Outline of this guide: Biographies Bibliographies Reception Criticism

Related guides: Book Review Sources RefWorks: A Guide Research Log Research Planner

• Reference Works
  • 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
  • American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present. Ed. Lina Mainiero et al. 5 vols. New York: Ungar, 1979-1994.
    Reference R 928 A512
  • Biography Reference Bank. H.W. Wilson, 2003- .
  • Literature Resource Center
    Contains full-text biographies, critical essays, journal articles, and excerpts of criticism and reviews about over 130,000 literary authors and their works; covers dramatists, essayists, novelists, poets, and other writers from all time periods.
    Note: Includes the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Feminist Writers, and Scribner's American Writers.
  • Nineteenth-Century American Women Writers: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. Ed. Denise Knight. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1997.
    Reference R 810.9 N714
  • The Oxford Companion to Women's Writing in the United States. Ed. Cathy Davidson and Linda Wagner-Martin. New York: Oxford, 1995.
    Reference R 810.9 O981
  • Women Writers in the United States: A Timeline of Literary, Cultural, and Social History. Cynthia Davis and Kathryn West. New York: Oxford, 1996.
    Reference R 810.9 D261w
• Separately-Published Biographies
  • Library Catalog
    To locate biographies of an author,
    • Do a subject search for the person's name (last name first).
      Subject headings for biographical works are usually in the following format: author last name author first name(s) birth and death dates.
      Example: Child, Lydia Maria Francis, 1802-1880
  • WorldCat
    Search WorldCat to find biographies that you might be able to borrow on interlibrary loan.
    To locate biographies of an author,
    1. Enter the author's name (last name first).
    2. Change the index drop-down menu from "keyword" to "Subject/Named Person."

• Existing Bibliographies
  • Reference Works
    • A Bibliographical Guide to African-American Women Writers. Comp. Casper LeRoy Jordan. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1993.
      Reference R 016.81 J82b
    • Literature Resource Center
      The entries in the Dictionary of Literary Biography, Feminist Writers, and Scribner's American Writers usually contain bibliographies of authors' works.
    • Nineteenth-Century American Women Writers: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. Ed. Denise Knight. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1997.
      Reference R 810.9 N714
    • The Pen is Ours: A Listing of Writings by and about African-American Women before 1910 with Secondary Bibliography to the Present. Comp. Jean Fagan Yellin and Cynthia Bond. New York: Oxford, 1991.
      Reference R 016.81 Y7p
  • Separately-Published Bibliographies
    • Bibliographic Index
      (1984 to present) A bibliography of bibliographies; indexes bibliographies published in books, pamphlets, and more than 2,800 periodicals. Includes citations to literature reviews and serial bibliographies.
      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 ?
    • Library Catalog
      To locate bibliographies of an author's works,
      1. Do a subject keyword search for the person's name (last name first) and add the word "bibliography" or "catalog."
         Example: stowe harriet beecher and (bibliography or catalog)
      2. Evaluate any bibliographies or catalogs you find.
         This type of search finds bibliographies of works by an author as well as bibliographies of works about an author, so you will need to examine any bibliographies you find. Some bibliographies contain both types of information.
    • WorldCat
      Search WorldCat to find bibliographies that you might be able to borrow on interlibrary loan.
      1. To locate bibliographies of an author's works, enter the author's name (last name first) and add the following "and (bibliography or catalog)."
      2. Change the index drop-down menu from "Keyword" to "Subject."
      3. Evaluate any bibliographies or catalogs you find.
         This type of search finds bibliographies of works by an author as well as bibliographies of works about an author, so you will need to examine any bibliographies you find. Some bibliographies contain both types of information.
      4. Note that not all bibliographies can be borrowed on interlibrary loan.
• Locating Additional Information
  To supplement the information you glean from published bibliographies, search the following.
  Works in Periodicals | Books & Pamphlets
  • Works in Periodicals
    • 19th-Century Masterfile
      Indexes articles in 479 British and American periodicals published in the nineteenth century.
      Note: The print version of Poole's Index to Periodical Literature (1802-1906), which is part of 19th-Century Masterfile, is available in the Reference Index Area at call number R 050 P82.
    • The Literary Index to American Magazines
      
      • The Literary Index and Historical Index to American Magazines, 1800-1850. Daniel A. Wells and Jonathan Daniel Wells. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2004.
        Reference R 051 W453Li 1800-1850
      • The Literary Index to American Magazines, 1850-1900. Comp. Daniel A. Wells. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1996.
        Reference R 051 W453Li 1850-1900
    • Making of America
      Contains the full text of selected journals and books from the antebellum period through reconstruction.
      Note: There are two sites for the Making of America:
      • University of Michigan site
      • Cornell University site
    • Periodicals Index Online
      (c. 1665-1995) Indexes journal and magazine articles as well as book reviews in a broad array of humanities, social sciences, and science subjects.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: automatic
    • The Wellesley Index to Victorian Periodicals, 1824-1900. Walter E. Houghton. 5 vols. Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press, 1966-1989.
      Reference Index Area R 050 W451
      Note: The Index is also available on CD-ROM; ask for the CD-ROM at the Circulation Desk.
      Indexes the prose contents of 45 Victorian periodicals.
  • Books & Pamphlets
    • Books in Print
      Includes publication information for over five million in-print, out-of-print, forthcoming, audio book, and video titles. Also includes many full-text book reviews.
    • Library Catalog
      • Do an author search and limit by date to find books.
      • Do an author keyword search to find works in collections or anthologies.
      • Do a title keyword search to find different editions and printings of specific literary works.
        Note: a title keyword search can help you find title variations.
      • To do a combined author/title search, do a regular keyword search and use field labels. The format is au [author name] and ti [title keyword(s)]
        Example: au child and ti hobomok
    • The National Union Catalog, Pre-1956 Imprints; A Cumulative Author List Representing Library of Congress Printed Cards and Titles Reported by Other American Libraries. 754 vols. London: Mansell, 1968-1981.
      Reference Index Area R 021.6 N277
      Known as the "Pre-'56" or "Mansell," this massive print catalog is the predecessor to WorldCat. Most, but not all, of the information that it contains is now included in WorldCat; the "Pre-'56" does still contain some unique records, however. To do an exhaustive search, you need to check it too.
      This is a main entry catalog; look up the name of the literary author.
    • WorldCat
      
      1. Enter the author's name (last name first). and change the index drop-down menu from "Keyword" to "Author."
      2. Enter keywords from the title and change the index drop-down menu from "Keyword" to "Title." Include title variations with a Boolean "OR."
      3. Limit by a date range if appropriate.

• Reference Sources
  • Literature Resource Center
    Includes substantial portions of Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, which excerpts criticism, including some reviews and comments from the time when the literary works were originally published.
    • Print version:
      Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1981- .
      Reference R 809.03 N714
      To locate relevant entries in this set, search the "Gale Literary Index" portion of Literature Resource Center.
  • Moulton's
    Helpful for tracking contemporary reception and historical views.
    • Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors through the Beginning of the Twentieth Century. Rev. Martin Tucker. New York: Ungar, 1966.
      Reference R 820.9 M92L1
    • New Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985-1990.
      Reference R 809 C5162
    • The Major Author's Edition of the New Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985- .
      Reference R 809 C5163
• Other Sources
  • Bibliographies
    Be sure to search for separately-published bibliographies; these often contain sections on historical reception.
  • Nineteenth-Century Periodicals
    The library has long runs of many nineteenth-century magazines, journals, and newspapers.
    • 19th-Century Masterfile
      Indexes articles in 479 British and American periodicals published in the nineteenth century.
      Note: The print version of Poole's Index to Periodical Literature (1802-1906), which is part of 19th-Century Masterfile, is available in the Reference Index Area at call number R 050 P82.
    • Accessible Archives
      Includes the following full-text sources:
      • African American Newspapers: The 19th Century
        Includes Freedom's Journal, Colored American, The North Star, Frederick Douglass Papers, National Era, Provincial Freeman, and The Christian Recorder.
      • The Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective
        Includes selected articles from The New York Herald, The Charleston Mercury, and the Richmond Enquirer.
      • Godey's Lady's Book
        Includes articles and over 18,000 illustrations and color plates from this important nineteenth-century magazine for women.
    • America's Historical Newspapers (1690-1922)
      Contains digital facsimiles of over 1,375 seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth-century newspapers; the full text of these newspapers, including all articles, advertisements, and other contents, is keyword-searchable.
    • Making of America
      Contains the full text of selected journals and books from the antebellum period through reconstruction.
      Note: There are two sites for the Making of America:
      • University of Michigan site
      • Cornell University site
    • Periodicals Index Online
      (c. 1665-1995) Indexes journal and magazine articles as well as book reviews in a broad array of humanities, social sciences, and science subjects.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: automatic
  • Historical & Literary Studies
    • America: History & Life and Historical Abstracts
      (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 ?
    • Annual Bibliography of English Language & Literature (ABELL)
      Indexes journal articles and books published from 1920 to present; also includes citations to book reviews. Covers all literatures in English as well as the English language, bibliography, textual studies, and the history of publishing.
      ABELL is a particularly good source of information about books published in the U.K. Many of these works do not appear in the MLAIB.
    • MLA International Bibliography
      (1926 to present). Indexes journal articles, books, and doctoral dissertations in the fields of English, American, European, Asian, African, and Latin American linguistics, modern languages and literatures, film studies, and folklore.
      For more information, see the MLAIB Search Planner.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
      • Wildcard: use a question mark ?

• Reference Sources
  • Literature Resource Center
    Includes substantial portions of Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, which excerpts both historical and recent criticism of literary works from this time period.
    • Print version:
      Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1981- .
      Reference R 809.03 N714
      To locate relevant entries in this set, search the "Gale Literary Index" portion of Literature Resource Center.
  • Moulton's
    Helpful for tracking contemporary reception and historical views.
    • Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors through the Beginning of the Twentieth Century. Rev. Martin Tucker. New York: Ungar, 1966.
      Reference R 820.9 M92L1
    • New Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985-1990.
      Reference R 809 C5162
    • The Major Author's Edition of the New Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985- .
      Reference R 809 C5163
• Books
  See also the resources listed in the bibliographies section, above.
  • Library Catalog
    To find criticism about an author's works, do a subject search for her name.
  • WorldCat
    To find criticism of an author's works, do a subject search for her name. You can also try search for the author's name and the phrase "criticism and interpretation." It's best initially to omit the title of a literary work so that you don't miss relevant material.

• Articles
  See also the resources listed in the bibliographies section, above.
  • Core Resources
    • Annual Bibliography of English Language & Literature (ABELL)
      Indexes journal articles and books published from 1920 to present; also includes citations to book reviews. Covers all literatures in English as well as the English language, bibliography, textual studies, and the history of publishing.
      ABELL is a particularly good source of information about books published in the U.K. Many of these works do not appear in the MLAIB.
    • MLA International Bibliography
      (1926 to present). Indexes journal articles, books, and doctoral dissertations in the fields of English, American, European, Asian, African, and Latin American linguistics, modern languages and literatures, film studies, and folklore.
      For more information, see the MLAIB Search Planner.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
      • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • Other Resources
    • 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 ?
    • 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.
    • Essay & General Literature Index
      (1985 to present) Indexes chapters and essays in edited collections.
      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 ?
    • JSTOR
      Includes pdf copies of scholarly articles from a core collection of journals; also includes book reviews. Note:JSTOR does not contain articles from the most recent 3-5 years.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use a plus sign +
      • Phrase searching: automatic
    • 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 ?
    • Periodicals Index Online
      (c. 1665-1995) Indexes journal and magazine articles as well as book reviews in a broad array of humanities, social sciences, and science subjects.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: automatic
    • Project Muse
      Contains full-text articles from journals published by university and scholarly presses, including the Emily Dickinson Journal (1998 to present).
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Web of Knowledge
      (c. 1900 to present) A multidisciplinary resource that provides citations to articles in thousands of journals in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotations marks " "
      • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
    • Women Studies Abstracts
      Reference Index Area R 050 W872
      (1972 to present) Indexes popular articles, scholarly articles, and books on all aspects of women's studies, including history, education, gender, literature, religion, and art.