LibGuides: Literature Research Guide: Start Here

Assistant Librarian

Maura O'Donoghue

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Assistant Librarian
Fr. Leonard Alvey Library

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Featured Resources

Not Even Past by Cody Marrs
Call Number: Stacks 810.9358 M361 To (Mezzanine, Top Floor)
The author examines how the Civil War continues to resonate in American literature and culture. The war is an unresolved conflict that rages through American culture. The author devotes chapters to different interpretations of the Civil War's legacy. In an afterword, he reflects on writing that responds to the events of recent memory that happened in Charleston and Charlottesville.
Fugitives, Smugglers, and Thieves by Sharada Balachandran Orihuela
Call Number: Ebsco eBook
In this book, Sharada Balachandran Orihuela examines property ownership and its connections to citizenship, race and slavery, and piracy as seen through the lens of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American literature.
Handbook of the American Novel of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries by Timo Müller (Editor)
Call Number: eBook
Increasing specialization within the discipline of English and American Studies has shifted the focus of scholarly discussion toward theoretical reflection and cultural contexts. These developments have benefitted the discipline in more ways than one, but they have also resulted in a certain neglect of close reading. The handbook aims to fill this gap by providing new readings of texts that figure prominently in the literature classroom and in scholarly debate.
Toni Morrison and the Natural World by Anissa Janine Wardi
Call Number: Stacks 813.54 M882W (Mezzanine, Top Floor)
Publication Date: 2021-06-28
Toni Morrison and the Natural World: An Ecology of Color is the first full-length ecocritical investigation of the Nobel Laureate's novels and brings to the fore an unequaled engagement between race and nature. Morrison's ecological consciousness holds that human geographies are enmeshed with nonhuman nature.
Veteran Americans by Benjamin Cooper
Call Number: Ebsco eBook
Benjamin Cooper reveals how these men and women from the Revolutionary War through the Civil War demanded, through their writing, that their value as American citizens and authors be recognized. Relying on an archive of largely understudied veteran authors, Cooper situates their perspective against a civilian monopoly in defining American citizenship and literature that endures to this day
Bright Star, Green Light by Jonathan Bate
Call Number: Stacks 821.7 B329 (Mezzanine, Top Floor)
Publication Date: 2021-09-01
In this radiant dual biography, Jonathan Bate explores the fascinating parallel lives of John Keats and F. Scott Fitzgerald, writers who worked separately--on different continents, a century apart, in distinct genres--but whose lives uncannily echoed.

Need literary interpretation and analysis? Try the Twayne's Authors Series from Gale. Contains analysis and review of over 600 classic and contemporary authors and their key works.

F. Scott Fitzgerald by Twayne's United States Authors Series
Provides in-depth analysis of the life, works, career, and critical importance of F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Homer by Andre Michalopoulos
A companion guide to the "Illiad" and the "Odyssey," both written by ancient Greek poet Homer, offering insight into the purpose and ideals of the author, and providing information about each story, the techniques employed in the writings, the characters, and the history of the period.
John Steinbeck's Fiction Revisited
Warren French places Steinbeck in the modernist tradition and argues that his work is unquestionably among the finest of world literature of the twentieth century.

Looking for literature reviews, commentary, and analysis or literary history? Need a work of fiction? Try Ebsco's eBook collection.

100 Most Popular African American Authors
Here's a one stop resource, containing 100 profiles of your favorite contemporary African American writers, along with complete lists of their works.
Weaving Words and Binding Bodies by Megan Cavell
Weaving Words and Binding Bodies presents the first comprehensive study of weaving and binding imagery through intertextual analysis and close readings of Beowulf, riddles, the poetry of Cynewulf, and other key texts.
Classical Literature by Richard Jenkyns
A dynamic and comprehensive introduction to Greek and Roman literature,

Seeing New Worlds: Henry David Thoreau and Nineteenth-Century Natural Science by Laura Dassow Walls
Walls reveals that the scientific texts of Thoreau's day deeply influenced his best work, from Walden to the Journal to the late natural history essays.
To Wake the Nations by Eric J. Sundquist
By examining African America's contested relation to the intellectual and literary forms of white culture, Sundquist reconstructs the main lines of American literary tradition from the decades before the Civil War through the early twentieth century.
Pandora's Senses by Vered Lev Kenaan
In this compelling study, Vered Lev Kenaan offers a radical revision of the Greek myth of the first woman.

For critical surveys of literature try Salem Press.

Critical Survey of Short Fiction: American Writers
Provides profiles of major short-story writers throughout history and the world.
World Mythology
A collection of 213 essays on traditional literature from a broad range of regions and cultures in the world.
Heroes and Heroines
The Critical Survey of Mythology and Folklore presents articles on myths, folktales, legends, and other traditional literature.

Looking for popular or modern fiction? Try Novelist for a list of reading suggestions based on your favorite authors, genres, etc.

Best Bets

Academic Search Complete (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  This database is a leading resource for scholarly research. It supports high-level research in the key areas of academic study by providing journals, periodicals, reports, books and more on a variety of subject areas.
- What's included?
  The database features thousands of full-text articles and citations from scholarly and non-scholarly journals going back as far as the late 1800s, with the majority of full text titles in PDF format.
Arts & Sciences I (JSTOR Collection)
- Why search here?
  The arts and sciences collection provides core journals in economics, history, political science, and sociology, as well as in other key fields in the humanities, social sciences, ecology, mathematics, and statistics.
- What's included?
  JSTOR provides full text and bibliographic access to academic journal articles, books, and primary sources.
eBooks (EBSCO)
- Why search here?
  This multidisciplinary collection includes thousands of e-books covering a large selection of academic subjects and features e-books from leading publishers and university presses.
- What's included?
  EBSCO eBooks provides full text for thousands of up-to-date reference, scholarly, and professional books.
Gale Virtual Reference Library (Gale)
- Why search here?
  Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
- What's included?
  Gale provides full text for reference, scholarly, and professional books.
MasterFILE Premier & MasterFile Reference eBook Collection (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  MasterFILE Premier and Reference eBook Collection contains full text for general reference magazines and publications covering a wide-range of subject areas including business, health, education, general science and multicultural issues.
- What's included?
  Designed specifically for public libraries, these databases provide full-text magazines, reference books and primary source documents. They also include an extensive image collection containing photos, maps and flags.
MLA Directory of Periodicals (EBSCO)
- Why search here?
  The MLA Directory of Periodicals provides detailed information on over 6,000 journals and book series that cover literature, literary theory, dramatic arts, folklore, language, linguistics, pedagogy, rhetoric and composition, and the history of printing and publishing.
- What's included?
  Articles published in works listed in the directory are indexed in the MLA International Bibliography.
MLA International Bibliography (EBSCO)
- Why search here?
  From the Modern Language Association (MLA) and EBSCO, this resource combines an extensive collection of full-text journals with the definitive index for the study and teaching of language, literature, linguistics, rhetoric, writing studies, folklore, film, theater, and other dramatic arts.
- What's included?
  Users gain access to the MLA’s essential database, free online teaching tools, and a deep full-text collection with more than 1,000 full-text journals.
Oxford Reference
- Why search here?
  Oxford Reference is the premier online reference product, spanning 25 different subject areas, bringing together 2 million digitized entries across Oxford University Press’s Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias.
- What's included?
  As you browse through Oxford Reference, you may find results that range from short-entry, general reference to more in-depth articles on specialized subjects. The collections include in-depth, specialized titles from Oxford University Press’s award-winning Encyclopedias and Companions, and a selection of partner publishers’ scholarly works.

Still Searching? Try these: Additional Literature Databases

Browse for journals available in the library on:

Open Access Journals - scholarly research freely available on the web

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): Language and Literature
Over 200 open access journals related to language and literature.
CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture
CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture (1999-), the peer-reviewed, full-text, and open-access journal, publishes new scholarship in theory and criticism, comparative literature, and cultural studies.

Beowulf
Call Number: DVD 791.4572 B481 (Main Floor)
This spectacular drama reimagines one of literature s most enduring heroes, the great warrior Beowulf. Featuring an ensemble cast of fascinating and fantastical characters, this epic drama follows Beowulf as he strives to be a man as well as hero, challenging the notions of good and evil, heroes and villains, and the rule of law against one s moral code. Featuring Kieran Bew, William Hurt, Ed Speelers, and Joanne Whalley.
Christopher Robin
Call Number: DVD 791.4372 C556 (Main Floor)
ISBN: B07GVXBP3G
The young boy, who loved taking adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with a gang of spirited and lovable stuffed animals, has grown up and lost his way. Now it is up to his childhood friends to venture into that world and help Christopher Robin remember the loving and playful boy who is still inside.
Classic English literature collection. Volume 1.
Call Number: DVD 791.4575 C614 v.1
Publication Date: 2012
With a tradition of great writers stretching back many hundreds of years, England’s reputation as a producer of literary giants is well deserved. Now this incredible collection from PBS brings the lives and work of some of the greatest names in English literature to life in a new and exciting way.
Classic English literature collection. Volume 2.
Call Number: DVD 791.4575 C614 c.2
Publication Date: 2012
Following the success of Classic English Literature Volume 1, PBS is proud to present the Second Volume of this revealing and entertaining look into the work and lives of some of the greatest authors in history. The films include The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Mansfield Park, The Turn of the Screw, and A Room with a View.
The Diary of Anne Frank
Call Number: DVD 791.4372 D539
From the play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, based on the book "Anne Frank: the diary of a young girl" by Anne Frank; produced on the stage by Kermit Bloomgarden, directed by Garson Kanin.

Biographies & Encyclopedias

Britannica Online
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  Britannica Academic includes the essentials for conducting thorough research all in one site and delivers fast and easy access to trusted information with balanced, global perspectives and insights that users will not find anywhere else.
- What's included?
  This online encyclopedia includes over 100,000 articles plus an expansive collection of multimedia including images, videos, audio, interactives, and infographics.
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  The Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia has over 25,000 easy-to-read encyclopedia articles for covering an array of topics. The information is updated annually.
- What's included?
  The database contains images, indexes, and brief biographies as well as information in a variety of subject areas.

Historical Literary Periodicals

OpenDissertations (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  EBSCO Open Dissertations includes the content from American Doctoral Dissertations and was built to assist researchers in locating both historic and contemporary dissertations and theses.
- What's included?
  Open Dissertations is a free database with records for more than 1.4 million electronic theses and dissertations from more than 320 universities around the world.
Newspaper Source (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  Newspaper Source provides cover-to-cover full text for hundreds of national (U.S.), international and regional newspapers. In addition, it offers television and radio news transcripts from major networks.
- What's included?
  Content includes more than 200 full-text national (U.S.) and international newspapers, more than 310 full-text regional (U.S.) newspapers, and complete television and radio news transcripts from CBS News, CNN, CNN International, FOX News, NPR and more.
American Archive of Public Broadcasting
- Why search here?
  The Library of Congress and WGBH in Boston have embarked on a project to preserve for posterity the most significant public television and radio programs of the past 60 years: The American Archive of Public Broadcasting. The American Archive will ensure that this rich source for American political, social, and cultural history and creativity will be saved and made available once again to future generations.
- What's included?
  The collection of 40,000 hours contains thousands of high quality programs that have had national impact. The vast majority of this initial American Archive content, however, consists of regional and local programs that document American communities during the last half of the twentieth century and the first decade of the twenty-first. This extraordinary collection includes local news and public affairs programs, local history productions that document the heritage of local communities, and programs dealing with education, environmental issues, music, art, literature, dance, poetry, religion, and even filmmaking on a local level.

Additional Databases

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  The Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship is an online journal dedicated to showcasing the research and creative activities of undergraduate students across the commonwealth of Kentucky..
- What's included?
  Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship publishes original research and creative works by undergraduate students currently enrolled at post-secondary educational institutions in Kentucky. The topics vary by discipline.
Learning Cloud Professional Development & Training Solution
- Why search here?
  Learn advanced skills, prepare for new positions or careers, share concepts and ideas with groups or train your students, teammates or colleagues, and earn CEU credits.
- What's included?
  Dive into more than 80,000 microlearning videos and hundreds of professionally developed courses designed to help you master new skills, practice concepts, share ideas, and assess learning.
Learning Express Library
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  This e-resource supports those looking to improve core academic skills, pass the GED®, prepare for college, join the military, obtain occupational certification, find a job, change careers, become a U.S. citizen and much more.
- What's included?
  This flagship LearningExpress product offers a comprehensive selection of interactive online tutorials, practice tests, articles, e-books and high-stakes test preparation.
TOPICsearch (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  Teachers, librarians and student researchers can use this database to explore current events, social, political and economic issues, scientific discoveries and other popular topics frequently discussed in the classroom.
- What's included?
  TOPICsearch provides biographies, book reviews, government information, periodicals, public opinion polls, and international newspapers.

Brescia University’s library staff are happy to assist you in finding the exact book, article (i.e. journal article or book chapter), or audio/visual you need through our Interlibrary Loan exchange. Use the links at the bottom to get the process started.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service provided By Fr. Leonard Alvey Library for current Brescia faculty, staff, and students.

Submitting Requests

Through our online catalog, or
Through an Ebsco database (articles only), or
Through our Journal Finder service (articles only), or
Through the appropriate link at the bottom, or
Through email: illoan@brescia.edu, or
Through a paper form at the circulation desk

Your current Brescia ID allows you borrowing privileges at area Owensboro libraries (Daviess County Public Library, Kentucky Wesleyan College, and Owensboro Community and Technical College). If the item you need is available at one of these local libraries, you are encouraged to check it out from there.

Arrival/Pickup of Request

Email notification of item's arrival (Brescia email addresses only)
Check out returnable ILL items at the circulation desk with current Brescia ID card
PDFs or photocopied items will be sent via Brescia email only

Disclaimer: Fr. Leonard Alvey Library cannot guarantee that items requested via ILL will arrive in a timely fashion. The late arrival of items is usually due to circumstances out of the Fr. Leonard Alvey Library's control (i.e. courier delay, network failure, lost mail, etc.).

Book Request

Article/Chapter Request

Audio/Visual Request

Renewal Request

Literature Research Guide: Start Here

Click here to access current Outstanding Literature & Language Academic Titles

Assistant Librarian

Featured Resources

Submitting Requests

Arrival/Pickup of Request