Outline of this guide: Need help finding a topic? Reference Works Books Collections of Photographs Articles

Other useful links: Course Reserves/E-Reserves for this class Book Review Sources Film Review Sources Narrowing or Broadening a Topic RefWorks: A Guide Research Log Research Planner Scholarly Articles: How to Identify Them

• Reference works
  See especially the works on photography, below.
• Books on the history of photography
  To find books in the library, try some of the Library Catalog subject searches described below. Some surveys of the history of photography include:
  • A New History of Photography. Ed. Michel Frizot. Köln: Könemann, 1998.
    Little Library Folios F 770.9 N934-T
  • Photographs that Changed the World: The Camera as Witness, the Photograph as Evidence. Comp. Lorraine Monk. New York: Doubleday, 1989.
    Little Library Folios F 779 P5752
  • Photography: A Cultural History. Mary Warner Marien. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002.
    Little Library Folios F 770.9 M334p
  • Photography in Nineteenth-Century America. Ed. Martha A. Sandweiss. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1991.
    Little Library Folios F 770.9 P5751
  • A World History of Photography. Naomi Rosenblum. New York: Abbeville Press, 1984.
    Little Library Folios F 770.9 R813w

• Dictionaries
  • The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1992.
    Reference R 423 A512 1992
  • Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus (10th edition)
    The library also have print copies of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in Reference at call number R 423 W38nc 2003.
  • The Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Ed. J.A. Simpson and E.S.C. Weiner. 2nd ed. 20 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989.
    Reference R 423 O98m
    The online version also contains entries being prepared for the third edition.
  • Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. 2nd ed. New York: Random House, 2001.
    Reference R 423 R194 2001
  • Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language. Ed. Philip Babcock Grove. Springfield, MA: G. & C. Merriam, [1971].
    Reference R 423 W38n3, 1971

• Biographical Information
  • American National Biography. Ed. John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes. 24 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999-2002.
    Reference R 920.073 A512
  • Biography Reference Bank. H.W. Wilson, 2003- .
  • Contemporary Authors. Gale: 2000- .
    The E.H. Little Library also has copies of the print volumes from 1967-2003; they are shelved in Reference at call number R 928 C76.
  • Contemporary Photographers. Ed. George Walsh et al. New York: St. Martin's Press, [1982].
    Reference R 927.7 C761
  • Dictionary of Literary Biography. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1978- .
    Reference R 928.1 D554
  • International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers. Ed. Tom Pendergast and Sara Pendergast. 4th ed. 4 vols. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000.
    Reference R 791.43 I611 2000
  • Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. ed. H.C.G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. 60 vols. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2004.
    Reference R 920 N2111
  • Pioneer Photographers of the Far West: A Biographical Dictionary, 1840-1865. Peter Palmquist and Thomas Kailbourn. Stanford, CA: Stanford Univ. Press, 2000.
    Reference R 927.7 P179p
• Photography & Documentary
  • Dictionary of Art. Ed Jane. Turner 34 vols. New York: Grove’s Dictionaries, 1996.
    Reference R 703 D554
  • Encyclopedia of Television. Ed. Horace Newcomb. 2nd ed. 4 vols. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2004.
    Reference R 791.45 E56
  • Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography. Ed. Lynne Warren. 3 vols. New York: Routledge, 2006.
    Reference R 779 E56
  • The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography. Ed. Michael Peres. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Focal Press, 2007.
    Reference R 770.3 F65 2007
  • International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers. Ed. Tom Pendergast and Sara Pendergast. 4th ed. 4 vols. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000.
    Reference R 791.43 I611 2000
  • AccessScience
    Contains the full text of the most recent edition of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology as well as the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, research updates from the McGraw-Hill Yearbooks of Science & Technology, biographies of scientists, and science and technology news.
  • The Oxford Companion to the Photograph. Ed. Robin Lenman. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2005.
    Reference R 770.3 O98
  • Photography and Photographers to 1900: An Annotated Bibliography. Robert Sennett. New York: Garland, 1985.
    Reference R 016.77 S478p
  • The Photography Encyclopedia. Gloria McDarrah et al. New York: Schirmer, 1999.
    Reference R 770.3 M134p
• Social Issues, Political Issues, & Historical Background
  • The Columbia Guide to the Vietnam War. David L. Anderson. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 2002.
    Reference R 959.704 A546c
  • Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 10 vols. New York: Scribner's, 2003.
    Reference R 973 D554 2003
  • The Dictionary of the First World War. Stephen Pope and Elizabeth-Anne Wheal. New York: St. Martins, 1995.
    Reference R 940.3 P826d
  • Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. Ed. Colin Palmer. 6 vols. Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference, 2006.
  • Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History. Ed. Ed. Mary Kupiec Cayton and Peter Williams. 3 vols. New York: Scribner's, 2001.
    Reference R 973.04 E564
  • Encyclopedia of American Social Movements. Ed. Immanuel Ness. 3 vols. New York: Sharpe Reference, 2004.
    Reference R 303.484 E56
  • Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History. Ed. David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler. 5 vols. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2000.
    Reference R 973.7 E56
  • Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century. Ed. Paul Finkelman. 3 vols. New York: Scribner's, 2001.
    Reference R 973.5 E56
  • Encyclopedia of the United States in the Twentieth Century. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 4 vols. New York: Scribner's, 1996.
    Reference R 973.03 E562
  • Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. New York: Scribner's, 1996.
    Reference R 959.704 E56
  • Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History. Ed. Spencer C. Tucker. 3 vols. Santa Barbara, CA: 1998.
    Reference R 959.704 E561
  • Gale Virtual Reference Library
    A collection of electronic reference books.
  • Statistical Abstract of the United States.
    Reference R 317.3 U54
    Government Document Stacks C 3.134
    Online (1995 to present)
    A compendium of statistics on a wide variety of subjects. Particularly useful for its source notes, which will direct to statistical publications that contain additional information. Also useful for retrospective information; the Library has a long run of this title, so you can consult tables in earlier volumes if you need to chart historical trends.
    Supplemented by County and City Data Book (Reference R 317.3 S797) and State and Metropolitan Data Book (Reference R 317.3 U54c).
  • War and American Popular Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. Ed. M. Paul Holsinger. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1999.
    Reference R 973 W253
  • World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia. Ed. David Zabecki. 2 vols. New York: Garland, 1999.
    Reference R 940.53 W9272

• To find books at Davidson, search the following:
  • Library Catalog
    Includes information about books, government documents, and journals, magazines, and newspapers in the Library.
    • To locate videos, do a keyword search and limit your search by the format "video materials (VHS/DVD)."
    • To locate appropriate Library of Congress Subject Headings, start with a keyword search and then browse records.
      Useful subject headings include:
      • Documentary Films
      • Documentary Photography
      • Photographers
      • Photographs
      • Photography
      • Photojournalists
      • Vietnam war 1961-1975 pictorial works
      • War photographers
      • War photography
      • Women photographers
      • World war 1914-1918 pictorial works
      • World war 1939-1945 pictorial works
    • To locate works about a person, do a subject search for the person's name (last name first).
    • To locate bibliographies on a person or topic, do a keyword search and add the following: su bibliography.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use a dollar sign $
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
• To find information about books that might be available from other libraries, search the following:
  • WorldCat
    Indexes books, periodicals, and other materials held by libraries around the world. Search WorldCat to identify additional books on your topic and then order the books on interlibrary loan.
    Note: It can be helpful to identify relevant Library of Congress Subject Headings in the Library Catalogue first; you can then do a subject search in WorldCat to find additional items with these subject headings.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: insert a "w" between the words in a phrase (for example, "cold w war")
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?

• AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive
  (1826 to present [images]; 1997 to present [text]) A collection of image, graphics, and text databases from the Associated Press (AP). Over 700,000 AP photographs dating from 1826 to the present are available in two collections: the International Archive (U.S. state, regional and national photographs; international photographs) and the Euro/Asian Archive. The Graphics Database contains diagrams, maps, and charts dating from 1999. The text database contains the full text of AP reports from 1997 to the present.
  Note: Photographs and graphics from the Archive cannot be sold, syndicated, loaned or used for advertising or for trade without the written consent of AP. In addition, users cannot republish any of the photographs on a Web page.
• American Memory, from the Library of Congress
  Contains a wealth of primary source material for American history. Photograph collections include:
  • Selected Civil War Photographs
  • America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945
  • September 11, 2001, Documentary Project
  • Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures
• ARTstor
  A collection of over 300,000 images covering art, architecture, and archaeology from a wide range of cultures and time periods as well as tools to manipulate and analyze those images. For technical requirements, see the Quick Start Guide.
• CAMIO: The Catalog of Art Museum Images Online
  A collection of over 80,000 images of fine and decorative artworks dating from prehistoric times to the present.
• HELIOS: Photography Online, from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  Includes several online collections, including:
  • The First Century of American Photographs
  • Contemporary American Landscape Photography
  • American Daguerreotypes
• Photograph Database, from the Davidson College Archives
  Information about the College Archives' collection of photographs related to Davidson College and the Town of Davidson.
• Photographs in magazines and newspapers
  The Library has long runs of many magazines and newspapers as well as tools that describe and index them. Consult the following guides for more information:
  • Magazines
    • Twentieth-Century Popular Magazines
  • Newspapers
    • Nineteenth-Century Newspapers
    • Twentieth-Century Newspapers

• Starting points
  Note: Some "Starting Points" databases index scholarly articles; some don't. Be sure to read the database descriptions and select databases that index the types of information sources you need.
  • Academic Search Premier
    (1975 to present) Indexes popular and scholarly articles in a broad range of subject areas; also includes citations to book reviews and citations to articles in several national newspapers.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • LexisNexis Academic
    (Approx. 1980 to present) Includes the full text of articles from local, national, and international newspapers, magazines, and trade journals as well as the text of newswires, patents, legal documents, and transcripts of radio and television broadcasts.
    Search Tips:
    • Use the "Guided News" search option
    • Try several types of searches:
      • For "News Category," choose "General News"; from the "News Source" drop-down menu, choose "Major Papers." Enter relevant keywords and choose an appropriate date range.
      • For "News Category," choose "U.S. News" or "World News"; from the "News Source" drop-down menu, choose an appropriate region or state. Enter relevant keywords and choose an appropriate date range.
      • For "News Category," choose "Arts & Sports News"; from the "News Source" drop-down menu, choose "Book, Movie, Music, & Play Reviews" or "Entertainment News." Enter relevant keywords and choose an appropriate date range.
      • From the "Academic Search Forms" list (upper left-hand corner of the screen), choose "Business. Then select "Industry & Market." Enter relevant keywords, and from the "Industry" drop-down menu, choose "Arts & Entertainment." Finally, choose an appropriate date range.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an exclamation point
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use an asterisk *
  • OmniFile Full Text Mega
    (1982 to present) Indexes articles from over 3,000 scholarly and popular periodicals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences; also includes the full text of selected articles from over 1,650 of these periodicals.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Readers' Guide Abstracts
    (1890 to present) Indexes articles in popular periodicals; also includes citations to book and film reviews.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
• Photography
  • Art Abstracts
    (1929 to present). Indexes over 370 periodicals, including journals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins. Subjects covered include art history, archaeology, architecture, decorative art, film, folk art, graphic art, industrial design, interior design, landscape architecture, museology, photography, and sculpture.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA)
    (1973 to present) Includes citations to journal articles, books, conference proceedings, essays, exhibition catalogues, and other materials on the history of art in Europe and North America from antiquity to the present. BHA covers both the fine and the decorative arts. Contains records from RILA (International Repertory of the Literature of Art) and RAA (Repertoire d'Art et d'Archeologie).
    Note: BHA uses Library of Congress Subject Headings.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use a question mark ?
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
  • General Science Abstracts
    (1984 to present) Indexes articles in over 250 English-language periodicals in a variety of science disciplines, including physics, astronomy, biology, chemistry, environmental science, mathematics, and medicine.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Humanities Abstracts
    (1907 to present). Indexes articles in over 500 English-language journals in the fields of archaeology, art, classics, communication, film, folklore, history, languages and literatures, music, philosophy, religion, and theatre. Also includes citations for book, theatre, and film reviews as well as interviews, obituaries, and some original creative works. Includes the full text of selected articles from 1995 to the present.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
• Film
  • Film Indexes Online
    (1893 to present) Contains both Film Index International (FII) and The American Film Institute Catalog (AFI). Includes full production and cast information for films from over 170 countries as well as plot summaries, production notes, and citations to reviews, criticism, and articles on film and film personalities.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: automatic
  • Film Literature Index
    (1973-2001) Indexes articles, film reviews, and book reviews from over 300 film and television periodicals; international in scope.
    Note: Information from 2002 to the present is only available in the print version of Film Literature Index, which is shelved in the Reference Index Area at call number R 050 F4873.
  • Humanities Abstracts
    (1907 to present). Indexes articles in over 500 English-language journals in the fields of archaeology, art, classics, communication, film, folklore, history, languages and literatures, music, philosophy, religion, and theatre. Also includes citations for book, theatre, and film reviews as well as interviews, obituaries, and some original creative works. Includes the full text of selected articles from 1995 to the present.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
• History
  • Historical Abstracts & America: History & Life
    (Time period covered: 1450 to present [world history]; prehistory to present [U.S. and Canadian history]. Publication coverage: 1954 to present). Indexes journal articles, book chapters, doctoral dissertations, and book reviews. (Each database can also be searched separately.)
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • Humanities Abstracts
    (1907 to present). Indexes articles in over 500 English-language journals in the fields of archaeology, art, classics, communication, film, folklore, history, languages and literatures, music, philosophy, religion, and theatre. Also includes citations for book, theatre, and film reviews as well as interviews, obituaries, and some original creative works. Includes the full text of selected articles from 1995 to the present.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
• Political Science & Public Affairs
  • PAIS International
    (1915 to present) Indexes journal articles, books, government documents, and conference papers in political science, public affairs, and economics.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: automatic
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • Social Sciences Abstracts
    (1907 to present) Indexes journal articles and some book reviews on all social sciences subjects, including history, political science, international relations, law, economics, area studies, gender studies, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
    (1975 to present) Indexes articles on a broad array of political science and international relations topics; international in scope.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: automatic
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
• Sociology
  • Social Sciences Abstracts
    (1907 to present) Indexes journal articles and some book reviews on all social sciences subjects, including history, political science, international relations, law, economics, area studies, gender studies, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Sociological Abstracts
    (1963 to present) indexes journal articles in sociology and related fields, including anthropology, economics, education, philosophy, political science, and social psychology.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: automatic
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
• Women & Gender
  • Contemporary Women's Issues
    (1992 to present) Indexes popular articles, scholarly articles, books, newsletters, and reports on all aspects of women's studies, including gender, sociology, education, political science, and health.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: automatic
    • Phrase searching: automatic
  • Social Sciences Abstracts
    (1907 to present) Indexes journal articles and some book reviews on all social sciences subjects, including history, political science, international relations, law, economics, area studies, gender studies, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
    • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Sociological Abstracts
    (1963 to present) indexes journal articles in sociology and related fields, including anthropology, economics, education, philosophy, political science, and social psychology.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: automatic
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?