Finding Books in Boatwright Library
To search for books in Boatwright, use the Library Catalog. When dealing with a topic that can be used in many fields it is best to add a second word that describes your area of interest. for example, "murder" and "history". To find books on fictional accounts of murder, look for books on Detective and Mystery Stories--History and Criticism. Or start with a keyword search and, when you have found one or two relevant books, examine their subjects headings to help guide further searching, Remember that books are generally on broad topics and that you are not searching the full text, only the titles, subject headings, and--if you're lucky--the table of contents. For narrower topics, search for journal articles in a journal database such as Academic Search Complete, or one of the others listed under the "Articles" tab.
Some Specific Encyclopedias
I would suggest doing searches for articles with "Murder" or "Homicide" (or other crimes of interest) in the title.
The Cambridge Companion to American Crime Fiction by ISBN: 9780521199377Publication Date: 2010-07-08
The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America by ISBN: 9781412988766Publication Date: 2012-08-10
Almanacs & Encyclopedias
- eBook Collection (Gale) This link opens in a new windowSearch for ebooks that provide a broad overview of many topics. The database includes mostly reference works, such as encyclopedias, almanacs, yearbooks, handbooks, and more. (Gale)
- Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new windowSearch for background information on a variety of topics published in the Oxford series of reference books. Find information on topics in the arts, sciences, history, language and literature, and more. (Oxford)
- Access Science This link opens in a new window
Search across thousands of comprehensive encyclopedia entries covering all major science disciplines. This database also includes definitions of scientific terms, biographies of well-known scientists, a few textbooks, and Schaum's Outlines. (McGraw-Hill)
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowAccess nonpartisan reports and background information on controversial topics and policy issues. These reports were historically written for members of Congress to understand all sides of a particular issue. The reports in this database date from 1923-present. (Sage)
Humanities Librarian
28 Westhampton Way
804-289-8823
Other Books
You can identify books not available in Boatwright by using WorldCat. the books can usually borrwed through the interlibrary loan system.
- WorldCat (FirstSearch) This link opens in a new windowSearch a catalog of library holdings from around the world. Find which libraries have copies of a certain book, DVD, or other material. The FirstSearch interface was designed more with librarians in mind. (OCLC)
- Google BooksSearches over 7 million books and full-text magazines are also included. It can be searched just like Google Search. Except for older materials no longer under copyright, you may not be able to see more than a few pages of text, but if you identify a useful book, you can request it via ILL.
