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Research Guides

ARCHIVED ENG 1900 Introduction to Literature and Criticism: Reference Materials and Book Searching

How to get Physical Books during Spring Term 2021

May I still borrow Bush Library’s materials during the pandemic? What is the process?

Currently: Yes, but, we might choose to fill your request by substituting the eversion of the text instead of loaning the physical item. You will be notified if we choose this option for you. Our goal is to avoid passing along the COVID-19 virus on any materials we loan from the library, therefore, to reduce the number of hands that touch an item, the library has placed barriers in our Bush Library book stacks and started a pulling service. Only library staff will pull physical items off our shelves. Please continue to use the “place a request” option in CLICsearch for Hamline owned content and a staff member will remove it from the shelves and notify you when you may come to the CSD to pick it up. Hamline users are not allowed to walk through the library stacks or brose and handle materials at this time. Consult with a librarian about accessing materials which are considered non-circulating. The library reserves the right to adjust the due dates of items we circulate. Requests for physical library items from other schools (CLIC, Interlibrary Loan) will be processed and requested. Please note that most physical items are quarantined after being used - which will delay their delivery by several days.  Ebooks can also be found in CLICsearch and are available immediately, from anywhere. 

24/7 Online Reference Databases

Contact the Library

 call
(651) 523-2373

 email
bushref@hamline.edu 

 meet virtually
schedule a research appointment
with a librarian

HamCat Search

                     HamCAT

 

Examples of Individual Library Reference Titles

Using CLICsearch will allow you to locate both "reference or background resources" on your topic, as well as journal, magazine and newspaper articles, and videos on your topic.

What terms (or subject headings) should I use when searching?
Make sure you understand which terms to use when searching. Using the right terms will help you locate content, in both academic and popular sources. Here are some example subject headings that you'll find in CLICsearch. Consider mixing these terms with other terms that describe your research topic. Remember that not all terms have been used over time. Some terms are newer, some have changed over time. Think about synonyms for terms. 

  • Think about literary movements that the works you are reviewing fell into, for example
    • Modernism
    • Minimalism
    • Nihilism
       
  • Think about literary themes,  techniques and the contexts used by the author or that influence how the work is viewed historically, intellectually, and culturally. For example:
    • Engagement
    • Technology
    • Belonging
    • Depression
    • Immigration

Remember to use quotation marks around a phrase when searching to help the search engine identify that you want those words in a particular order in your search results. For example, "American Expressionism"

 

Examples of Individual Library Reference Titles

Why Use Reference Resources?

Bush Library provides you access to many encyclopedias and dictionaries in online and print formats.
By using with these resources you will:

  • Obtain background information on your topic (e.g., person, event, theory, terminology, etc.)
  • Identify additional search terms to use when searching for book and article resources, and
  • Find citations to other works (e.g., books, articles) providing longer, more detailed coverage of the topic.

TIPS for using Reference Materials

HINT: Often signed encyclopedia or handbook articles (references sources) are written by experts who have written other texts (books, articles, blog posts, etc.) You can search for those authors in CLICsearch or Google to discover some of their other works. Reference sources often also have a Further Reading section or a Bibliography at the end of them, with other sources on your topic, that can be worth exploring.