The Undergraduate in the Academic Library: A Collaborative Pedagogy

Appendix 1: Conducting Bibliographic Research on Nineteenth-Century British Poetry and Using MLA Citation

English 299: Writing about Literature is the gateway course to the English major. In this course, students:

learn what we do as literary scholars—includes practicing specific reading strategies, appropriate disciplinary terminology, and effective stylistic approaches to writing about literature;
are introduced to literary theory—its history and application;
learn to formulate good questions, to develop a productive research plan, and to conduct and apply that research in scholarly essays; and
learn how to cite in MLA style and why we cite.

Librarian-directed Workshop on how to search LEO effectively, and how to use the MLAIB.
In-library workshop: Pairs of students will be provided with a bibliographic reference source and asked to work out how it is organized, what it contains, and how to use it.
A model of this assignment will be provided to the students before they begin; the model will demonstrate how to format the materials, organize the bibliography, and write the descriptions and guides.

This assignment models how to conduct bibliographic research in any area of literary studies. For this specific assignment, which can be adapted to any literature, period, or genre, students will locate and learn how to use major bibliographic reference sources for nineteenth-century British poetry.

Students will use assigned bibliographic reference sources: (1) to identify primary and secondary materials for use in reading, understanding, and interpreting nineteenth-century British poetry; and (2) to understand how each reference source is organized, what it contains, and how to select appropriate items from each.

Harmon, William. A Handbook to Literature. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ : Prentice Hall, 2005.

Harner, James L. Literary Research Guide: An Annotated Listing of Reference Sources in English Literary Studies . 4th ed. New York : MLA, 2002.

Adams, James Eli, Tom Pendergast, and Sara Pendergast, eds. Encyclopedia of the Victorian Era. Danbury, CT : Grolier, 2003.

Besterman, Theodore. A World Bibliography of Bibliographies and of Bibliographical Catalogues, Calendars, Abstracts, Digests, Indexes, and the Like. 4th ed. Totowa, NJ : Rowman and Littlefield, 1965.

Bibliographic Index. New York : Wilson, 1937-2006. [Bibliographic Index Plus, online]

Cevasco, G.A., ed. The 1890s: An Encyclopedia of British Literature, Art, and Culture. New York: Garland, 1993.

Conner, Lester I. A Yeats Dictionary: Persons and Places in the Poetry of William Butler Yeats. Syracuse, NY : Syracuse UP, 1998.

Cross, K.G.W., and R.T. Dunlop. A Bibliography of Yeats Criticism, 1887-1965. New York: Macmillan, 1971.

Davis, Arthur Kyle, ed. Matthew Arnold's Letters: A Descriptive Checklist. Charlottesville, VA: UP of Virginia, 1968.

Dawson, Carl, comp. Matthew Arnold, The Poetry: The Critical Heritage. London: Routledge, 1973.

Ehrsam, Theodore George. Bibliographies of Twelve Victorian Authors. New York: Wilson, 1936.

English Association, et al. The Year's Work in English Studies: Annual, 1986-.

Faverty, Frederic Everett, ed. The Victorian Poets: A Guide to Research. 2d ed. Cambridge: Harvard U, 1968.

Forman, Maurice Buxton. A Bibliography of the Writings in Prose and Verse of George Meredith. New York: Haskell, 1971.

Freeman, Ronald Edward, ed. Bibliographies of Studies in Victorian Literature for the Ten Years 1965-1974. New York: AMS P, 1981.

Hanham, H.J., ed. Bibliography of British History, 1851-1914. Oxford: Clarendon P, 1976.

Hartley, Robert A., ed. Keats, Shelley, Byron, Hunt, and Their Circles: A Bibliography. July 1, 1962-December 31, 1974. Lincoln, NE: U of Nebraska P, 1978.

Howard-Hill, T.H. Bibliography of British Literary Bibliographies. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon P, 1987.

Kirkpatrick, D.L. Reference Guide to English Literature. 2nd ed. Chicago: St. James P, 1991.

Luce, Morton. A Handbook to the Works of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. New York: Franklin, 1970.

MacGillvray, James Robertson. Keats: A Bibliography and Reference Guide. Toronto: U of Toronto P, 1949.

Marcuse, Michael J. A Reference Guide for English Studies . Berkeley : U of California P, 1990.

Matthews, G.M., ed. Keats: The Critical Heritage. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1971.

Mitchell, Sally, ed. Victorian Britain: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland , 1988.

MLA International Bibliography. New York: Thomson/Gale. [online database]: for Matthew Arnold; Alfred, Lord Tennyson; W.B. Yeats; George Meredith; John Keats

O'Neill, Michael, ed. Literature of the Romantic Period: A Bibliographical Guide. Oxford: Clarendon P, 1998.

Reilly, Catherine W. Late Victorian Poetry, 1880-1899: An Annotated Biobibliography. London : Mansell, 1994.

Shaw, Marion . An Annotated Critical Bibliography of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1989.

Slack, Robert C. Bibliographies of Studies in Victorian Literature for the Ten Years 1955-1964. Urbana, IL : U of Illinois P, 1967.

Smart, Thomas Burnett, ed. The Bibliography of Matthew Arnold. London: Davey, 1892.

Watson, George, and Frederick Wilse Bateson. The New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1969.

Wolfson, Susan J. The Cambridge Companion to Keats. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2001.

Zillman, Lawrence John. John Keats and the Sonnet Tradition: A Critical and Comparative Study. New York : Octagon, 1966.

Students will be paired and each pair will be assigned two bibliographic reference sources from the attached bibliography. Students will then locate and learn how to use these two sources. Each student will be responsible for producing half of the final written product as detailed below, and for providing copies of their work to the other students in the class.

One student will create a bibliography of primary and secondary sources which have been culled from the two bibliographic reference sources assigned to the pair. Next, the student will determine which ones are owned by or electronically accessible through Carrier Library. The student responsible for this section will then complete the bibliography in proper MLA format, noting which items are accessible in Carrier Library by call number.
One student will write two descriptions, one for each of the two assigned reference sources and create a “how-to” guide for using each source for the other students in the class. The descriptions will be modeled in both length and content on selections from James L. Harner's Literary Research Guide. The descriptions and “how-to” guides will then be inserted at the beginning of the bibliography, headed by the complete citation for each reference work, using the model provided.
Each pair will give eight minute presentations during which they will explain how each reference work is organized, what it contains, and how to use it.

Did students accurately summarize how each reference source is organized, what it contains, and how to use it? Did students identify relevant primary and secondary materials according to the specific search criteria established? Did students organize these materials and cite them according to proper MLA format? Did students compose clear directions for use of the reference source? Did the students present their findings as indicated in #3 above, clearly and succinctly and were they able to answer any questions that arose during the presentation?

Shaw, Marion. An Annotated Critical Bibliography of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1989. [PR5580.Z732 1989]

The book includes a brief chronology of Tennyson's life in the front, as well as a list of abbreviations used for journals and publishers. These include “T” for Tennyson, “CUP” for Cambridge University Press, and “VS” for Victorian Studies, among others. The book is split into three sections: Biography, Bibliography and Related Matters, and Criticism. Suggested articles under these headings are set up as annotated bibliographies that are ordered chronologically by publication date. Additionally, criticism of specific poems are organized by poem. This bibliography is very clearly organized, easy to follow, and by no means overwhelming. Annotations are brief, but informative, and include more recent works than Faverty's [reference is to the student's discussion of Frederic Everett Faverty's The Victorian Poets: A Guide to Research . 2d ed. Cambridge : Harvard UP, 1968].

The Year's Work in English Studies. English Assoc., et al. London : Oxford UP, 1919-.

The English Association first published the annual reference guide in 1919 as a reference and review guide for English literary secondary books published within the given year. Carrier Library owns each annual edition up to 2002. Although the guide's format underwent several changes over the 83-year span, its function remains essentially the same. The text is separated into chronological literary eras, which generally coincide with the century, and is further divided into subheadings, which specifically cover the various literary genres. For example, I searched for the nineteenth-century poet, George Meredith, and found material written about his life and work under the era titled “The Nineteenth Century: Victorian Period” and the genre subheading “Poetry.” If a secondary work about Meredith were published within the year, the book would be listed, including a brief overview and review of the work. The Year's Work may be helpful to a reader who knows what book he or she is looking for and who only needs a concise synopsis.

Besterman, Theodore. A World Bibliography of Bibliographies and of Bibliographical Catalogues, Calendars, Abstracts, Digests, Indexes, and the Like. 4 th ed. Totowa, NJ : Rowan and Littlefield, 1965. [Z1002.B5684]

Four volumes and a fifth index volume. Volumes 1-4 are arranged alphabetically by subject/person and provide bibliographical sources for each. Volume 5 is the index, which lists the authors of the bibliographical sources found in volumes 1-4 and lists the sources they have authored. Ultimately, the volumes enable you to locate sources that enable you to locate more sources—these reference books are a guide to locating bibliographical sources on topics and people. For example, for Alfred, Lord Tennyson, consult volume 4. Under “Tennyson, Alfred, lord” are 12 listed sources that contain bibliographical information on Tennyson. Each source has the author's name in capital letters and in brackets followed by the title of the source. Some of the bibliographical sources have a brief description of its contents. Each source also includes the dates of publication and page numbers to consult; some sources include the city of publication. Under “Tennyson,” the first of 12 listed sources is Tennysoniana, which contains a bibliography of Tennyson's works and poems. [return to article]

This assignment models how to conduct bibliographic research in two areas of literary study. For this assignment, you will locate and learn how to use major bibliographic reference sources for the short story and science fiction/fantasy genres.

You will be using assigned bibliographic reference sources to identify primary and secondary materials for use in reading, understanding, and interpreting the short story and science fiction and fantasy, and to understand how each reference source is organized, what it contains, and how to select appropriate items from each. This assignment focuses on Ursula LeGuin's short story, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.”

You will work in pairs and each pair will be assigned two bibliographic reference sources from the attached bibliography. You will then locate and learn how to use these two sources. Each student will be responsible for producing half of the final written product as indicated below, and for providing copies of your work to the other students in the class. Whichever task you take on for this assignment, will be switched in the second similar assignment later in the semester. Thus, you will each do both parts over the course of the semester. [Note: the pairing system was not successful and students worked independently on subsequent assignments.]

Did you accurately summarize how each reference source is organized, what it contains, and how to use it? Did you identify relevant primary and secondary materials according to the specific search criteria established? Did you organize these materials and cite them according to proper MLA format? Did you compose clear directions for use of the reference source? Did you present your findings as indicated in #3 above, clearly and succinctly, and were you able to answer any questions that arose during the presentation?

Harmon, William and C. Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature . 10th ed. Upper Saddle River , NJ : Prentice Hall, 2005.

Harner, James L. Literary Research Guide: An Annotated Listing of Reference Sources in English Literary Studies . 4th ed. New York : MLA, 2002.

LeGuin, Ursula. “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” The Wind's Twelve Quarters: Short Stories . New York : Harper & Row, 1975; London : Gollancz, 1976.

Biography and Genealogy Master Index: A Consolidated Index to More Than 3,200,000 Biographical Sketches in over 350 Current and Retrospective Biographical Dictionaries. [online]

Blain, Virginia, Patricia Clements, and Isobel Grundy, eds. The Feminist Companion to Literature in English: Women Writers from the Middle Ages to the Present. New Haven, Yale UP, 1990.

Dictionary of Literary Biography. Print [reference section and online]. Locate science fiction volume(s). Consult cumulative indexes for full references to location of information on Ursula K. Le Guin.

Barron, Neil, ed. Anatomy of Wonder 4: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction. 4th ed. New Providence: Bowker, 1995.

Burgess, Michael and Lisa R. Bartle. Reference Guide to Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Horror. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2002.

Clute, John and John Grant, eds. The Encyclopedia of Fantasy. New York : St. Martin 's, 1997.

Contento, William. Index to Science Fiction Anthologies and Collections. Boston: Hall, 1978.

A Dictionary of Biblical Traditions in English Literature. Ed. David Lyle Jeffrey. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992. [see scapegoat]

Hall, Hal W., ed. Science Fiction and Fantasy Reference Index, 1985-1991: An International Author and Subject Index to History and Criticism. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1993.

Reginald, R. Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature 1975-1991: A Bibliography of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Fiction Books and Nonfiction Monographs. Detroit: Gale, 1992.

Sargent, Lyman Tower. British & American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985: An Annotated, Chronological Bibliography. New York: Garland, 1988.

Tymn, Marshall B., Kenneth J. Zahorski, and Robert H. Boyer. Fantasy Literature: A Core Collection and Reference Guide. New York: Bowker, 1979.

Wolfe, Gary K. Critical Terms for Science Fiction and Fantasy: A Glossary and Guide to Scholarship. New York: Greenwood, 1986.

Baldwin, Dean and Gregory L. Morris. The Short Story in English: Britain and North America: An Annotated Bibliography. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow P; Pasadena, CA: Salem P, 1994.

May, Charles E. Critical Survey of Short Fiction. 2nd rev. ed. Pasadena, CA : Salem P, 2001.

Walker, Warren S. Twentieth-Century Short Story Explications [and supplements]. Hamden, CT: 1993-.

Sample Descriptions of Reference Sources [adapted from Harner, Literary Research Guide]

Benbow-Pfalzgraf, Taryn, ed. American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present. 2nd ed. 4 vols. Detroit : St. James-Gale, 2000. [Ref. PS147 .A4]

A dictionary of about 1,300 women writers of belles lettres as well as popular forms, diaries, letters, autobiographies, and children's books. Listed under the name used by the Library of Congress, the entries range from one to five pages, provide bibliographical information, an overview of major works, a general critical estimate, a "complete" bibliography of primary works, and a selected list of studies. Neither bibliography cites full publication information, however. Indices of persons and subjects are in volume 4. This second edition, however, is not significantly expanded from the first edition, so the entries are often outdated. The essays vary in quality of information; some offer very little in the way of “critical analysis.”

[Assume that you are doing a project on a particular women author. Your bibliography would consist of items culled from this work. Given the problems with its coverage, however, you would want to suggest that this bibliography may not be up-to-date in your guide to use]

Edwards, A.S.G., ed. Middle English Prose: A Critical Guide to Major Authors and Genres. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1984. [Ref. PR255.M52]

Surveys of scholarship and editions, with essays on a variety of Middle English prose writers, including, for example, Margery Kempe, Julian of Norwich, John Mandeville, Chaucer, and anonymous works on a variety of topics (medicine, religious instruction, science, history, etc.). Note that Sir Thomas Malory is omitted because there are other recent bibliographic essays on his work. Each essay concludes with a selective bibliography of manuscripts, editions, and studies. There is an index to author, scholars, and anonymous works. An easy to use and excellent starting place for work on Middle English prose.

[Assume that you were doing a project on John Mandeville. The bibliography you would take from Edwards' volume, would be a list of items on Mandeville that you find useful for your project]

Tymn, Marshall B., Kenneth J. Zahorski, and Robert H. Boyer. Fantasy Literature: A Core Collection and Reference Guide. New York : Bowker, 1979 [REF PR 830.F3 T9]

A detailed reference book that explores an extensive collection of fantasy literature, authors of the genre, anthologies, awards, organizations and periodicals. The text is divided into parts, but the first two sections provide the bulk of the information needed by most readers. Part I deals with both the definition and classification of fantasy literature in addition to the core collection of fantasy works updated to the publication date, 1979. The core collection is an alphabetical listing by the author's last name. Each entry includes a detailed summary of the author's text. Authors may have multiple entries for multiple works. The core collection includes works by Lloyd Alexander, Natalie Babbit, Frank L. Baum, Lewis Carroll, Susan Cooper, Ursula Le Guin, C.S. Lewis, Fritz Leiber, James Thurber, and J.R.R. Tolkein. In addition to the detailed descriptions of specific works, there is also a listing for fantasy literature anthologies. Sixteen anthologies are listed and alphabetized by the editor's last name. Part II of the text includes fantasy literature research aids, which include (but are not limited to) history of the literature, criticism, author studies, reference works, periodicals, and literary awards. The text includes a directory of publishers specifically in the fantasy literature genre. The comprehensive list is over one hundred and is listed in alphabetical order by the publication's title. The text concludes with a comprehensive index of authors, subjects, and titles. Although the text is very informative, organized, and a great reference for fantasy literature, it is outdated and not useful for current up-to-date material dealing with this particular genre of literature. [return to article]

You have been assigned a general topic, below. Using the skills you have so far learned from the library instruction sessions and from A Research Guide for Undergraduate Students , search LEO, using the various strategies suggested, databases (particularly MLA), and any other databases that seem useful. Your goal is to compile an annotated bibliography of at least 10 items that provide information directly relevant to the historical and cultural world of The Crusader: A Novel . Be creative and persistent with the search terms you employ, and remember to search for the specific dates and people referenced and events narrated in the novel. Remember to use the indices of reference books. (1) Locate the items you find, whether an article in a reference book, a book chapter, a journal article, or a website; (2) read the material and summarize it briefly and concisely; (3) prepare the annotated bibliography in accordance with the sample attached. Materials on reserve may be used for this assignment as well.

Crusades, history and historiography
Crusader art
Spain, history (especially church history)
Military history (specific to crusades & battles included in the novel)
Crusades, encyclopedias and dictionaries
Orders of knighthood, military religious orders
Cistercian Order, history and rule
Civilization, Islamic
Europe, relations, Islamic countries
Mamelukes (Mameluke Sultanate)
Spain, Arab, history
Spain, twelfth-century civilization
Aragon, Spain , history
Devil in the Middle Ages (history of doctrines)
Islamic countries, kings and rulers
Islamic empire
Krak des Chevaliers
Jihad, history and religious life, Islam

Medieval Research Bibliography: General and Crusades

Bibliographies

Burke, John Frederick. Life in the Castle in Medieval England . Rowman and Littlefield, 1978.

Butler, Alban. Butler's Lives of the Saints. Collegeville: Liturgical P, 1995.

Cowie, Leonard W. The Christian Calendar: A Complete Guide to the Seasons of the Christian Year. Springfield , MA : Merriam, 1974.

Dictionary of Literary Biography. 336 vols. to date. Michigan: Gale, 1978-. [Print and Online]

Dictionary of the Middle Ages. ed. Joseph R. Strayer. 13 vols. New York: Scribner, 1982.

Encyclopedia of Early Christianity. Ed. Everett Ferguson. 2 vols. New York: Garland, 1997.

A History of Private Life. Ed. Philippe Aries and Georges Duby. Vol. 2. Cambridge, MA : Harvard UP, 1987.

The Oxford English Dictionary. Ed. J.A. Simpson and E.S.C Weiner. 10 vols. New York : Oxford UP, 1989. [Print & Online]

Andrea, Alfred J. Encyclopedia of the Crusades. Westport, CT. : Greenwood, 2003.

The Crusades from the Perspective of Byzantium and the Muslim World. Ed. Angeliki E. Laiou and Roy Parviz Mottahedeh. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks, 2001.

Crusades: The Illustrated History. Ed. Thomas F. Madden. Ann Arbor, MI : U of Michigan P, 2005.

Documents on the Later Crusades, 1274-1580. Ed. Norman Housely. New York : St. Martin 's, 1996.

Hillenbrand, Carole. The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives. New York : Routledge, 2000.

Housley, Norman. The Avignon Papacy and the Crusades, 1305-1378. Oxford : Oxford UP, 1986.

Lock, Peter. The Routledge Companion to the Crusades. New York : Routledge, 2006.

Madden, Thomas F. The New Concise History of the Crusades. Lanham, MD : Rowman and Littlefield, 2006.

Maier, Christoph T. Preaching the Crusades: Mendicant Friars and the Cross in the Thirteenth Century. Cambridge : Cambridge UP, 1994.

Riley-Smith, Jonathan. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades . New York : Oxford UP, 1995.

Setton, Kenneth M., ed. A History of the Crusades. 6 vols. Wisconsin : Madison UP, 1969-.

Slack, Corliss Konwiser, ed. Historical Dictionary of the Crusades. Lanham , MD. : Scarecrow P, 2003.

Tyerman, Christopher. The Invention of the Crusades. Toronto: Toronto UP, 1998.

Ferguson , Everett, ed. Encyclopedia of Early Christianity. Garland Reference Library of the Humanities 846. New York: Garland, 1990. 877-79.

An overview of the early history of Syria from the first to the seventh century A.D. including discussions of geography, spoken and written language, and religion. Christianity spread through Syria in the first century and early Christian writings in Syriac include Odes of Solomon and Acts of Thomas. Syriac translations of the bible were made between the fourth and sixth centuries. Islam made its first appearance in the first half of the seventh century and “spread rapidly in the Syriac-speaking Christian communities, and it is clear that in many important ways it was through the mediating role of these communities that, along with a knowledge of Greek logic, rhetoric, and science, a good deal of Christian mysticism and even theological influence passed to the Arabs” (878).

Niles argues that The Battle of Maldon should be read as myth, not in the sense of a fictional narrative, but rather as a story that identifies the origins of a crucial change in relations between the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings in 991 A.D. The story explains, in Byhrtnoth's loss at Maldon, the reasons why the Anglo-Saxons began to pay tribute to the Vikings. Rather than reading the poem as a romantic story of sacrifice and patriotic devotion on the field of war, Niles asserts that we should read it in its historical context which illustrates the dramatic role the battle plays in a reversal of England 's fortunes.

Lewis, Bernard. The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror. New York : Modern Library, 2003.

Detailed resource concerning the principles of Islam and its history in religious conflict. Covers 13 centuries of history, beginning from early conflict such as the Crusades and ending in modern times. This gives readers a historical perspective, allowing them to understand the events of the past as well as current influences that helped inspire Eisner's plot in The Crusader. Also explains the importance of sacred tradition in Islam, giving insight as to motives in holy wars as they may also related to The Crusader.

Arberry, Arthur John. Aspects of Islamic Civilization as Depicted in the Original Texts. 1st ed. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1968. [BP89.A7 1976b]

Arberry states in the introduction, “This book is a series of documents illustrating the development of Islamic civilization, texts translated from the language in which they were originally composed by famous protagonists of that culture. The intention is to present a panorama of Muslim life and thought and achievement as depicted from within.” It contains biographies on selected authors and excerpts from their works. It is not strictly an anthology since it includes Arberry's analysis and interpretation of the works. Includes many poems and passages by well-known Islamic writers as well as the historical background for each piece. [return to article]

Oxford English Dictionary . 20 vols. 2nd ed. Oxford : Clarendon P; New York : Oxford UP, 1989.

Carrier Library – Reference – PE1625 .O87 1989 and Online as the OED Online

Harmon, William, and Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature . 9th ed. Upper Saddle River , NJ : Prentice Hall, 2003.

Groden, Michael, Martin Kreiswirth, and Imre Szeman, eds. The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism. 2nd ed. Baltimore ; London : Johns Hopkins UP, 2005.

Harner, James L. Literary Research Guide: An Annotated Listing of Reference Sources in English Literary Studies. 4th ed. New York : MLA, 2002.

Weiner, Alan R., and Spencer Means. Literary Criticism Index. 2nd ed. Metuchen, NJ : Scarecrow Press, 1994.

Carrier Library – Reference – Abstract/Index and Online as the Bibliographic Index Plus

The library also owns a variety of published bibliographies & handbooks on specific authors. You can locate these in LEO (the library catalog) by conducting a word search on the author's name and the words “annotated bibliography” or “handbook.” Some of these sources are located in Reference, but many are also shelved on the 3rd floor in the circulating collection. The following are examples of the bibliographies and handbooks you may find in the library.

Letellier, Robert Ignatius. The English Novel, 1700-1740: An Annotated Bibliography. Westport, CT ; London: Greenwood, 2002.

Champion, Larry S. The Essential Shakespeare: An Annotated Bibliography of Major Modern Studies. 2nd ed. New York : G.K. Hall, 1993.

Newby, James Edward. Black Authors: A Selected Annotated Bibliography . New York ; London : Garland Publishing, 1991.

Note: Many of the Gale Guides to Literary Criticism listed below, along with the Dictionary of Literary Biography (see citation above), are also indexed in the Literature Resource Center, which is one of the literature databases.

Literature Criticism from 1400-1800. 139 vols. Detroit : Thompson Gale, 1984-.

Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism. 91 vols. Detroit : Thompson Gale, 1988-.

FactFinder: Resources for Identifying the Social, Historical, and Cultural Contexts of Literature

Use the following types of sources to locate biographical and factual information that will enrich your understanding of literature. If these sources don't answer your question, ask a reference librarian for further recommendations.

Grendler, Paul F., ed. Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. 6 vols. New York : Scribner's, 1999.

This six volume set is a portal into the cultural and social history of the Renaissance. Entries on various topics, such as art, literature, music, government, and historical figures are signed and include bibliographies. A chronology and illustrations enhance this reference source.

Wagner, John A. Historical Dictionary of the Elizabethan World: Britain, Ireland, Europe, and America. Phoenix : Oryx Press, 1999.

An excellent source for descriptions and definitions of people, events, ideas, and terms relating to the Elizabethan period of British history.

This one volume encyclopedia provides background information on the social and cultural history of Victorian Britain. Essay topics range from factories to fashion and from women to work. Essays are signed and include bibliographies for further research.

Appiah, Kwame Anthony, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., eds. Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience. 2nd ed. 5 vols. Oxford ; New York : Oxford UP, 2005.

This scholarly encyclopedia includes biographical information on major literary figures as well as historical information on countries, languages, music, and art.

This set covers American history by decade, providing yearly accounts of architecture, economics, education, fashion, and topics in the news. American Decades covers 1900 to 1989. Volume 10 is available online only. For earlier years, see the set American Eras (1600 to 1899) in the Carrier Library Reference Section at E169.1 .A471979 1997.

Moss, Joyce, and George Wilson, eds. Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them . 5 vols. Detroit : Gale, 1997.

This five volume set provides entries on selected pieces of literature. Essays situate literary works in the context of historical events at the time the work takes place as well as events in history from the time the work was written.

Worksheet: Library Instruction Sessions #1: Exercises in Literary Research using Reference Sources

This activity is designed to acquaint you with the variety of reference sources available for researching authors and their works. Reference books are a good place to begin a research project.

Using the FactFinder bibliography, choose a source or browse in the biography-history sections of Reference (C-E) to find a source that would help you understand the historical context of a work of literature. Answer the following questions about the source you select:

LEO: JMU's library catalog. Use LEO to locate books, journals, films, and music at JMU.

To find books on a particular author, search in LEO using subject headings. For literary studies, subject headings about an author always begin with the author's last name followed by their first name, middle initial, and birth and death dates. If you don't know all the required information, start with a subject search for the author (last name, first name).

Need Information On	Subject Heading
William Shakespeare	Shakespeare William 1564 1616
Shakespeare biography	Shakespeare William 1564 1616 Biography
Shakespeare criticism	Shakespeare William 1564 1616 Criticism and Interpretation
Criticism on Hamlet	Shakespeare William 1564 1616 Hamlet
Shakespeare encyclopedia	Shakespeare William 1564 1616 Encyclopedias
Shakespeare dictionary	Shakespeare William 1564 1616 Dictionaries
Shakespeare bibliography	Shakespeare William 1564 1616 Bibliography

Note: For anonymous works, such as Beowulf, the subject heading will begin with the title of the work rather than the author's last name.

WorldCat: A combined library catalog for libraries around the world. Use WorldCat to locate books, journals, films, and music that are not at JMU. Use the Interlibrary Loan services to request items.

Reference: If you are stuck and unable to find resources to support your research, you can get help from research experts at the Carrier Library Reference Desk, which is located on the first floor behind the glass wall. You are also welcome to contact me using the contact information located at the top of this handout.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL): If you find the citation to a book or article that JMU Libraries do not own, do not despair. Go to https://illiad.lib.jmu.edu/illiad and submit a request for the resource you want via ILL.

MLA International Bibliography (MLA): Indexes critical materials from 1926 to the present on literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore. Some articles are available in full-text.

Arts & Humanities Search (AHSearch): Indexes articles from arts and humanities journals plus relevant articles from social science and science journals. Includes additional records providing the preferred form of cited authors' names.

Humanities & Social Science Retrospective: Indexes articles on linguistics and literary criticism that were published between 1907 and 1984.

Bibliographic Index Plus: Indexes full-text bibliographies from some 1,700 journals that cover a broad range of disciplines, plus in-depth indexing of more than 400,000 bibliographies referenced by periodicals, whole books, and parts of books.

Biography & Genealogy Master Index: Indexes more than 10 million biographical sketches from current, readily available reference sources as well as the most important retrospective works that cover individuals, living and deceased, from every field of activity and from all areas of the world.

Literature Resource Center : Provides selected biographical, critical, and bibliographical information on various literary figures. The database contains full coverage of Contemporary Authors and Dictionary of Literary Biography as well as selected entries from Contemporary Literary Criticism .

Biography Resource Center : A comprehensive database of biographical information on over 320,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subjects.

Worksheet: Library Instruction Session #2: Searching in LEO & WorldCat for Literary Resources

1. Use Biography and Genealogy Master Index to generate a list of books that contain biographical references to the author that you are researching.

2. Use LEO to determine whether we own these titles. Write down the call numbers of items you find.

3. Use the Literature Resource Center to locate biographies on the same author you used in Question 1.

Identify a biography that contains a bibliography of works by the author. Write down the citation information for that entry.