Subject Guides: American Studies: Reference Sources

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Encyclopedias, as with other reference works, such as dictionaries, bibliographies, atlases, can provide the user with needed background information on a topic or subject.

They can help you determine the following relevant information on your topic/subject/issue:

terminology (including definitions and spelling)
time frame
location
names of people or authors

The Reference Collection is located on the 1st floor, behind the Reference Desk.

Books on American history and culture will span different call number ranges, depending on the subject matter: General (A); American history (E); Anthropology (G); Sociology (H); Art (N); Film/Television (PN); Literature (PS); Health & Medicine (QM-R), etc.

American Studies Reference Sources

For a complete list see the Reference & Research page.

African American Music Reference This link opens in a new window African American Music Reference is bringing togther text reference, biographies, chronologies, sheet music, images, lyrics, liner notes, and discographies which chronicle the diverse history and culture of the African American experience through music. The database is constantly expanding to include comprehensive coverage of blues, jazz, spirituals, civil rights songs, slave songs, minstrelsy, rhythm and blues, gospel, and other forms of black American musical expression.

American Foreign Relations since 1600: A Guide to the Literature
This reference work is designed to update the Guide to the Diplomatic History of the United States since 1700 published in 1983. This edition's coverage begins at 1600 and fills the 20-year gap since 1982, the last year for works cited in the earlier edtion. The citations include published primary materials, bibliographies, biographies, monographs, essay collections, journal articles, and dissertations. Each citation carries a descriptive and evaluative annotation, usually about 50 to 100 words.
American National Biography
Offers biographies of prominent American men and women no longer living-- searchable by name, occupation, sex, birth date, death date, birthplace, contributor, and keyword. Illustrations and links to external web sites are available.

CQ Press Library This link opens in a new window
CQ Press Library is the definitive reference resource for research in American government, politics, history, public policy, and current affairs. A wealth of CQ Press resources and years of journalistic and editorial expertise are combined in this indispensable reference collection.

Dictionary of literary biography online
Features thousands of scholar-written, signed biographical and critical articles on writers from all cultures, genres, and time periods. Based on the Gale print series Dictionary of Literary Biography.

Music Online This link opens in a new window Cross-searches audio, video, scores, and full-text reference content from all the Alexander Street Press music databases to which an institution subscribes.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Nexis Uni provides access to more than 15,000 news, legal and business sources, including: print and online journals, television and radio broadcasts, newswires and blogs; local, regional, national and international newspapers with deep archives; extensive legal sources for federal and state cases and statutes, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1790; and business information on more than 80 million U.S. and international companies and more than 75 million executives.
ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new window ProQuest Congressional offers a comprehensive collection of congressional documents from 1789 to the present. Congressional hearings offer a unique perspective on all aspects of U.S. social, economic, and political history by presenting differing views from representatives of all societal sectors, including business, industry, labor, education, health, criminal justice, and government.

Credo Reference Guides -- American History

Credo Reference has created its own LibGuide for American Studies-related resources. Check it out.

Credo Guide for American History

Lucy Scribner Library

American Studies: Reference Sources

Print Reference Sources

American Studies Reference Sources

Credo Reference Guides -- American History