Resources for Junior Essays

The library staff is always ready to help you find materials or answer your questions. If you cannot find what you are looking for or need help with the computer, ask a staff member. The library has many resources that will make your research easier and provide information that is authoritative and current.

AMERICANA

Select a topic in American history or culture you find interesting. If you need ideas, look in these sources:

The American Heritage 45 Year Index
The 40 Year Chronological Subject Guide to American Heritage. This guide is especially useful if you are interested in a particular period.
American Decades CD-ROM (in the library only)
20^th Century Day by Day

Begin your research by checking the following:

Reference Area : This area contains many specialized sources that provide concise yet comprehensive information plus many useful bibliographies on your topic. Books about different periods in American history include: The Roaring Twenties: An Eyewitness History, Nam: The Vietnam Experience, and The Fabulous Fifties.

Books: Search in the electronic card catalog for library books. If you need additional titles, ask the librarian to interlibrary loan books. If the books are checked out, have them reserved for you at the front desk. If you are a Derry resident, your Derry Public Library card can be used at ten other libraries in the area. Search in the GMILCS catalog on the Internet for availability of titles.

Magazines: EBSCO is a magazine database directly accessible in the library and also at remote terminals. Most articles are full text. If the article needed is not full text, the staff can get it from the state library via fax. The list of the library’s magazine subscriptions, most of which are indexed in EBSCO , are posted throughout the library. If your topic is scientific, use ScienceSource for full text current articles.

Newspapers:

Depending on the topic, newspaper articles can be primary documents from the period or can provide commentary on an event or person. Different papers with archives are available including:

Boston Globe Online : Full text from 1985 – present.
EBSCO includes USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, and over 290 regional newspapers.
Washington Post Archives : This index from 1977 to current is free on the Internet. A fee is charged for full text articles.

Online Resources:

All electronic databases are available in the library, throughout campus and at remote terminals. The single exception is FirstSearch that is accessible in the library only. If your topic involves important people and their impact, access:

Biography Resource Center includes several essays about each person’s life along with links to recommended web sites and recent magazines articles.

Web Sources: Many primary documents can be found on the Internet as well as sites focusing on a period, event or person. Check the Internet Public Library and the Librarian's Index to the Internet for selected sites about your subject.

Vertical File Folders: Check the Vertical File Index for newspaper clippings, magazine articles and pamphlets that can provide a wealth of background information. Although these files do not circulate, they can be photocopied or used in the library.

Special Collections: Ask Mrs. Burnham for additional materials on John F. Kennedy, Alan Shepard, Robert Frost, Woodstock, and the Jonestown Massacre.

Other Sources: If you need more books or information, ask a librarian to help you. She can recommend additional sources and help locate books in other libraries. The library borrows from most New Hampshire libraries and also from many in other states. Since borrowed materials take time to arrive, make your request as soon as possible.

AMERICAN AUTHOR/THEME

If you are looking for an author or theme, the following resources will be helpful:

Twayne Series: These books provide critical and biographical information about individual authors.
20^th Century Literary Criticism: Topics volumes list themes.
Scribner Writers Series CD-ROM includes over 1,600 full text articles on authors and genres.
American Decades CD-ROM covers 20^th century up to 1989. Over 1,000 biographical entries are included.

Begin your research by checking each of the following:

Reference Area: This area contains many specialized sources about authors and themes, including American Women Writers, The Encyclopedia of Utopian Literature, and Science Fiction Writers.

Books: Check the electronic catalog for library books by and about the author. Also search more generally in the author’s genre, movement or category. For example look for materials about American authors or women writers if the author is an American woman. Books about science fiction authors may include Ray Bradbury. The author may also appear in 20th Century Literary Criticism. Check the index. Reserve books if they are checked out. Ask the librarian for help getting books through interlibrary loan.

Magazines: Articles often include extensive biographical and analytical material about authors. EBSCO contains many full text articles from 1985 to current and can be accessed in the library and from remote terminals. Major news magazines from 1960 are available on microfiche. More academic articles can be searched in First Search, a database accessible only in the library.

Newspapers:

Depending on the topic, newspaper articles can be primary documents or offer commentary on an author, his/her work or a theme. Several sources are available including:

Boston Globe Online : Full text from 1985 – present.
EBSCO includes New York Times (3 months), Washington Post (four years), Los Angeles Times (four years), Christian Science Monitor (four years), Wall Street Journal (four years).
Washington Post Archives: On the Web this free index includes1977 to the present. A fee is charged for full text articles.

Online Resources:

All electronic databases are available in the library, throughout campus and at remote terminals. The single exception is FirstSearch that are only accessible in the library.

Biography Resource Center includes several essays about each person in the database along with links to recommended web sites and recent magazines articles.
Contemporary Literary Criticism is a highly regarded literary resource that includes the most significant writers. Biographical and critical information as well as a list of their works and publication dates makes this an essential source for author research.

Web Sources: Check the Internet Public Library and the Librarian's Index to the Internet for selected sites about your subject. Many authors have Web sites that can easily be found by searching Google.

Vertical File Folders: Check the Vertical File Index for newspaper clippings, magazine articles and pamphlets that can provide a wealth of information. Although these files do not circulate, they can be photocopied or used in the library.

Special Collections: Ask Mrs. Burnham for additional materials on Robert Frost.

Additional Sources: If you need more books or information, ask a librarian to help you. She can recommend additional information sources and help locate books in other libraries. The library borrows from most New Hampshire libraries and also from many in other states. Since borrowed materials can take time to arrive, make your request as soon as possible.