Research Guide to Fiction


| Internet Resources | Reference Books | CONSULS Catalog | Online Databases | Locating Periodicals | Interlibrary Loan | Questions? |


Internet Resources

Here are some links to help you explore the growing number of Web sites devoted to literary fiction:

For tips on citation format, please see Diana Hacker's Humanities: Documenting Sources (bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e) or MLA Style courtesy of the OWL: Purdue Online Writing Lab (owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01).


Reference Books for Background Information

Reference books are shelved by Library of Congress call number in the reference stacks on the first floor of the Ruth Haas Library. They may not be checked out, but photocopiers are available for student use on the first and third floors of the Haas Library.

General Background on Literature

The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English. Third edition.Ref PR 85.C29 2006
Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English LiteratureRef PR 149.B5.D53 1992
Dictionary of the History of Ideas. 5 volumes.Ref CB 5.D52 1974
Encyclopedia of American Indian LiteratureRef PR 153.I52.E53 2007
Encyclopedia of Asian-American LiteratureRef PR 153.A84.O37 2007
Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century. 4 volumes.Ref PN 771.E5 1999
Feminist Companion to Literature in EnglishRef PR 111.B57 1990
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American Literature. 5 volumes.Ref PS 153.N5.G73 2005
HarperCollins Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature. 2nd edition.Ref PN 41.B4 2002
Hispanic Literature of the United States: A Comprehensive ReferenceRef PR 153.H56.K36 2003
The Oxford Companion to African American LiteratureRef PS 153.N5.O96 1997
The Oxford Companion to American Literature. Sixth edition.Ref PS 21.H3 1995
The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Sixth edition.Ref PR 19.O94 2006
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature. 4 volumes.Ref PS 21.E537 2004
The Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature. 5 volumes.Ref PR 19.O95 2006
The Oxford Illustrated Literary Guide to Great Britain and IrelandRef PR 109.E18 1992

Literary Criticism

Critical Survey of Short Fiction. Second revised edition. 7 volumes.Ref PN 3321.C7 2001
Critical Survey of Long Fiction. Fourth edition. 10 volumes.Ref PN 3451.C75 2010
Short Story Criticism (SSC) (use indexes at end of most recent volume)Ref PN 3373.S386
Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC) (writers now living or who died after 1959)Ref PN 771.C59
Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism (TCLC) (writers who died 1900-1959)Ref PN 771.G27
Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism (NCLC) (writers who died 1800-1899)Ref PN 761.N5
Black Literature Criticism (BLC) (use author index at end of last volume)Ref PS 153.N5.B556
Hispanic Literature Criticism (HLC) (use index at end of last volume)Ref PQ 7081.A1.H573 1994

Literary Terminology

Dictionary of Literary and Thematic TermsRef PN 44.5.Q56 1999
Dictionary of Literary Terms (Shaw)Ref PN 44.5.S46 1972
Dictionary of Literary Themes and Motifs. 2 volumes.Ref PN 43.D48 1988
Dictionary of Modern Critical Terms. Revised and enlarged edition.Ref PN 41.D4794 1987
Glossary of Literary Terms. 5th edition.Ref PN 41.A184 1988
Literary Terms: A Dictionary. Revised edition.Ref PN 44.5.B334 1975
Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (Cuddon/Preston)Ref PN 41.C83 1999

Symbols, Allusions, and Metaphors

Allusions: Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic DictionaryRef PN 43.A4 1982
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 15th edition.Ref PN 43.B65 1995
Common Knowledge: A Reader's Guide to Literary AllusionsRef PN 43.G68 1987
Dictionary of Biblical Allusions in English LiteratureRef PR 145.F8 1965
Dictionary of Literary SymbolsRef PN 56.S9.F47 1999
Dictionary of Symbols and ImageryRef BL 600.V74 1976
Facts on File Dictionary of Classical, Biblical, and Literary AllusionsRef PN 43.L37 1987
Metaphors DictionaryRef PE 1689.M47 1995
Symbolism: A Comprehensive DictionaryRef CB 475.O38 1986
Thesaurus of Traditional English MetaphorsRef PE 1689.W56 1993
Women's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred ObjectsRef CB 475.W35 1988

Background on Critical Theory

A-Z Guide to Modern Literary and Cultural TheoristsRef PN 74.A2 1995
Dictionary of Concepts in Literary Criticism and TheoryRef PN 41.H36 1992
Dictionary of Modern Critical Terms. Revised and enlarged edition.Ref PN 41.D4794 1987
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory: Approaches, Scholars, TermsRef PN 81.E43 1993
Enyclopedia of Literature and CriticismRef PN 81.E53 1991
Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory Ref PN 44.5.H37 1992
Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism. Second edition.Ref PN 81.J554 2005

Biographical Sources

Dictionary of Literary Biography (use author index at end of most recent volume)Ref PS 21.D5
American Authors 1600-1900Ref PS 21.K8 1938
American Diversity, American Identity: The Lives and Work of 145 Writers Who Define the American ExperienceRef PS 169.N35.A44 1995
American Writers. 4 volumes + 4 supplements.Ref PS 129.A55
American Writers Before 1800: A Biographical and Critical Dictionary. 3 volumes.Ref PS 185.A4 1983
African American WritersRef PS 153.N5.A344 1990
African-American Writers: A DictionaryRef PS 153.N5.A3444 2000
Asian American Short Story Writers: An A-to-Z GuideRef PS 153.A84.A828 2003
Contemporary Black Biography. 6 volumes.Ref E 185.96.C66 1992
American Women Writers. Second edition. 4 volumes.Ref PS 149.A42 2000
Modern American Women WritersRef PS 151.M54 1990
British Writers. 8 volumes.Ref PR 85.B688 1984
British Women Writers: A Critical Reference GuideRef PR 111.B75 1989
Oxford Guide to British Women WritersRef PR 111.S48 1993
European Writers (use index in volume 14)Ref PN 501.E9 1983
Latin American Writers. 3 volumes.Ref PQ 7081.A1.L37 1989
Latino and Latina Writers. 2 volumes.Ref PR PS 153.H56.L39 2004

Specific Writers & Movements

A Companion to William Faulkner StudiesRef PS 3511.A86.Z758 2004
Critical Companion to Edgar Allan PoeRef PS 2630.S68 2007
Critical Companion to Flannery O'ConnorRef PS 3565.C57.Z735 2008
Critical Companion to John SteinbeckRef PS 3537.T3234.Z86623 2005
Edgar Allan Poe A to ZRef PS 2630.S68 2001
Edith Wharton A to ZRef PS 3545.H16.Z459 1988
Encyclopedia of the Harlem Literary RenaissanceRef PS 153.N5.B675 2006
Encyclopedia of the Harlem RenaissanceRef PS 153.N5.A24 2003
Ernest Hemingway A to ZRef PS 3515.E37.Z7484 1999
Flannery O'Connor: An Annotated Reference Guide to CriticismRef PS 3565.C57.Z857 2002
A Franz Kafka EncyclopediaRef PT 2621.A26.Z7173 2005
F. Scott Fitzgerald A to ZRef PS 3511.I9.Z873 1998
Herman Melville A to ZRef PS 2386.A24 2001
James Joyce A To ZRef PR 6019.O9.Z533376 1995
James Joyce: A Literary Reference to His Life and WorkRef PR 6019.O9.Z533376 2006
The Kate Chopin CompanionRef PS 1294.C63.B6 1988
Mark Twain A To ZRef PS 1331.R37 1995
The Mark Twain EncyclopediaRef PS 1330.M37 1993
The Oxford Companion to Mark TwainPS 1331.O97 2003
The Oxford Reader's Companion to ConradRef PR 6005.O4.Z459 2000
The Poe EncyclopediaRef PS 2630.P58 1997
Reader's Guide to the Short Stories of Ernest HemingwayRef PS 3515.E37.Z864 1989
The Toni Morrison EncyclopediaRef PS 3563.O8749.Z913 2003
Virginia Woolf A to ZRef PR 6045.O72.Z729 1995
William Faulkner A to ZRef PS 3511.A86.Z459 2002
A William Faulkner EncyclopediaRef PS 3511.A86.Z459 1999
The World of Toni MorrisonRef PS 3563.O8749.Z844 2003

Return to top


CONSULS Online Catalog for Books and Media

CONSULS catalog workstations are located in the Reference Area on the first floor, and on each of the other floors of the Haas Library. You may logon to CONSULS via the WCSU Libraries Homepage at library.wcsu.edu or directly at www.consuls.org. For more detailed instructions on searching, please see the yellow CONSULS flyer on the display rack on the first floor.

Please Note: CONSULS ignores upper and lower case, and you may omit punctuation, except the hyphen which must be replaced by a space.

TO FIND WORKS WRITTEN BY A SPECIFIC AUTHOR:

Select Author at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the writer's name last-name-first. Correct spelling is important.

Example: faulkner william (press RETURN or ENTER)
Or just: faulkner wi (press RETURN)

To limit search results to items owned by WCSU, click the Limit/Sort option, then select WCSU under "Where Item Is Located."

TO FIND WORKS WRITTEN ABOUT A SPECIFIC WRITER:

Select Subject at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the writer's name last-name-first. Correct spelling is important. To limit results to items owned by WCSU, click Limit/Sort and then select WCSU under "Where Item Is Located."

Example: wharton edith (press RETURN or ENTER)
Or just: wharton e (press RETURN)

CONSULS will retrieve at list of Library of Congress Subject Headings which begin with the words you typed:

Wharton Edith (main heading is subdivided)
Wharton Edith 1862 1937--Bibliography
Wharton Edith 1862 1937--Biography
Wharton Edith 1862 1937--Criticism and interpretation
Wharton Edith 1862 1937--Political and social views
Wharton Edith 1862 1937--Technique

PLEASE NOTE: Personal name headings may also be subdivided by the titles of individual works, for example:

Wharton Edith 1862 1937--Ethan Frome
Wharton Edith 1862 1937--House of Mirth

TO FIND WORKS WITH A SPECIFIC TITLE:

Select Title at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type as much of the title as you remember in correct word order. In CONSULS, you may omit "a," "an," or "the" at the beginning of a title.

Example: ethan frome (press RETURN or ENTER)

If your TITLE search does not retrieve an entry for a separately published edition of the work, select Words from the prompt line to re-execute the search as a keywords search (keywords: ethan frome and press RETURN). Then scan the CONTENTS field of each entry for the title of the work you need.

TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT A SPECIFIC TOPIC BY SUBJECT HEADING:

Select Subject at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the Library of Congress subject heading which best describes your topic. Correct spelling and word order are important. The complete list of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) is published in a set of big red books available in the Reference Area on the first floor of the Haas Library.

Type: Women and literature--United States--History--20th century (press RETURN or ENTER)
Or just: women and literature united states (press RETURN)

TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT A SPECIFIC TOPIC BY KEYWORD(S):

Select Keyword(s) at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the key WORDS which best describe your topic, in any order.

Example: wharton and ethan frome press RETURN or ENTER
Narrower: wharton and ethan frome and (symbol* or image*) press RETURN

Example: faulkner and rose for emily press RETURN
Narrower: rose for emily and (narrat* or story*) press RETURN

Use the * (asterisk) as a truncation symbol to retrieve variant forms of a word root. Use the Boolean OR to expand your search by including synonyms and related terms. When using two different Boolean commands in the same search statement ("and" and "or" in the preceding examples) you must include parentheses to indicate which command is to be performed first.

TO REQUEST MATERIALS FROM THE OTHER CSU LIBRARIES:

If the item you need is owned by one of the other CSU Libraries (CCSU, SCSU, or ECSU) but not by WCSU, or if WCSU's copy is checked out, you may order the item electronically via Inter-Campus Loan by clicking on Request at the full record display in CONSULS. Then type your University network username and password OR your University ID number and library PIN. Be sure to specify a pickup location (Haas or Young Library) before clicking on the gray bar to initiate your request. If you need assistance with your library PIN, please contact the Circulation Desk at (203) 837-9100.

There is a limit of ten (10) Inter-Campus Loan requests per person. Videos are available via Inter-Campus Loan. Please allow 4-5 days for delivery to the Haas Circulation Desk. Items borrowed via Inter-Campus Loan may be renewed for an additional borrowing period if no one else has placed a HOLD on the item.

Return to top


Online Databases for Finding Periodical Articles

JSTOR
Coverage: Issue number one to within 2-5 years of present
Location: Under Articles & Databases: Most Popular on the WCSU Libraries Homepage.
Scope: Full-text of over 500 core scholarly journals in over 50 disciplines, including language and literature (complete backfiles).
Academic Search Premier in EBSCOhost
Coverage: 1990 - present (earlier for many publications)
Location: Under Articles & Databases: Most Popular at the WCSU Libraries Homepage.
Scope: Indexes approximately 8,000 newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals in most fields, including language and literature, with 4,000 available in full-text.
MLA International Bibliography
Coverage: 1963 - present
Location: Under Articles & Databases: A-Z at the WCSU Libraries Homepage.
Scope: Indexes books, book articles, journal articles, and Ph.D. dissertations in literature, language, linguistics, and folklore. Some linked full-text. No abstracts.
WorldCat via OCLC FirstSearch
Location: Select OCLC FirstSearch under Articles & Databases at the WCSU Libraries Homepage.
Scope: Indexes 100+ million books, manuscripts, theses, and non-print materials. If the item is not owned by WCSU, you may use Interlibrary Loan.

Return to top


Locating Periodicals in the Haas Library

To find out if WCSU subscribes to a specific periodical, select Journal Title at the CONSULS main menu, then type the name of the periodical (example: modern fiction studies) and press RETURN. If a title list appears on the screen, select the desired title, then look inside the box for "WCSU" to find this library's holdings. Be sure to scroll down the page to see if WCSU owns backfiles on microfilm or microfiche.

To find out if a given periodical is available in full-text in one of the library's online databases, you may use the A-to-Z Journal Title Locator under Articles & Databases on the WCSU Libraries Homepage at: library.wcsu.edu.


How to Use Interlibrary Loan

If the CSU Libraries do not own the book you need, or if WCSU does not subscribe to the periodical you need, you may request delivery of the item via Interlibrary Loan using the online ILLiad system available at: libguides.wcsu.edu/ill.

There is a limit of 5 Interlibrary Loan requests per person per day. Videos are not available via Interlibrary Loan. Under most circumstances, Interlibrary Loan is a free service, but please allow at least ten working days for delivery. You will be notified as soon as the material arrives. Faster document delivery service is available for a reasonable fee. Please see the librarian at the Reference Desk or call the Interlibrary Loan Desk at (203) 837-9114 for more information.


Do You Have a Question?

The Reference Desk on the first floor of the Haas Library is staffed by a professional librarian who is trained to assist in your research, or you may contact Joan Reitz, Instruction Librarian, at 837-8308 or reitzj@wcsu.edu. My office is located in Room 402 on the fourth floor of the Haas Library (near the glass elevator).

Return to top


Please send your comments to Joan Reitz, Haas Instruction Librarian, Western Connecticut State University.
reitzj@wcsu.edu
Last updated on July 25, 2011.