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Sign Languages and Deaf Communities: Finding Books

An interdisciplinary guide about Sign Languages and Deaf communities to help you locate what you need for your research.

Exploring Subject Headings

The best way to find books and other items in the catalog is to use subject headings.

The subject headings most relevant here are:

  • Deaf
  • Deafness
  • Deaf culture
  • Sign language
  • Interpreters for the Deaf
  • Interpreting for the Deaf

There are also subject headings for specific sign languages, which you will discover as you search for them. The Library of Congress maintains a subject headings search that will show you the range of terms that have been applied to cataloged items, and it can be helpful to look there. The link goes to a search for Deaf, but any of the terms above could be searched here.

Subject headings are attached to most items in our catalog, and in Quicksearch, they appear as links within an item record. You can also search for a subject using the drop-down menu next to the search box in Books+ or another part of Quicksearch. Clicking on a heading within an item record will show you the hierarchy-based subject. Searching using the drop-down menu and selecting Subject will search across all hierarchies.

Now, what is a hierarchy? Here are some examples:

  • Deaf > United States.
  • Deaf > Means of communication > Periodicals.
  • Deaf > Biography.
  • Deaf culture > United States.
  • Sign language > Periodicals.
  • Sign language > Dictionaries.
  • Sign language > Grammar.

Subject headings' hierarchies become more granular as a research field evolves. You're usually OK looking for something at the top subject level (or by doing a Subject search using the drop-down menu) until you have a better idea of what you need. 

An item record. The subject terms have been enclosed in a red box.

Subject headings are also found in library databases where you are searching articles, and it's a good idea to jot down notes about which subject terms tend to be associated with what you are looking for.

Some Places to Start Your Search