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Literary Research How-To Guide
This How-To Guide provides a summary of library resources for research on literature. Use the following links to help you locate the sources you need. This guide can also be used as a checklist to be sure you have thoroughly researched your literature topic!
How To Find...
Literary Works |
Use these library sources to find and read the text of a novel, poem, story or play.
Books
- Library Catalog (LINCCWeb)
Begin by searching for your title in West Campus Library. You can also expand this search to include all Valencia campuses or even all Florida Community Colleges.
- Orange County Library System
If Valencia does not have the item you need, the public library might be a convenient alternative.
Library Databases
Some library databases offer the full text of shorter works, such as poems, short stories and essays:
Web Sites
Free collections of digitized books are gaining size and popularity. Recent publications are not available because of copyright, but use these links to find classic works that are no longer protected by copyright.
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Reference Sources |
Reference sources offer background information, brief summaries, and overviews. An encyclopedia is a common example of a Reference source. Reference is a good place to begin if you need a short introduction to a literary work or author. Additional reference books are listed with Biographical Sources and Literary Criticism below.
Reference Books
- Masterplots
REF PN44.M33
- Encyclopedia of Renaissance Literature
REF PN669.R88
- Masterplots II: Poetry Series
REF PN1110.5.M37
- Poetry for Students
REF PN1112.P752
- Short Stories for Students
REF PN3330.S386
- Literature of Developing Nations
REF PN3326.L58
Reference Sources in Library Databases
- Credo Reference
Database consisting of more than 160 reference sources from a variety of publishers. Includes A Dictionary of Literary Symbols, Cambridge Guide to Literature in English, Dictionary of Shakespeare, Bloomsbury Dictionary of English Literature, The Columbia Companion to the Twentieth-Century American Short Story, and more.
- Encyclopedia Britannica Online
Enhanced digital edition of the print reference source of same title.
Web Sites
Author Guides
These Author Guides were developed by Valencia librarians to help you identify library resources that will provide in-depth analyses of your author.
Gale Literary Index
Search by author or title and find a complete list of reference books published by Gale. Many of these reference books are available in the library. |
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Biographical Sources |
Use these library sources to find information on the life of an author or poet.
Books
- Library Catalog (LINCCWeb)
Search for your author in West Campus Library. You can also expand this search to include all Valencia campuses or even all Florida Community Colleges.
- TIP! When searching for authors, search by KEYWORD or SUBJECT, not by author. This allows you to find works about the author, not just those he or she wrote.
- Also try these Reference Books!
- Contemporary Authors
REF PN771.C58
- Dictionary of Literary Biography
REF PS221.D5
Library Databases
Web Sites
Author Guides
These Author Guides were developed by Valencia librarians to help you identify library resources that will provide in-depth analyses of your author. |
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Literary Criticism |
Use these library sources to find in-depth, expert analyses by literary scholars. Literary criticism articles are usually published either in books or in academic journals. It's often important to find scholarly literary criticism to support your thesis statements about literary works.
Books
- Library Catalog (LINCCWeb)
Search for your topic in West Campus Library. You can also expand this search to include all Valencia campuses or even all Florida Community Colleges.
- TIP! Use Advanced Search to combine more search terms. Search for your title or author AND a key word from your specific theme or topic.
- Also try these Reference Books!
- Contemporary Literary Criticism
REF PN 771 .C59
- Twentieth Century Literary Criticism
REF PN 771 .G27
- 19th Century Literature Criticism
REF PN 761 .N5
- Literature Criticism From 1400 to 1800
REF PN 86 .L53
- Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism
REF PA 3002 .C56
- Short Story Criticism
REF PN 3321 .S5
- Drama Criticism
REF PN 1625 .D72
- Poetry Criticism
REF PN 1010 .P6
Library Databases
Web Sites
Author Guides
These Author Guides were developed by Valencia librarians to help you identify library resources that will provide in-depth analyses of your author. |
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Students 
Research Tools
Research Tools
