Click on the Catalog tab above to search the library catalog for books, titles of periodicals, government documents, and audiovisual materials the library owns. 

To find the location of materials listed in the library catalog, see the Library Map. Also, for help with call numbers including an outline of call numbers by subject see the Guide to Library of Congress Call Numbers. Additional resources for books: the MelCat catalog and the WorldCat catalog.

The Library Catalog cannot be used to find articles in magazines, journals, or newspapers, only which magazines and journals the library owns (Time, Newsweek, etc.).  Instead, use the OneSearch tab above to search for articles.

Biographical Information Resources

Literature Resource Center – Full text access to three key resources--Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literary Criticism, and Dictionary of Literary Biography--along with over 300 journals, a variety of other important reference works, and selected Web sites. 1991 to present.

Biography and Genealogy Master Index – References to over 3 million biographical sketches from reference sources on individuals living and deceased. Sources include biographical dictionaries, subject encyclopedias, volumes of literary criticism, and other reference sources. Brought to you by the State of Michigan via the Michigan eLibrary (http://mel.org).

Library Catalog
When searching for biographical information in the library catalog, click on the Catalog tab and then click on Advanced Search. Search by the person's name (last name first) and select Subject from the dropdown menu. Additional resources for books: the MelCat catalog and the WorldCat catalog.

The Library Catalog cannot be used to find articles in magazines or journals, only which magazines and journals the library owns (Time, Newsweek, etc.).

Biography Reference Bank – Books and journal articles covering interviews, obituaries, collections of letters, diaries, memoirs, juvenile literature, book reviews,and more of notable individuals from antiquity to the present. 1984 to present. The printed indexes are available in the Indexes section on LRC 2nd floor, call number AP 2 .B5, and cover 1946-1983.

Historical and Cultural Information Sources

Library Catalog
When searching for historical and culturall information in the library catalog, click on the Catalog tab and search by keyword. When reviewing your results, look at the subject headings found in the complete recordd indicating additional subjects relevant to your subject. Subject headings are linked so youcan simply click on them to see a blowsable list of sources. Additional resources for books: the MelCat catalog and the WorldCat catalog.

America: History & Life (EBSCO) – Journal articles, books, and other resources covering history and culture, area studies, and current affairs of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. 1964 – present.

MLA International Bibliography – Journals, books, and other resources in the fields of literature, language, linguistics, and folklore. Also includes materials on film studies. 1926 to present.

Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature (1921-2002)
Books, LRC 3rd floor: PE 10 .M69
An international bibliography of scholarship about English language and literature published annually by the Modern Humanities Research Association in Cambridge, England. While each year must be searched indivudually, this source complements the MLA International Bibliography and contains sources not found in it. Consult the index for particular authors.

Book Review Index (1965-1979, 1983-2007)
Indexes collection, LRC 2nd floor, call number Z 1035 .A1 B6
Another source for book reviews.

Newspaper Articles
Access World News
Access World News provides information and perspectives from over 800 U.S. and over 1300 international news sources. You can search across all the content or on particular states, countries, or continents. Indexing is cover-to-cover and coverage extends for some titles back to the mid 1970s. Excluded are any photos or graphs, along with paid advertising, classifieds, and paid obituaries.

Borrowing Materials from Other Libraries

MelCat, the Michigan Electronic Library Catalog, allows you to search public and academic libraries throughout the State of Michigan and request books and media. Items usually arrive in about a week. This resource is provided by the Michigan eLibrary (http://mel.org). You will be notified by email when your items arrive.

InterLibrary Loan also allows you to obtain materials not owned by the Olson LIbrary. Books, periodical articles,and other sources can be borrowed from other libraries. The average time to receive requested materials is 1-2 weeks and you will be notified by email when your items arrive.

MLA Style
MLA Style Guide
Examples of how to cite some of the more common sources, including web sites and online articles, according to the most recent edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Consult the Handbook in the library Reference Collection for sources not listed at this site.
Reference Collection: LB 2369 .G53

Zotero
Zotero used to be available only if you used Mozilla Firefox as your browser. However, there is now a standalone version available that can be used with any Internest browser. It stores citation information, and, with the use of Microsoft Word, will allow you to create citations as you write your paper and then create your works cited page at the end. You can download the program at http://www.zotero.org/. The Olson Library provides a guide for the use of Zotero as a Mozilla Firefox extension as well.

Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word also has a feature that will store and format citations and bibiography entries. The Olson Library has a guide for this process.

Need further assistance? Stop by the Olson Library Public Services Desk for assistance, or contact Mollie Freier.