Introduction to Literature:

Drama/Comedy (Eng 200)

Selected Resources

A. C. Buehler Library, Elmhurst College

Historical Periods	Finding Books	Finding Articles
Internet Resources	Accessing Library Resources From Off Campus	Citing Sources

Historical Periods

General Sources

American Decades (covers the years from 1950-1999). 4 vols. Reference R 973.92 A512

Britannica Online: A good source for historical period information.

To access this resource from off campus, go to Reference Sources and choose Britannica Online from the alphabetical list. You may also want to take a look at Accessing Library Resources From Off Campus.

Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Prehistory to 2000. Multiple volumes. Reference R 809.93358L776.

More Resources

Atlas of the Greek World. Reference R938 L664a

Cambridge Encyclopedia of Russia and the Soviet Union (covers the years from the 4th millennium BC to 1982). Reference R 947.003 C178.

Cambridge Historical Encyclopedia of Great Britain and Ireland. Reference R 942.003 C178

Companion to Russian History. (covers the years from the 6th century to 1983). Reference R 947.003 P341c

Daily Life in Elizabethan England. 1995. Reference R 942.055 S617d

Magill's History of Europe. (covers the years from 1750 BC - 1992). 6 vols.Reference R 940 M194 1993.

Victorian Britain. (covers the years from 1837-1901). Reference R 942.081 V645

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Finding Books on Online Catalogs

Use Illinet Online (IO) to find books held in the Elmhurst College library as well as books owned by many other Illinois academic and research libraries. This is also a good way to see how your chosen book is catergoried in our collection.

Sample Quick Searches:

Browse subject: comedies

Browse subject: drama

Find works by Steve Martin: browse author, "Martin, Steve "

Find works about Steve Martin: browse subject, "Martin, Steve "
When Elmhurst College doesn't have the material you need, search the following:

Illinet Online - select All ILCSO libraries, then repeat your search - you can place your own requests by selecting Request, then entering your ID (currently your SSN) and last name and following the instructions on the screens. If you have trouble placing requests, please contact the Reference Desk (630-617-3173).
SWAN - the Suburban Library System catalog, including Elmhurst Public Library and many other local public library catalogs.
WorldCat, then request the book through interlibrary loan.

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Finding Articles

Finding Literary Criticism and Reviews: What's the difference?

A theater or book review is a "notice of a current work or performance. One can distinguish between a review and other sorts of serious criticism: The review gives readers an idea of the work under consideration. The critic, on the other hand, usually writes about works of some established standing. The boundary line between the two forms is very uncertain in actual practice, however."
From "Review" in A Handbook to Literature, 8th ed., 1999, p. 440.

Finding Articles: Literary Criticism

Drama Criticism, 18 vols. Great source of criticism, biography, and some theatre reviews. Reference R 809.2 D763c.

Gale Databases~ Includes Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literary Criticism Select, Biography and Geneology Master Index, and the Dictionary of Literary Biography. Also includes the Twayne series which provides criticism of the works of major U.S., English, and world authors from Aristophanes to the present. Author entries range from 175-200 pages. (Access from on campus only.)

MagillOnAuthors ~ This database accesses over 3,000 records on a variety of different authors. Entries come from such resources as Critical Surveys, Magills' Choice, and World Philosophers and Their Works.

How do I find out if the Elmhurst College Library has the journal I need?

Search for the journal title in Illinet Online.
For example, search for the title Journal of African History.
- If you don't find the journal you need, take a look at the list, Journals and Magazines Available Online. You can also call or email the reference department to inquire about a specific title or ask a question.

How can I order a photocopy of an article I can't find at Elmhurst College?

Finding Articles: Theater Reviews

Best Places to Start (These are all full text)

For recent productions, search newspapers through Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe.

To access this resource from off campus, go to Articles and Databases and choose Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe from the alphabetical list. You may also want to take a look at Accessing Library Resources From Off Campus.
New York Times has the full text of the Times from 1999-present.

To access this resource from off campus, go to Electronic Newspapers and choose New York Times from the alphabetical list. You may also want to take a look at Accessing Library Resources From Off Campus.
New York Times Historical Edition, 1851-1999.

To access this resource from off campus, go to Electronic Newspapers and choose ProQuest Historical New York Times from the alphabetical list. You may also want to take a look at Accessing Library Resources From Off Campus.
Chicago Tribune database has current and archived full-text articles back to 1900.

The New Yorker is an excellent source of theater reviews. We have the entire run from 1926 to present day. Current issues (generally the last year's worth) are upstairs with the other periodicals. All back issues are downstairs, bound in volumes and arranged alphabetically.

New York Theatre Critics Reviews (1940-1996). Full-text print resource in the periodicals area, shelved alphabetically by title.

Selected Theatre Criticism, 1900-1950. 3 vols. Includes reprints of selected theatre reviews. Reference R 792.9509747 S464.

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Internet Resources

Drama and Criticism

Evaluating Internet Resources

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page created 2.27.2003 by Anne Jordan-Baker ~updated 2.24.2004 by J. Hill, Reference Librarian