Electronic Indexes and Databases

You will find the electronic databases web page at

http://www.lambuth.edu/academics/library/subjectdire ctory.html

The library's electronic databases are organized by topic. One of the most useful places to start research on a literary topic is Literary Index (http://www.galenet.com/servlet/LitIndex). You will find a link to this database located under the Arts & Humanities heading.   This electronic index covers several collections in the library. You can search by title, author, or customized search. If you are searching for criticism on a particular work then a search by title will be most effective. Once you have a list of results from this search you can go to one of the printed sources listed below for the article. All of the printed sources covered are shelved in the Reference section of the library. In addition to the Literary Index, you will also find Literature Resource Center (http://voyager2.lambuth.edu:2048/login?url=http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/LitRC?locID=tel_a_lambuth) online available under the Arts & Humanities heading. This database can also be searched by author, title, or keyword; and is one of the best sources for literary criticism. Because Literature Resource Center is part of the Tennessee Electronic Library you can access it at home, in your dorm room or anywhere on campus. Two other databases that may uncover some useful literary criticism are General OneFile and Academic Search Premier . The most effective way to search General OneFile is by title of the work you are researching. One suggested method of searching Academic Search Premier is to use the title of the work you are researching along with the phrase "literary criticism" as keywords

Print Sources

Lambuth library has a large collection of digests of literary criticism, journals, and indexes that cover literary topics. The collection of books and journals here at Lambuth is much more comprehensive than what is available through databases online. All of the titles indexed in Gale's Literary Index (see list below) are full-text articles.  

Titles indexed in Gale's Literary Index (online)

American Writers (R PS129.A55 )

British Writers (R PR85.B688)

Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism (R PN 681.5.C57)

Contemporary Dramatist (R PR 106.V5)

Dictionary of Literary Biography (R PN451.D5)

Dictionary of Literary Biography Documentary Series (R PN451.D48)

Dictionary of Literary Biography Yearbook (R PN451.D52)

European Writers   (R PN501.E9)

Literature Criticism from 1400-1800 (R PN86.L53)

Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism R PN761.N5

Shakespearean Criticism (R PR2965.S43)

Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism (R PN771.C57)

Bibliographies, Subject Guides, Indexes, Critical Surveys not index by Literary Index

20th Century Short Story Explication (R Z5917.S5W33)

American Novel: A Checklist of Twentieth Century Criticism on Novels Written Since 1789, The (R Z1231.F4G4)

American Women Writers Bibliographical Essays (R PS 147. A44 1983)

Bibliographical Guide to the Study of Southern Literature, A (R Z1225.R8)

Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature, The (R Z2011.B3)

Critical Survey of Long Fiction (R PR821.C7)

Critical Survey of Short Fiction (R PN3321.C7)

Critical Survey of Poetry (R PN1111.C7)

Drama Criticism (R Z1231.D7C6)

English Literature 1660-1800 A Bibliography of Modern Studies   (R Z2011.E6)

English Novel Explication (R Z2014.F5P26)

Explicator Cyclopedia, The (R PR401.E9)

Guide to American Literature and its Backgrounds Since 1890 (R Z1225.J65)

Guide to English Literature, A(R Z2011.B32 1968)

Library of Literary Criticism: Modern American Literature, A (R PS221.C8 1969)

Library of Literary Criticism: Modern British Literature, A (R PR473.T4)

Literary Criticism Index (R Z6511.W44)

Magill's Bibliography of Literary Criticism (R PN523.M34)

Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors (R PN523.M73)

Poetry Explication (R Z2014.P7 K8)

Reader's Index to the Twentieth Century Views Literary Criticism Series Vol.1-100 (R Z6511.T86)

Research Guide to Biography and Criticism (R PN771.R47)

Selective Bibliography for the Study of English & American Literature (R Z2011.A4)

Finding articles and books listed in the above guides and bibliographies.

  Once you have found a citation, determine if it cites a book or article. As a rule, citations for a book will list a place of publication, while an article will list a volume or issue number in addition to the year of publication. To find a book or article in one of the bibliographies, you will need to search the online catalog (http://voyager2.lambuth.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First) for books or browse the periodical “black notebook” to see if we subscribe to the journal cited. The journals are all arranged in alphabetical order and are shelved on the main floor. Lambuth has about 36 current subscriptions that publish literary criticism and research. Most of the books containing literary criticism will be upstairs in the PN, PR and PS call numbers. Browsing the shelves by call numbers can also be an effective method for finding books. Once you find a book that fits your needs, look at the books shelved next to it because these titles may also have useful information in them as well. Searching the catalog by the author’s name will also yield results. The results will be titles of books where the author is listed in the table of contents.  

Using microforms to find literary criticism

Lambuth library gets many of its literary journals on microform and these sources are well worth the effort. Titles include American Review, Comparative Literature, Criticism, Modern Fiction Studies, Modern Language Quarterly, Nineteenth Century Literature, Philological Review, Sewanee Review, Shakespeare Quarterly, Studies in Short Fiction. Some of the best sources for literary criticism that Lambuth Library owns are available only in microfiche or microfilm.   Please ask for assistance when using microfilm or microfiche.

Indexes useful in finding literary criticism

In addition to the electronic indexes, Lambuth has several paper indexes that cover literary criticism. Search by the title of the work or by the author.

Humanities Index   (R AI3.H85) Located in Index alcove

Social Sciences Index (R AI3.S62) Located in Index alcove

MLA Bibliography (1970-1980) Located in periodicals

Essay and General Literature Index (R AI3.E752) Located in Index alcove

Last updated January 29, 2008