Sites are selected according to a collection development policy that emphasizes quality, authoritativeness, and durability.

• Academic Info American Literature
  An Annotated Directory of Internet Resources.
• American and English Language Internet Resources
  Maintained by Winnie Shyam Associate Librarian, Head of Reference Page, Buley Library, Southern Connecticut State University.
• Brief Timeline of American Literature and Events: Pre-1620 to 1920
  Maintained by Donna Campbell, Department of English, Gonzaga University.
• The Walt Whitman Hypertext Archive
  Digitized images of original documents, transcriptions of those documents, and an elaborate body of introductions, commentaries, and other materials useful in interpreting Whitman's works. Maintained by Kenneth M. Price and Ed Folsom, Virginia.
• Dickinson Electronic Archives
  A website devoted to the study of Emily Dickinson, her writing practices, writings generated by her work, and writings directly influencing her work. Maintained by Lara Vetter and Martha Nell Smith.
• The Emily Dickinson International Society
  The Society creates a forum for appreciation of Emily Dickinson's life and writings and for scholarly research on Dickinson and on her relation to the tradition of American poetry and women's literature. Maintained by Gary Lee Stonum.
• The Henry James scholar's Guide to Web Sites
  Maintained by Richard D. Hathaway, Professor of English, SUNY.
• The William Faulkner Society
  The William Faulkner Society is dedicated to fostering the study of Faulkner from all perspectives and to promoting research, scholarship, and criticism dealing with his writings and their place in literature.

Use these points to evaluate the credibility of Websites:

1. Accuracy
How reliable is the information? Are there editors and fact checkers?
2. Authority
What are the author's qualifications? Is the publisher reputable?
3. Objectivity
Is the author trying to sway opinion? Is the information free from bias?
4. Currency
Is the publication date indicated? Is the source up to date?
5. Coverage
Does the site cover the topic comprehensively, or are there information gaps?

Sites that provide guidance on evaluating Websites:

• Evaluating Web Resources
  Widener University Library
• Evaluating Information Found on the Internet
  Johns Hopkins University Library
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, or Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Resources
  New Mexico State University Library
• Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources
  UCLA College Library

CITING YOUR SOURCES

See: How to Cite Sources

See also Citing Sources for help in citing print and electronic resources in various bibliographic styles (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)

Book citation:

Farr, Judith. The passion of Emily Dickinson. Cambridge: Harvard U P, (1992).

Journal Citation:

Jarraway, DR. "Montage of an Otherness Deferred: Dreaming Subjectivity in
	Langston Hughes." American Literature 68.4 (1996): 819-847.

Chapter in a Book:

Story, Ralph D. "Gender and ambition: Zora Neale Hurston in the Harlem
	Renaissance." Critical Essays on Zora Neale Hurston. Ed. Gloria Cronin.
	New York: G. K. Hall, 1998. 189-207.

Documenting all of the resources used in the development of your work is an important part of research. The purpose of citing sources is to give weight and substance to your findings and to give credit to the authors of these sources. To cite properly, you must provide complete bibliographic information according to an established format, such as the MLA style.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
5th ed., New York : Modern Language Association of America, 1999.
Reference, LB2369 .G53 1999.

MLA Style
From The University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center.