Course: African American Studies 145
Topic: Famous People of African Descent
Spring 2008– Nancy Kwang Johnson
Librarian: John Stierman – jp-stierman@wiu.edu
Leslie F. Malpass Library, Office 219
Phone: 298-2756
Office Hours: Monday, 3-4, Tuesday, 4-5; Wednesday, 11-12 & 6-7;
Off-Campus Access: Library Internet Resources. Most of the libraries' databases are proprietary (owned by third parties). As long as you are on campus, the database providers assume that you are a WIU student. If you are off-campus, the providers require proof of enrolment. If you want to access library databases off-campus, be prepared with your student id # or your ecom username and password. Call the reference desk at 309-298-2700 or 800-413-6544.
Key Library Databases
- Academic Search Premier, dates vary
- Our most popular mutlidisciplinary periodical full-text database. Includes convenient features, such as saved searches, SDI, and persistent folders. Remember to check the list of subject headings along the left border after each search.
- The Gerritsen Colletion
- Provides the full-text of a wide variety of material and formats relating to women's history from 1543-1945. A real treasure.
- Historical Abstracts
- Covers everything but North American history. Dates included: 1450 to the present. Accessible from the library’s database page.. Coverage c1960.
- Humanities International Index, 1926-
- Covers all aspects of the humanities. EBSCO.
- Lexis-Nexis Academic
- Best sources for finding full-text of newspaper articles. Also has legal, congressional, and governmental indexes. Runs back to the 1970s.
- MLA International Bibliography, 1920- .
- Offers a detailed bibliography of journal articles, books and dissertations. Produced by the Modern Language Association, the electronic version of the bibliography dates back to the 1920s and contains over 1.8 million citations from more than 4,400 journals & series and 1,000 book publishers. The indexed materials coverage is international and includes almost 60 titles from J-STOR’s language and literature collection as well as links to full text.
- Sociological Abstracts, 1963- .
- Premier index/abstract in the field of sociology. International scope. Provided by Cambridge Scientific. Consider using the handy online thesaurus.
Find It! SFX @ WIU Libraries: Determining Full Test Access
- Periodicals Holdings List
- From the Libraries' homepage (www.wiu.edu/library), click on Locate a Journal. Print & Electronic Periodicals Holdings List (PHL) is a listing of both periodical titles (print/microform formats) available on the shelves of the Western Illinois University Libraries, and e-titles available in full-text databases purchased by the WIU Libraries. This resource currently indexes over 20,000 unique periodical titles. If the Library does not have a document you need, consider, if time allows, requesting the document via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). In some cases, your request can be made directly from an online index. In others, you can use the form on the Libraries’ home page. Look under Library Services.
Encyclopedias and Handbooks
- Countries and Their Cultures (REF/GN/307)
- Encyclopedia of African History & Culture (REF/DT/3)
- Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara (REF/DT/351)
- New Encyclopedia of Africa (REF/DT/2)
- Readers' Guide to Women's Studies (REF/HQ/1180/R432 -- See Page 200)
- Women's Issues, Volume II (REF/HQ/1115 -- See Page 378+)
- Women's Studies Abstracts (REF/HQ/1180/W654)
- Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life (REF/GN/333)
Literary Criticism
- African Writers (REF/PL/8010)
- Contemporary Authors New Revision Series, v. 87 (REF/PN/451 -- See Volume 87 for Mariama Ba)
- Contemporary Literary Criticism (REF/PN/771 -- See Volumes 36 & 182 for Ngugi)
- Dictionary of Literary Biography (REF/PS/21 -- See Volume 125 for Ngugi)
Online Catalogs for Books and other Library Material
- WestCat/I-Share
- WestCat/I-Share is a computer-based library system that provides statewide access to a wealth of information services and resources, including an extensive public access catalog, inter-library loan, and resource sharing services to ILCSO libraries. WIU Library is an ILCSO library. Very easy to renew books online and make interlibrary loan requests.
- WorldCat (FirstSearch)
- WorldCat is the world's largest database of bibliographic information. It offers more than 43 million bibliographic records representing books all over the world. Use this catalog to supplement IO. Very easy to make interlibrary loan requests online.