GUIDE TO LIBRARY MATERIALS
FOR
WESTERN & WORLD CIVILIZATION

REFERENCE BOOKS

Guides

TitleCall Number
AHA Guide to Historical Literature, 3rd edition
Find some key publications on a topic.
REF D 20 .A55 1995
Handbook for Historians (Langdon)
History department's guide to history research papers
REF DESK

Encyclopedias

/
Cambridge Encyclopedia of AfricaREF DT 3 C35 1981
Cambridge Encyclopedia of Russia and the Soviet UnionREF DK 14 C35 1982
*Civilizations of the Ancient MediterraneanREF DE C55 1988
*Civilizations of the Ancient Near EastREF DS 57 .C55 1995
Critical Dictionary of the French RevolutionREF DC 148 .D5313 1989
*Dictionary of the Middle AgesREF D 114 D5 1982
*Encyclopedia of the RenaissanceREF CB 361 B43 1987
*Encyclopedia JudaicaREF DS 102.8 E56
*Encyclopedia of Asian HistoryREF DS 31 E53 1987
Encyclopedia of the Holocaust REF D 804.3 .E53 1990
Encyclopedia of the Third Reich REF DD 256.5 S57
Historical Dictionary of Modern Spain, 1700-1988REF DP 192 .H57 1990
Historical Dictionary of the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939 REF DP 269 H54 1982
*Oxford Dictionary of ByzantiumREF DF 521 .O93 1991
*Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic WorldREF DS 35.53 .O95 1995
*Oxford Encyclopedia of the ReformationREF BR 302.8 .O93 1996
Victorian BritainREF DA 550 V53 1988

*Fall semester topics: before 1780

PRIMARY SOURCES

To locate primary sources in the book collection, search for the following types of exact subject headings or for keywords.

Sample topicSample subject headingsSample word search
Columbus' encounters with the Native PeopleAmerica--Discovery & exploration--Sources

Columbus, Christopher--Diaries

america and discovery and (sources or diaries)
Mary Queen of Scots' marriage as her downfallGreat Britain--History-- Stuarts, 1603-1714--Sources

Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1587--Correspondence

Mary Stuart and (correspondence or sources or documents)

great britain and history and (sources or documents)

Darnley and letters

SECONDARY SOURCES

Books

Use the online catalog to search by subject heading or keyword. Subject headings are more precise. Keyword searches will retrieve more, but may also retrieve irrelevant items.

Subject headings for history topics:

"History" is a subheading after a geographic heading (name of a country). A subject heading for the history of a country is then subdivided chronologically. Persons, either individuals or groups, can be subject headings. Topical headings can be anything from an event or movement to an emotion to a disease.

Examples:

  • HENRY II
  • JOAN OF ARC
  • CAROLINGIANS
  • NOBILITY
  • HUNDRED YEARS WAR
  • PLAGUE
  • FEUDALISM
  • NATIONALISM
  • FRANCE--HISTORY--LOUIS XIV, 1643-1715
  • FRANCE--HISTORY--REVOLUTION, 1789-1799

Periodical Articles

Use a periodical index. Most are on the library computer network and available at the library terminals on the first floor. Others are in print form and are available in the index area .

Humanities Index

Historical Abstracts

  • Web version available via library. Choose Humanities menu and then the history menu.
  • Web version available via campus labs by using the following URL:
    http://serials.abc-clio.com/cgi-bin/nph-AppStart?_appname=ha
  • Print version is also available:
    Part A covers topics during 1450-1914.
    Part B covers 1915-present.
  • Religion Index (ATLA)

      Use for interdisciplinary topics on history of religions.


    Created: 12/98 by Inga H. Barnello, Le Moyne College Library. Updated: 9/7/99

    Background by Ace of Space.