Yale University Library Research Guides: ENGL 1015: Genres of Black History: Home

Welcome!

In this guide, you will find a series of primary and secondary resources in English literature, African American Studies, and History that might be helpful to you as a student in Jessica Modi's course, ENGL 1015, Genres of Black History. Resources are organized by tabs at the top of this page. Under each tab, you will find information about how to search for each particular type of resource, as well as a selection of frequently used resources of that type. For example, under the Electronic Databases tab, you will find both links to Yale's database search portal, as well as important resources, like the database, ProQuest Black Studies. If you have any questions, or would like research help, please do not hesitate to use the contact information in the box below to reach out.

Reference

Background or "reference" sources are a great place to start your research. Reference works include bibliographies, scholarly encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and other sources that provide overviews of topics and suggestions for further reading.

Oxford African American Studies Center
Comprehensive collection of scholarship focused on the lives and events which have shaped African American and African history and culture, coupled with precise search and browse capabilities.
Oxford Bibliographies
Oxford Bibliographies offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on specific topics across varied subject areas. Each of these features an introduction to the topic. Bibliographies can be browsed by subject area and searched by keyword.

The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature
ISBN: 9780190201098

ProQuest Black Studies

ProQuest Black Studies
This is a key resource that brings together many reference as well as primary and secondary sources. Includes collections of Black historical newspapers, archival primary source collections such as the Papers of the NAACP, academic journals, video content, and the Schomburg Studies on the Black Experience.

Local Catalog and Discovery Tools

The main search tools for finding books, articles, databases, archival collections, and more at Yale (and beyond) can all be found on the "Find, Request, and Use" page of the library's website. Here are a few quick refreshers, but be sure to visit the page for a full overview:

Yale Library catalog (Orbis)
Searches books, e-books, journals (but not individual articles), government documents, and other physical and digital items. It's the classic catalog of Yale Library *not* including items from the Law Library. Can be used to find both primary and secondary sources.
Quicksearch
A combined search of the library's books, journals and journal articles, licensed databases, digitized archival collections, archival finding aids, and more. Searches Orbis as well as Morris -- the latter is the Law Library catalog.
Yale Library catalog (Quicksearch)
Within Quicksearch, Books+ will limit your search to the books (and reports and numerous other monographs, as opposed to journal articles) that are found across the Yale Libraries. Orbis + Morris (Law Library) collections are searched together.
Archives at Yale
The search portal for finding archival materials at Yale. Look for the Scope & Contents notes, inventories, and PDF Finding Aids to assess the relevance of materials to your research project.
Yale Library Digital Collections
Access to millions of digitized works and images from the Yale Library. This site is a living database, and new materials are added regularly.

How to Find Resources Beyond Yale

World Cat
The World Catalog allows you to see where books and other resources are located at over 10,000 libraries worldwide. If a resource is not available at Yale or through Borrow Direct, check here to see where it is held and try requesting the it via Interlibrary Loan.
Archive Grid
ArchiveGrid provides access to detailed archival collection descriptions such as documents, personal papers, family histories, and other archival materials held by thousands of libraries, museums, historical societies, and archives. It also provides contact information for the institutions where these collections are kept.

Library contacts

James Kessenides, Librarian for African American Studies, American Studies, and American History, james.kessenides@yale.edu

Michael Printy, Librarian for Western European Humanities, michael.printy@yale.edu

ENGL 1015: Genres of Black History: Home