Multicultural/Postcolonial Literature (Eng 372)

Finding Books (criticism, biographies, historical background etc.)

Search Illinet Online, the library's catalog. 

Sample Quick Searches

• For works by an author, do an Author Words search on the author's name, e.g. Angela Carter, John Barth, etc.
• For works about an author, do a Subject Words search using the author's name. You can also include one of the following: criticism, biography, bibliography, like this:

  Sartre biography

  Toni Morrison criticism

Sample Guided Keyword Searches Using Subject Headings

For books about authors or literature:

Douglas, Fredrick

Developing countries--Literatures--History and criticism--Theory, etc.

Postcolonialism

Literature, Modern--20th century--History and criticism

Imperialism in Literature

American literature--Women authors

Ondaatje, Michael

• 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.

Historical Context

• Britannica Online: A good beginning point for geographic and 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. Covers world literature from ancient times to 2000. Reference R809.93358 L776.

• American Decades. Covers 1900-1999.Reference R973.92 A512.

• 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 Critical and Scholarly Articles

Scholarly Resources

• MLA International Bibliography ~ The major index in literary studies.

(To access this resource from off campus, go to Articles and Databases, and choose MLA from the list of databases. For information about off campus access, look at Accessing Library Resources from off campus.)

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 (x 3173) or email the reference department to inquire about a specific title or ask a question. 

• Gale Literary Databases ~ The most helpful databases here are the Twayne Authors Series, and the Dictionary of Literary Biography.

To access this database from off campus, you will need to enter the following ID, "elmhurst" (without the quotation marks), when prompted at the screen. Then click the "Proceed" button.


• MagillOnLiterature ~ This database contains a wealth of critical essays and plot summaries of those works most often studied and written about by scholars.

• MagillOnAuthors ~ Intended as a companion reference work to MagillOnLiterature, this database covers a variety of different authors. There is also a literary glossary.

   

  To access these Magill resources from off campus, go to Reference/Literature Sources, then choose one of the Magill databases from the list. You may also want to look at Accessing Library Resources From Off Campus.

Using the Web: Resources and Evaluation

Literary Web Sites

• Contemporary Postcolonial Literature in English compiled by the National University of Singapore. This is a comprehensive web site with reviews, critical essays, historical contexts and bibliographies.
• Jovert: A journal of postcolonial studies
• Emory University's Postcolonial web site
• Voice of the Shuttle ~this authorative web site has lots of resources available. Try entering "postcolonial" or "multicultural" in the search box,

  Evaluating Web Sites

• Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools
• How to Evaluate the Sources You Find

Documentation and Research Guides

• Using the MLA (Modern Language Association) Style
• Literary Research Guide, 3rd ed., by James Harner, 1998. Reference R 820.9 H289L 1998.
• A Research Guide for Undergraduate Students: English and American Literature by Nancy L. Baker and Nancy Huling, 1995. Reference R 807.2 B168r 1995.