---------New Mexico State University Library (revised 5/30/94)--------- HOW TO DO LIBRARY RESEARCH IN BRITISH LITERATURE Compiled by Helen M. Barber Fall, 1992 Conducting research in the field of British literature requires the use of many different materials in the library. This guide provides a bibliography of useful sources as well as a basic approach to researching a topic. THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY The NMSU Library is housed in two buildings: Branson Hall and New Library. Books and journals are arranged by call number and divided between the buildings as follows: Call Number Locations New Library: A-H, HM-PZ Branson: HA-HJ, Q-Z Arts Agriculture Education Business Social Sciences Engineering Humanities Science BEGINNING YOUR RESEARCH Dictionaries and encyclopedias are excellent starting points for research. They can provide general background information to help narrow or broaden the focus of a topic, define unfamiliar terms, and offer bibliographies of other sources. Some works include an index, which will provide the best access to a subject. Dictionaries and Encyclopedias > NewLib (Ref) PR4331 B64 1991 Bold, Alan. A BURNS COMPANION. New York: St. Martin’s, 1991. This biographical and critical guide to Robert Burns (1759-1796) provides biographical and social background and assesses his most important poems and songs. > NewLib (Ref) PR2892 B69 1990 Boyce, Charles, with David White, ed. consultant. SHAKESPEARE A TO Z: THE ESSENTIAL REFERENCE TO HIS PLAYS, HIS POEMS, HIS LIFE AND TIMES, AND MORE. New York: Facts On File, 1991. "Assembles conveniently a body of lore for the information and entertainment of the student and general reader." > NewLib (Ref) PN81 E53 1990 Coyle, Martin, and others, eds. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LITERATURE AND CRITICISM. London: Routledge, 1991. Following a traditional introduction, the "Literature and History" section is divided into the expected time divisions (e.g., "Augustanism") or genres such as "Poetry," "Drama," and "The Novel." Ten chapters on criticism followed by the chapters, "Production and Reception," "Contexts," and "Perspectives" combine to provide a recent, scholarly, single-volume overview. > NewLib (Ref) PR19 D73 1985 Drabble, Margaret, ed. THE OXFORD COMPANION TO ENGLISH LITERATURE. 5th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 1985. Basic dictionary of literature in English. Includes brief biographies and bibliographies of British authors born before 1940 with some consideration of American authors as seen from their Anglo-American connections and responses. Short plot summaries. > NewLib (Ref) PN41 F75 1985 Frye, Northrop, Sheridan Baker, and George Perkins, eds. THE HARPER HANDBOOK TO LITERATURE. New York: Harper, 1985. "English Literature, Periods of" divides this subject into "Old English," "Middle English," "The Renaissance," "Neoclassical (The Age of Reason)," "Romantic," "Victorian," "Edwardian," "Modern," and "Post-Modern." Summaries of each period occur alphabetically within the text while a more detailed "Chronology of Literature and World Events" is found at the end of this handbook. > NewLib (Ref) PR2362 S64 1990 Hamilton, A. C., gen. ed. THE SPENSER ENCYCLOPEDIA. Toronto and Buffalo: U of Toronto P, 1990. This single-volume, comprehensive encyclopedia includes the most essential Spenserian scholarship of this generation. Over 400 contributors from more than 20 countries have prepared lucid articles with current bibliographies for upper-division under- graduates seeking to appreciate Spenser in his age and ours. Consult both the "Index" and the "Classification of Articles" to discover relationships between articles such as "Alchemy" and "Dee, John" under "Science." > NewLib (Ref) PN41 H6 1986 Holman, C. Hugh, and William Harmon. A HANDBOOK TO LITERATURE. 5th ed. New York: Macmillan, 1986. In contrast to Northrop Frye’s HARPER HANDBOOK TO LITERATURE, divides "English Literature, Periods of" slightly differently with separate half- to full-page articles about each period. Numerous cross-references present a more coherent overview than Frye's "Enlightenment." The chronological "Outline of Literary History" at the end of the book contrasts English movements and works with American counterparts. > NewLib (Ref) PR3580 M5 Hunter, William B., Jr., gen. ed. A MILTON ENCYCLOPEDIA. 9 vols. Lewisburg: Bucknell UP, 1978-83. Attempts to gather "all the important information and opinion concerning the life and works of John Milton." Careful considera- tion of individual topics such as "cosmology" or "epic" leads the reader through Milton’s deep involvement in the political and religious issues of his day to a better appreciation of seventeenth- century English civilization. Traces the history of literary and political matters since then concludes with volume nine's BIBLIOGRAPHIES AND INDEXES (1983). > NewLib (Ref) PR85 C29 1988 Ousby, Ian, ed. THE CAMBRIDGE GUIDE TO LITERATURE IN ENGLISH. New York: Cambridge UP, 1988. This guide to literature in English, produced by all the various English-speaking cultures, is divided into three major categories: authors; major individual works; and critical concepts, genres, groups, movements, rhetorical terms, schools, etc. > NewLib (Ref) PN1021 E5 1974 Preminger, Alex, ed. PRINCETON ENCYCLOPEDIA OF POETRY AND POETICS. Enlarged ed. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1974. Best single source for the "history, theory, technique, and criticism of poetry from earliest times to the present." However, use other works in this guide to locate criticism about individual authors, their poems, or allusions. > NewLib (Ref) PR19 B5 1990 Wynne-Davies, Marion, ed. PRENTICE HALL GUIDE TO ENGLISH LITERATURE. New York: Prentice, 1990. In spite of the self-aggrandizement of its subtitle, "THE NEW AUTHORITY ON ENGLISH LITERATURE," Wynne-Davies is narrower in focus than the more genre-oriented Coyle’s ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LITERATURE AND CRITICISM. The first-third "Essay Section" includes overviews such as "Medieval English literature" or "Reading Renaissance poetry" while the last two-thirds "Reference Section" provides the expected brief information about ideas, authors and texts discussed in those essays. FINDING JOURNAL ARTICLES Journals are the best source for current information on a topic. This is especially important if an area of study is new, currently being investigated, or subject to frequent change. If there is a list of references following a journal article, it might provide leads to further sources. Indexes and Abstracts Journal articles on a specific subject can be identified through the use of a general or specialized index. Some indexes include abstracts (summaries) of articles. The library subscribes to indexes in print format and on CD-ROM. The library doesn't subscribe to all of the journals in these indexes. A list of journals to which the library does subscribe accompanies some of the indexes on the index and CD-ROM tables. Electronic Indexes Electronic indexes offer a computerized approach to the retrieval of citations to journal articles. A user can specify a combination of subject terms in order to find references to articles which contain those terms in their titles, in their abstracts, or as assigned descriptors. The following indexes may be useful for finding information on British literature topics. New products may be added; check the CD-ROM area near the reference desk. > Branson (Cafe OLE terminals and Library Network) > NewLib (Cafe OLE terminals and Library Network) PAN An index to articles on a wide range of subjects. It provides information about articles published since January 1990 in over 1,700 magazines and journals, and newscasts from major television networks and National Public Radio. It is updated monthly. The library subscribes to around 65% of the magazines and journals in PAN. PAN is available on any Cafe OLE terminal. Ask at the desk if you need any help. > Branson (Library Network) > NewLib (Library Network) InfoTrac Academic Index Provides easy-to-use access to articles in periodicals of a popular nature (CURRENT BIOGRAPHY, U. S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, etc.) as well as some specialized journals such as COLLEGE ENGLISH, ENGLISH STUDIES, and STUDIES IN ENGLISH LITERATURE. Gives access to stories in the news, through references to the NEW YORK TIMES. Updated monthly. > NewLib (Ref CD-ROM Area) MLA International Bibliography [CD-ROM] This electronic version of the MLA INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BOOKS AND ARTICLES ON THE MODERN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES includes bibliographic records pertaining to literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore from over 3,000 scholarly journals and series, bibliographies, book articles, dissertations, monographs, proceedings and working papers. Provides coverage from 1981 to the present, with quarterly updates. Printed Indexes Indexes or abstracts in print form give subject and/or author access to journal articles. Some of the indexes are located on tables in the reference area; others can be found in the reference stacks by call number. The following indexes list references to journal articles in the field of British literature. > NewLib (Ref) PE25 A16 ABSTRACTS OF ENGLISH STUDIES. Calgary: English Dept., U of Calgary, 1958 - . [Vol. 1-12 (1958-1969) on microfilm]. Contains relevant abstracts under the classification "Britain," divided into "Medieval," "Renaissance," "Restoration and Enlightenment," "Romantic," "Victorian" and "Twentieth Century." Use the subject index for individual authors (e.g., Cooper, Anthony Ashley, Earl of Shaftesbury). Although slow in publication and lacking universal coverage, this work includes entries from author newsletters and interdisciplinary studies not indexed elsewhere. > NewLib (Ref) PE1 B53 ANNUAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE. London: Modern Humanities Research Assn., 1920 - . Published in London, this annual enumeration of articles, books, dissertations, and reviews written in the English language has a distinctly British viewpoint presented tardily (e.g. L986 c1990). British authors are interfiled with Americans under "English Literature, Old English" onward through the "Twentieth Century." > Branson (Ref) Z1002 B471 BIBLIOGRAPHIC INDEX: A CUMULATIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BIBLIOGRAPHIES. New York: Wilson, 1937 - . Appearing twice a year with an annual cumulation, this timely source includes entries under broad subject headings (e.g., "English literature") or individual British authors (e.g., "Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616"). Includes bibliographies containing more than 50 citations. > NewLib (Ref) PR441 E36 Borck, Jim Springer, gen. ed. THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY: A CURRENT BIBLIOGRAPHY. New Ser. New York: AMS, 1975 - . This progressively more international annual assessment of significant Enlightenment scholarship extends from the brief "English Literature 1660-1800" published in PHILOLOGICAL QUARTERLY (1926) to a 700-page independent publication of N.S. 11 FOR 1985 (1990). General literary studies are placed in "Section V: Literary Studies" while those limited to one person are entered in "Section VI: Individual Works" under the pertinent novelist (e.g., Fanny Burney). No access by subject. > NewLib (Ref) PE58 En36y English Assn. THE YEAR’S WORK IN ENGLISH STUDIES. Atlantic Highlands: Humanities, 1919 - . Slow but well worth the three-year wait (e.g., L989 c1992) for gracefully written scholarly essays surveying trends in scholarship of "Old English Literature" (Chapter 4) through "The Twentieth Century" (Chapter 16) excluding "Renaissance Drama" (Chapter 9). The index interfiles individual authors (e.g., "Lewis, C. S.") and themes (e.g., "Arthurian literature"). From the 1987 volume onward, all bibliographic details of the works reviewed in a chapter appear in an alphabetical list at the end of that chapter rather than as overly cryptic footnotes. > NewLib (Ref) PN603 R63 Erdman, David V., ed. THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT: A SELECTIVE AND CRITICAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. West Cornwall: Locust Hill, 1979 - . Annual. 1964-78 were published as a Supplement to ENGLISH LANGUAGE NOTES, 3-17 (1965-79) [PE1 E53] while the 1936-70 bibliographies were reprinted, with cumulative indexes, as the seven-volume THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT BIBLIOGRAPHY, 1936-1970, edited by A. C. Elkins, Jr. and L. J. Forstner [Ref PN603 R65 1973]. Includes descriptive and, at times, critical annotations of all significant books, articles and reviews on the Romantic Movement in Great Britain and Western Europe. Consult the "General" and "English" (i.e. 1789-1837) chapters as well as the annual "Current Bibliography" in KEATS-SHELLEY JOURNAL [PR4836 K226j]. > NewLib (Ref Index Area) ESSAY AND GENERAL LITERATURE INDEX. New York: Wilson, 1900 - . Timely index to collections of essays and chapters in books. Pertinent subject headings are "English literature," "English poetry," "Literature, Medieval" and "History and criticism" under the pertinent literature (e.g., "English literature-19th century- History and criticism"). Articles about individual authors may be divided into "about" (the entire canon) or "about individual works" (with the pertinent title stated). > NewLib (Ref Index Area) HUMANITIES INDEX. New York: Wilson, 1974 - . Quarterly with annual cumulations allows timely access to literary subjects (e.g., "English literature" followed by numerous "see also" references) or specifically named authors (e.g., "Bunyan, John" or "Waugh, Evelyn"). Book review section at the end of each volume. > NewLib (Ref Index Area) LITERARY CRITICISM REGISTER: A MONTHLY LISTING OF STUDIES IN ENGLISH & AMERICAN LITERATURE. DeLand: Literary Criticism Register, 1983 - . Most frequently appearing and therefore timely current-awareness tool available. Subject index includes individual authors (e.g., "Lamb, Charles") or broader terms such as "Childhood, Victorian Novel" or "Renaissance English." > NewLib (Ref) P1 Al M62 MLA INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BOOKS AND ARTICLES ON THE MODERN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES. New York: MLA, 1921 - . [1921-1962 included in PUBLICATIONS OF THE MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION. [PB6 M72] MLA on CD-ROM - see page 7. Annual. The most important tool for any literary research. The 1990 Classified Listings Volume I: BRITISH ISLES, BRITISH COMMONWEALTH, ENGLISH CARIBBEAN, AND AMERICAN LITERATURES divides "English literature" chronologically from "Literature of the British Isles/400-1499 Medieval period" to "English literature/ 1900-1999" followed by "Irish Literature," "Scottish literature, and "Welsh literature," etc. Since 1981, a subject index facilitates searching. MLA's year-long publication lag encourages use of the LITERARY CRITICISM REGISTER or the HUMANITIES INDEX or the ESSAY AND GENERAL LITERATURE INDEX. Location of Journals Journals are shelved in call number order. Use the title of the journal, NOT the title of the article. Use OLE (the online catalog) to find the call number and format of a journal. Type T/ followed by the title of the journal. For assistance, ask a reference librarian. Current issues of most journals are shelved in the Periodicals areas. Use the location charts to find bound journals, which are shelved in the stacks with the books. Microfiche and microfilm journals are housed in cabinets in the microform areas of Branson and New Library. Selected List of Current Journals The following list is a sample of some of the journals the library carries in the field of British literature. Journal titles are followed by the abbreviations used in the MLA INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. New Library PR4147 B47 BLAKE: AN ILLUSTRATED QUARTERLY (BLAKE) PN2 C393r THE CHAUCER REVIEW: A JOURNAL OF MEDIEVAL STUDIES AND LITERARY CRITICISM (CHAUR) PN2 C62 CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE (CONL) PR4579 D49 DICKENS STUDIES ANNUAL: ESSAYS ON VICTORIAN FICTION (DSA) PR1 E139 ELH (ELH) PN1 E53 ENGLISH LANGUAGE NOTES (ELN) PE9 En36s ENGLISH STUDIES: A JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE (ES) PR1 Es73c ESSAYS IN CRITICISM: A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF LITERARY CRITICISM (EIC) PR1 Ex73 EXPLICATOR (EXPL) CB361 J68 JOURNAL OF MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE STUDIES (JMRS) PN2 J6 JOURNAL OF MODERN LITERATURE (JML) PR4836 A15 K226j KEATS-SHELLEY JOURNAL (KSJ) PS379 M72f MODERN FICTION STUDIES (MFS) PN2 N49 NEW LITERARY HISTORY: A JOURNAL OF THEORY AND INTERPRETATION (NLH) PR873 N622 NINETEENTH-CENTURY LITERATURE (NCF) P1 P547q PHILOLOGICAL QUARTERLY (PQ) PB6 M72 PMLA: PUBLICATIONS OF THE MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (PMLA) PR2885 Sh15q SHAKESPEARE QUARTERLY (SQ) PR1 St94e STUDIES IN ENGLISH LITERATURE: 1500-1900 (SELIT) PN751 St94r STUDIES IN ROMANTICISM (SIR) PR1 V666s VICTORIAN STUDIES: A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE HUMANITIES, ARTS AND SCIENCES (VS). Includes "Victorian Bibliography for (Year)" in the Summer Number. FINDING BOOKS Books are not as current as journal articles but will provide more comprehensive coverage of a subject. Access to the book collection is through the online catalog (OLE). Terminals are located in the reference and periodical areas on each floor. Older materials not yet entered into the OLE system are listed in the card catalog in the reference area. For books that are on order or recently received, use the INNOVACQ terminals, located in the reference and current periodicals areas. Using OLE OLE may be accessed by author, title, subject, or keyword. Consult the printed instruction sheet, the help screens on the terminal, or ask a reference librarian for further assistance. For most items, the OLE screen will give circulation information, indicating whether the item is available or checked out and, if checked out, when it is due. The Card Catalog Materials acquired by the library before 1975 may not be entered into the OLE system yet. For such material, check the card catalog in the reference area. Author, title and subject entries are arranged in a single alphabetical order in each card catalog. The card catalog in each building contains only cards for books in that building. Library of Congress Subject Headings To determine the appropriate heading(s) for a topic, consult the multi-volume LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SUBJECT HEADINGS (LCSH). These large red books, located at the reference desk and also near the OLE terminals, are very useful for suggesting alternate or additional headings to search. UF means "used for" and indicates terms that are not used. BT means "broader term," RT means "related term," SA means "see also," and NT means "narrower term." For example, under the term British literature, some of the narrower terms listed are Anglo-Norman literature Irish literature Scottish literature but the scope note explains "Works limited to literature in one language or from one area are entered under the specific heading" (e.g., "English literature") which is a related term to "British Literature." Under "English Literature," some of the narrower terms listed are: Children’s literature, English Folk literature, English Pastoral literature, English. "English Literature" is first subdivided chronologically English literature-Old English, ca. 450-1100 English literature-Middle English, 1100-1500 English literature-Early modern, 1500-1700 English literature-18th century English literature-19th century English literature-20th century and then alphabetically English literature-bibliography English literature-history and criticism. To locate "Criticism and interpretation" for literary authors, add that subdivision to the author's name (e.g., Milton, John, 1608-1674-Criticism and interpretation). While Library of Congress headings can be very useful in finding books on a topic, the researcher should also explore keyword and Boolean (logical combinations of keywords using and, or, not) searching options on OLE. See the OLE handout, or use the OLE help screens for more information on keyword searching. Location of Books To locate a book in the library, first obtain the call number from the OLE screen or the card catalog, then consult one of the location charts found in the reference area or throughout each building. Books are shelved in call number order; however, if a call number is preceded by "(SpC)," the book will be located in Special Collections (Branson). If the call number is preceded by "(Ref)," the book will be located in the reference area. Special Collections materials and reference books cannot be checked out. Remember, the reference staff can always give you further assistance in locating a book. OTHER REFERENCE SOURCES In addition to the sources mentioned above, there are many other helpful reference sources. The following resources may be particularly helpful for the study of English literature. Bibliographies Specialized bibliographies can be a key to further information in the study of English literature. They will be listed in OLE under various topics, for example "English literature-History and criticism-Bibliography." The following are examples of bibliographies in the NMSU Library: > NewLib (Ref) PR1905 A43 1987 Allen, Mark, and John H. Fisher. THE ESSENTIAL CHAUCER: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF MAJOR MODERN STUDIES. Boston: Hall, 1987. Intended to be a research tool for students as well as a reference for scholars or critics, these 925 citations represent the most important twentieth-century studies promoting an understanding of Chaucer and his works. > NewLib (Ref) PR83 B28 1976 Bateson, F. W., and Harrison T. Meserole. A GUIDE TO ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE. 3rd ed. New York: Gordian, 1976. All except the last chapter of this brief, though unfortunately dated, survey of best editions and criticism of important authors concern English literature. > NewLib (Ref) PR85 R47 1985 Beacham, Walton, ed. RESEARCH GUIDE TO BIOGRAPHY AND CRITICISM. 4 vols. Washington: Research Pubns., 1985-90. Includes generally available and valuable biographies, autobiographies, and criticism of the most frequently studied American and British novelists, playwrights, poets, and prose writers. > NewLib (Ref) PR2894 C53 1986 Champion, Larry S. THE ESSENTIAL SHAKESPEARE: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF MAJOR MODERN STUDIES. Boston: Hall, 1986. Annotates the most significant items of Shakespeare scholarship from 1900 through 1984. Following the relatively brief "General Studies" and "The Poems and Sonnets," the major emphasis occurs within the alphabetically arranged categories of "The English- History Plays," "The Comedies," "The Tragedies," and "The Romances." > NewLib (Ref) PR3581 K57 1989 Klemp, P. J. THE ESSENTIAL MILTON: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF MAJOR MODERN STUDIES. Boston: Hall, 1989. The most important Miltonic scholarship published between 1900 and 1987 is divided into an opening "General Studies" followed by "Poetry" and "Prose." The index to the longest section of the book, "Paradise Lost," covers eight pages of entries subdivided topically (e.g., "imagery" or "themes"). > NewLib (Ref) PR441 S65 1989 Spector, Robert D., comp. BACKGROUNDS TO RESTORATION AND EIGHTEENTH- CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHICAL GUIDE TO MODERN SCHOLARSHIP. Bibliographies and Indexes in World Literature, 17. New York: Greenwood, 1989. This recent, single-volume introduction to life in Great Britain in the eighteenth century includes briefly annotated books and articles in "Language and Rhetoric," and "Literature and the Arts." > NewLib (Ref) PR83 N45 Watson, George, ed. THE NEW CAMBRIDGE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE. 5 vols. New York: Cambridge UP, 1969-77. In spite of its New York imprint, this updating of F. W. Bateson's CAMBRIDGE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE (five vols., 1941-57) confines individual author listings to "literary authors native to or mainly resident in the British Isles." Thus Henry James and T. S. Eliot are present but Willa Cather and Hemingway are absent. Carefully check the index volume for "Literary Criticism" scattered throughout all four volumes and to locate all listings for those authors writing in multiple literary genres. > NewLib (Ref) PR2894 W43 1990 Wells, Stanley, ed. SHAKESPEARE: A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL GUIDE. New ed. New York: Oxford UP, 1990. Broader in scope than Champion’s ESSENTIAL SHAKESPEARE, Wells has prepared a "selectively critical guide to the best in Shakespeare scholarship and criticism." These brief, informative chapters (e.g., "The Early Comedies" or "Hamlet") provide our most complete single-source overview. Biographies > NewLib (Ref Biog) CT213 B46 BIOGRAPHY AND GENEALOGY MASTER INDEX. 2nd ed. 8 vols. Detroit: Gale, 1980; 1981-85 CUMULATION. 5 vols. 1985; 1986-90 CUMULATION. 3 vols. 1990; and SUPPLEMENT[s], 1991 - . Use the original set with all its cumulations and supplements to access more than 8,382,000 biographical sketches in biographical dictionaries, indexes, subject encyclopedias containing biographical information, and volumes of literary criticism. Multiple citations are given for many biographees. > NewLib (Ref Biog) CT100 B56 BIOGRAPHY INDEX: A CUMULATIVE INDEX TO BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL IN BOOKS AND MAGAZINES. New York: Wilson, 1946 - . Uses the Wilson indexes to books, collective biographies, and articles to update the above tool. Includes a listing of biographees by subject or occupation (e.g., "Authors, English" or "Poets, English"). > NewLib (Ref Biog) PR83 A55 1858 Allibone, S. Austin. A CRITICAL DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE AND BRITISH AND AMERICAN AUTHORS LIVING AND DECEASED FROM THE EARLIEST ACCOUNTS TO THE LATTER HALF OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1881. Includes over 46,000 authors while its two-volume SUPPLEMENT (1891 and republished by Gale in 1965) adds over 37,000 authors. > NewLib (Ref Biog) PR111 F45 1990b Blain, Virginia, Patricia Clements, and Isobel Grundy. THE FEMINIST COMPANION TO LITERATURE IN ENGLISH: WOMEN WRITERS FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE PRESENT. New Haven: Yale UP, 1990. At least 75 scholars prepared brief biographies of women writing in canonized genres, diaries, letters, children's books or popular forms in the English language. Each biographee has historical or literary significance. > NewLib (Ref Biog) DA28 D57 DICTIONARY OF NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY. New York: Macmillan, 1885-1900. Vols. 1-63 and INDEX (1903); SUPPLEMENT[s] 1-3 (1901)-1981-1985 (1990). Most important reference for deceased British subjects as well as noteworthy Americans of the Colonial Period. For example, consult the 1981-1985 "Cumulative Index" to discover that the writer and scholar "Lewis, Clive Staples 1898-1963" died during the period included in the eighth supplement, 1961-1970. His biography appears therein. > NewLib (Ref Biog) PR883 C64 1986 Kirkpatrick, D. L., ed. CONTEMPORARY NOVELISTS. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1986. To use "Kingsley Amis" as an example of these British, American, and Commonwealth fiction writers, a brief biographical sketch is followed by a list of "Publications," "Bibliography," "Manuscript Collection," "Critical Study," "Kingsley Amis Comments," and a signed evaluative comment by James Gindin. > NewLib (Ref Biog) PR111 E54 1988 Schlueter, Paul, and June Schlueter, eds. AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BRITISH WOMEN WRITERS. New York: Garland, 1988. Includes over 400 British, rather than English, writers flourishing from the Middle Ages into the twentieth century. Consulting the index term "fiction-gothic" leads to a brief biography, "Works" and "Bibliography," of "Ann Ward Radcliffe." Bio-Bibliographies > NewLib (Ref Biog) PN771 C62 CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS: A BIO-BIBLIOGRAPHICAL GUIDE TO CURRENT WRITERS IN FICTION, GENERAL NONFICTION, POETRY, JOURNALISM, DRAMA, MOTION PICTURES, TELEVISION, AND OTHER FIELDS. Detroit: Gale, 1962 - . Accurate, concise, current information about an incredible number of writers. Gale's DICTIONARY OF LITERARY BIOGRAPHY traces the "development of the [various] authors' canon[s] and the evolution of [their] reputations." Three examples for English literature include: > NewLib (Ref Biog) PR85l B7 1985 Battestin, Martin C, ed. BRITISH NOVELISTS, 1660-1800. Part l: A-L. Part 2: M-Z. Dictionary of Literary Biography, 39. Detroit: Gale, 1982. > NewLib (Ref Biog) PR881 B73 1983 Halio, Jay L., ed. BRITISH NOVELISTS SINCE 1960. Part l: A-G. Part 2: H-Z. Dictionary of Library Biography, 14. Detroit: Gale, l983. > NewLib (Ref Biog) PR861 B73 Staley, Thomas F., ed. BRITISH NOVELISTS, 1890-1929: MODERNISTS. Dictionary of Literary Biography, 36. Detroit: Gale, 1985. Book Reviews > NewLib (Ref Index Area) BOOK REVIEW DIGEST. New York: Wilson, 1905 - . Presents citations to and excerpts of reviews of current fiction and nonfiction written in English. Its subject index provides our only current subject access to "English fiction," "English literature-History and criticism," "English poetry," etc. > NewLib (Ref Index Area) BOOK REVIEW INDEX. Detroit: Gale, l965 - . Indexes over 470 reviewing journals, national publications of general interest, scholarly and literary journals, and numerous daily and weekly newspapers. Only author and title indexes are present; no subject access. > NewLib (Ref) AZ221 C65 1982 Farber, Evan I., ed. COMBINED RETROSPECTIVE INDEX TO BOOK REVIEWS IN HUMANITIES JOURNALS, 1802-1974. 10 vols. Woodbridge: Research Pubns., 1982-84. > NewLib (Ref) AZ221 C67 1979 Farber, Evan I., ed. COMBINED RETROSPECTIVE INDEX TO BOOK REVIEWS IN SCHOLARLY JOURNALS, 1886-1974. 15 vols. Arlington: Carrollton, 1979-82. > NewLib (Ref) AZ221 I53 INDEX TO BOOK REVIEWS IN THE HUMANITIES. 31 vols. Williamston: Thomson, 1978-91. Accesses reviews of books published from 1960-1990. Indexes over 600 scholarly journals, author newsletters, and specialized titles in many subject areas including biography, literature, and literary research. Because scholarly reviews are often written many years after the book's publication, check several volumes to locate all available reviews. Additional "Book Reviews" are found at the end of the HUMANITIES INDEX as well as in the ANNUAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE while THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY: A CURRENT BIBLIOGRAPHY includes citations and lengthy signed book reviews in Sections V and VI as does THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT (see INDEXES AND ABSTRACTS, above). Chronology > NewLib (Ref) PR83 A56 1961 Chapman, R. W., and W. K. Davin, eds. ANNALS OF ENGLISH LITERATURE, 1475-1950: THE PRINCIPAL PUBLICATIONS OF EACH YEAR TOGETHER WITH AN ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF AUTHORS WITH THEIR WORKS. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon, 1961. Presents the main literary publications of a year with the side column indicating pertinent biographical, political, and scientific events. Interfiles British and American authors. Dissertations and Masters Theses > NewLib (Ref) AS30 C64 COMPREHENSIVE DISSERTATION INDEX. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, 1973 - . Annual. A computer-generated index, this set attempts to list all dissertations accepted at U.S. universities. Many Canadian and some other foreign dissertations are included, but it is not a complete list. The index currently comes in five annual volumes: an author index and two subject volumes each for the sciences and social sciences/humanities. Within each discipline, dissertations are arranged alphabetically by keyword. "Language and Literature" falls in Part 2 of the "Social Sciences and Humanities" section. The years 1861-1972 are cumulated into one thirty-seven volume set. "Language and Literature" is in volumes 29-30. The years 1973-1977 are covered in another cumulation with "Language and Literature" in volumes 15-16. > NewLib (Ref) AS30 D63 DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, 1938 - . Monthly. An index to dissertations submitted to University Microfilms International. (Approximately 370 universities, including European institutions, were submitting dissertations in 1984.) Beginning with vol. 27, two separate sections are published: A. Humanities & Socials Sciences, and B. Sciences & Engineering. Cumulative author and subject indexes are published each year. Volumes 38-, 1977- are on microfiche. These abstracts are summaries of the dissertations themselves. Use them to determine whether or not to order the dissertation from University Microfilms or to attempt to obtain it on interlibrary loan. > NewLib (Ref) PR83 M32 1968 McNamee, Lawrence F. DISSERTATIONS IN ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE: THESES ACCEPTED BY AMERICAN, BRITISH AND GERMAN UNIVERSITIES, 1865-1964. New York: Bowker, 1969. SUPPLEMENT ONE, 1964-1968. c1969. SUPPLEMENT TWO, 1969-1973. c1974. No more published. > NewLib (Ref) AS30 M393a MASTERS ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, 1962 - . Quarterly. Arranged by general subject categories (e.g., "Literature, General"). These abstracts are summaries of the theses themselves. Use them to decide whether or not to order the thesis from University Microfilms or to attempt to obtain it on interlibrary loan. Excerpted Criticisms The following four series arrange criticism of author's works chronologically. Consult the index of the latest volume of the series which would include the author question. > NewLib (Ref) PN86 L53 1984 LITERATURE CRITICISM FROM 1400 TO 1800 (EXCLUDING SHAKESPEARE) (LC). Detroit: Gale, 1984 - . The subtitle, EXCERPTS FROM CRITICISM OF THE WORKS OF FIFTEENTH, SIXTEENTH, SEVENTEENTH, AND EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY NOVELISTS, POETS, PLAYWRIGHTS, PHILOSOPHERS, AND OTHER CREATIVE WRITERS, FROM THE FIRST PUBLISHED CRITICAL APPRAISALS TO CURRENT EVALUATIONS, delineates its scope. > NewLib (Ref) PR2965 S43 1984 SHAKESPEAREAN CRITICISM: EXCERPTS FROM THE CRITICISM OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS AND POETRY, FROM THE FIRST PUBLISHED APPRAISALS TO CURRENT EVALUATIONS. Detroit: Gale, 1984 - . > NewLib (Ref) PN761 N56 NINETEENTH CENTURY LITERATURE CRITICISM (NCLC). Detroit: Gale, 1981 - . The changing subtitle indicates expansion from the first volume's EXCERPTS FROM CRITICISMS OF THE WORKS OF NOVELISTS, POETS, PLAYWRIGHTS, SHORT STORY WRITERS, AND OTHER CREATIVE WRITERS WHO LIVED BETWEEN 1800 AND 1900, FROM THE FIRST PUBLISHED CRITICAL APPRAISALS TO CURRENT EVALUATIONS to the current subtitle: TOPICS VOLUME: EXCERPTS FROM CRITICISM OF VARIOUS TOPICS IN NINETEENTH- CENTURY LITERATURE, INCLUDING LITERARY AND CRITICAL MOVEMENTS, PROMINENT THEMES AND GENRES, ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS, AND SURVEYS OF NATIONAL LITERATURES. Use the "Cumulative Topics Index" in the most recent volume to locate "The Newgate Novel" in NCLC, 24:166-204 or "The Victorian Novel" in NCLC, 32:288-454. > NewLib (Ref) PN771 C59 CONTEMPORARY LITERARY CRITICISM: EXCERPTS FROM CRITICISM OF THE WORKS OF TODAY'S NOVELISTS, POETS, PLAYWRIGHTS, SHORT STORY WRITERS, SCRIPTWRITERS, AND OTHER CREATIVE WRITERS (CLC). Detroit: Gale, 1973 - . > NewLib (Ref) PN771 G27 TWENTIETH-CENTURY LITERARY CRITICISM (TCLC). Detroit: Gale, 1978 - . The changing subtitle indicates expansion from the first volume's EXCERPTS FROM CRITICISM OF THE WORKS OF NOVELISTS, POETS, PLAYWRIGHTS, SHORT STORY WRITERS, AND OTHER CREATIVE WRITERS WHO DIED BETWEEN 1900 AND 1960, FROM THE FIRST PUBLISHED CRITICAL APPRAISALS TO CURRENT EVALUATIONS to the current subtitle: TOPICS VOLUME: EXCERPTS FROM CRITICISM OF VARIOUS TOPICS IN TWENTIETH- CENTURY LITERATURE, INCLUDING LITERARY AND CRITICAL MOVEMENTS, PROMINENT THEMES AND GENRES, ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS, AND SURVEYS OF NATIONAL LITERATURES. Use the most recent volume’s "Cumulative Topic Index" to locate "Bloomsbury Group" in TCLC, 34:1-73 or "ULYSSES and the Process of Textual Reconstruction" in TCLC, 26:386-416. Genre Indexes Fiction > NewLib (Ref) PR4580 B46 1988 Bentley, Nicolas, Michael Slater, and Nina Burgis. THE DICKENS INDEX. New York: Oxford UP, 1988. Best single source concerning Dickens’ novels, shorter fiction, periodical publications edited, or contributed by Dickens, and collected editions published during his lifetime. > NewLib (Ref) PR821 P26 and Suppls. Palmer, Helen H., and Anne Jane Dyson, comps. ENGLISH NOVEL EXPLICATION. Hamden: Shoe String, 1973. Updates THE ENGLISH NOVEL: A CHECKLIST OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY CRITICISMS, by Inglis F. Bell and Donald Baird (Denver: Swallow, 1958. Branson Z2014 F4B4 1958) to cover criticism from 1958 to 1972. This publication is itself updated by four SUPPLEMENTS covering material published from 1972 through the first half of 1989 and expanding this explication beyond the original New Criticism methodology. "English novelist" is defined as one born in England, Scotland, Ireland, or Wales or living in the Commonwealth during the creative years. > NewLib (Ref) PR833 H372 1985 Harner, James L. ENGLISH RENAISSANCE PROSE FICTION, 1500-1660: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CRITICISM (1976-1983). Boston: Hall, 1985. Continues his ENGLISH RENAISSANCE PROSE FICTION, 1500-1660: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CRITICISM (1978) [Branson Z2014 F4H37]. Entries are divided into "Bibliographies," "Anthologies," "General Studies," and "Authors/Translators/Titles" (e.g., "Cavendish, Margaret, Duchess of Newcastle (1623-73)"). Poetry > NewLib (Ref) PR502 K8 1950 Kuntz, Joseph M., and Nancy C. Martinez. POETRY EXPLICATION: A CHECKLIST OF INTERPRETATION SINCE 1925 OF BRITISH AND AMERICAN POEMS PAST AND PRESENT. [3rd ed.] Boston: Hall, 1980. "Presents a comprehensive index of poetry explications printed during the period 1925-1977." > NewLib (Ref) PR311 P7 M34 199l Martinez, Nancy C., and Joseph G. R. Martinez. GUIDE TO BRITISH POETRY EXPLICATION. Vol. 1: OLD ENGLISH - MEDIEVAL. Boston: Hall, 1991. Defines an explication as "an examination of a work of literature for a knowledge of each part, for the relations of these parts to each other, and for their relations to the whole." Cites approximately 4500 explications from c. 1925 through 1989. Short Stories > NewLib (Ref) PN3326 M27 1986 Magill, Frank N., ed. MASTERPLOTS II: SHORT STORIES SERIES. 6 vols. Pasadena: Salem, 1986. Presents critical evaluations of 732 outstanding short stories from 275 worldwide authors. Each entry includes an introductory author statement, type of plot, time of plot, locale, when first published, and principal characters followed by a plot summary, themes and meanings, and style and technique. The final volume contains carefully selected bibliographies stressing recent scholarship. > NewLib (Ref) PN3373 S36 SHORT STORY CRITICISM: EXCERPTS FROM CRITICISM OF THE WORKS OF SHORT FICTION WRITERS. Detroit: Gale, 1988 - . Confined solely to the genre of the short story, this series follows the regular format used in the other Gale excerpted criticism works such as CONTEMPORARY LITERARY CRITICISM. This includes the author heading, biographical and critical introduction, principal works, and excerpts of criticism arranged chronologically and bearing biographical citations, followed by a recent bibliography. > NewLib (Ref Index Area) Walker, Warren S., comp. TWENTIETH-CENTURY SHORT STORY EXPLICATION: INTERPRETATIONS 1900-1975, OF SHORT FICTION SINCE 1800. 3rd ed. Hamden: Shoe String, 1977. Five SUPPLEMENT[s] (1980-91) inlcude a total number of 2,304 authors writing from 1800. Their citations, extending from 1900 through 31 December 1988, are arranged by author and then individual work with the citation abbreviations listed at the end of the volume. AN INDEX TO THE THirD EDITION AND ITS FIVE SUPPLEMENTS, 1961-1991 (1992), which is shelved directly following these SUPPLEMENTS, facilitates locating citations in the six-volume set. Library Guides > NewLib (Ref) PR56 B34 1989 Baker, Nancy L. A RESEARCH GUIDE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE. 3rd ed. New York: MLA, 1989. Although this guide lacks specific information on "English literature," it is a useful introduction to using a library. > NewLib (Ref) PR83 H34 1989 Harner, James L. LITERARY RESEARCH GUIDE: A GUIDE TO REFERENCE SOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF LITERATURES IN ENGLISH AND RELATED TOPICS. New York: MLA, 1989. Evaluative annotations in Section M: "English literature" extend from "General" to the familiar chronological "Old English Literature," "Middle English Literature," "Renaissance Literature (1500-1660)," "Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature," "Nineteenth-Century Literature," and "Twentieth-Century Literature" to assist students and independent researchers. Style Manuals > NewLib (Ref Index Area) LB2369 G53 and on PERMANENT RESERVE Gibaldi, Joseph and Walter S. Achtert, eds. MLA HANDBOOK FOR WRITERS OF RESEARCH PAPERS. 3rd ed. New York: MLA, 1988. > NewLib PE1421 W546 1990 and on PERMANENT RESERVE Williams, Joseph M. STYLE: TOWARD CHARITY AND GRACE. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1990. Improve your writing by consulting "Clarity," "Cohesion," "Emphasis," "Coherence," etc.