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Research Guide - General Literature

The Literature Guide is designed to help locate general information on Literature at the Morton Library. The guide lists both print and electronic resources. The print resources can be found on the first floor of Morton Library in the Reference Section. Print sources listed include handbooks, encyclopedias, and dictionaries that provide information on literary terms and criticism, authors and other literary figures, as well as literary genres. The electronic resources include databases that can be accessed through Morton Library’s website and internet resources that are freely accessible online.

Find books on literature by familiarizing yourself with the Library of Congress Classification System:

P Language and Literature
PN Literature (General)
PQ French literature-Italian literature-Spanish literature-Portuguese literature
PR English literature
PS American literature
PT German literature
PZ Fiction and juvenile belles lettres

Reference Resources (Non-circulating Books)

Literary Criticism Resources

A Glossary of Literary Terms. 8th ed. Boston: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005.
REF PN 41 .A184 2005

Encyclopedia of Literary Critics and Criticism. London: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1999.
REF PN 86 .E63

Literary Movements for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Literary Movements. Detroit, Mich.: Gale, 2002.
REF PN 597 .L58

The Routledge Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: Routledge, 2006.
REF PN 41 .D4794 2005

Resources on Literary Genres

The Bedford Introduction to Drama. 4th. Boston: St. Martin's, 2001.
REF PN 6112 .B36

The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry.< New York: Columbia University Press, 1953-.
REF/ PN/1022/.H39/1994

Critical Survey of Long Fiction. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem Press, 2000.
REF PN 3451 .C75 2000

Cyclopedia of Literary Places. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem Press, 2003.
REF PN 56 .S48 C97 2003

Critical Survey of Short Fiction. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem Press, 2001.
REF PN 3321 .C7

Encyclopedia of Literary Epics. Santa Barbara, Ca: ABC-CLIO, 1996.
REF/ PN/56/.E65/J33/1996

Encyclopedia of the Novel. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998.
REF PN 41 .E487 1998

Masterplots II: American Fiction Series. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Salem Press, 1986.
REF/ PN/846/.M37/1986

Short Story Criticism. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research, 1991.
REF/ PN/3373/.S56/1991

Biographical Sources

A Dictionary of Writers and Their Works. New York : Oxford University Press, 2001.
REF PN 451 .C99 2001

Contemporary Novelists. New York: St. James Press, 2001.
REF PR 881 .C69 2001

Contemporary Poets. Detroit, Mich.: St. James Press, 2001.
REF PR 603 .C6 2001

Contemporary Popular Writers.< Detroit: St. James Press, 1997.
REF/ PR/478/.P66/C66

World Poets. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2000.
REF PN 1021 .W67 2000 V.1

Databases

General Databases

(Cover more than just literary topics. Access from Library’s website)

  • Academic Search Premier (EBSCO)
  • ArticleFirst (FirstSearch)
  • ECO (FirstSearch)
  • Expanded Academic ASAP (InfoTrac)
  • PerAbs (FirstSearch)
  • WilsonBiographies Plus Illustrated

Literary Databases (Primarily literary resources)

  • Columbia Grangers Poetry Database
  • Contemporary Authors
  • Contemporary Literary Criticism Select
  • Dictionary of Literary Biography (InfoTrac)

Internet Resources

MLA Citation Guides

Literary Theory/Criticism

Literary Gateways (Provide free access to a wide variety of literary resources)

Text Archives (Provide access to full-text e-versions of literary works)