Locating Books and Call Numbers
Most books that deal with historical topics are shelved in the Central Library. The catalog shows the book call number and location.
A book that is CHECKD-OUT may be recalled, once you login with your VUnet ID, by clicking on the Request link in the "Get It" section, near the middle of the catalog record. You will be notified when the recalled item is available for your use.
Need help making sense of the Call # you found in Library Search Tool or where to find the book in the library?
Finding Sources
-
Library Search This link opens in a new window
Check out the Library Search which finds print and electronic items, including journal and newspaper articles, book chapters, books, reviews, legal documents, and much more. Note: Due to licensing restrictions, some content is only available to current students, faculty, and staff.
WorldCat contains more than 125 million records describing items owned by U.S. libraries and libraries around the world.
These items include books, manuscripts, musical scores, films, newspapers, etc.
Use 
to locate Vanderbilt holdings or request from Interlibrary Loan.
Keyword vs. Subject Searching
|
Step 1: Start your search process by brainstorming a list of keywords that describe the main concepts of your topic or question. |
|
Step 2: Use these keywords for your initial searches. Step 3: Use the Subject Heading links in the Library Catalog record to refine your search. |
-
JSTOR This link opens in a new windowLarge and important archive for academic journals, books, and primary sources in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Many journals do not have current issues.
-
ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Search all ProQuest databases simultaneously. Includes arts, humanities, social sciences, news, and science and technology.
-
America: History and Life This link opens in a new window
Index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada. Journal articles, book titles, book reviews, and dissertations.
-
Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Index of academic historical journals on the history of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 to the present, including world history, military history, women's history, history of education, etc.
-
ATLA (American Theological Library Association) Religion Database with ATLA Serials PLUS This link opens in a new windowIndex to journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all fields of religion. Some full text.
-
Gender Studies Database This link opens in a new window
Combines Women's Studies International and Men's Studies databases with the coverage of sexual diversity issues. Professional journals, conference papers, books, book chapters, government reports, discussion and working papers, theses & dissertations, websites, etc.
-
History of Science, Technology, and Medicine This link opens in a new window
Journal articles, conference proceedings, books, dissertations, serials, maps and other related materials covering topics on the role of scientific discovery in society and culture, and the historiography of scientific disciplines from prehistory to the present.
-
Index to Legal Periodicals and Books This link opens in a new window
Legal information, with international coverage of scholarly articles, symposia, jurisdictional surveys, court decisions, legislation, books, book reviews, law review and other legal periodicals articles, etc.
-
MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
Subject indexing of journals, books, proceedings, and dissertations in the areas of literature, language and linguistics, folklore, film, literary theory & criticism, dramatic arts, and the historical aspects of printing and publishing.
-
Proquest One Black Studies This link opens in a new window
Scholarly essays, recent periodicals, historical newspaper articles, reference books. Includes The Schomburg Studies on the Black Experience, Index to Black Periodicals Full Text, Black Literature Index, and the Chicago Defender historical newspaper.
-
Periodicals Archive Online This link opens in a new windowHumanities and social sciences periodicals. Includes Foundation Collection. Sister database to Periodicals Index Online.
Google Scholar provides access to "peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations."
What Google Scholar does not contain, in most cases, is the fulltext of the articles -- but it does work with the library's Findit@VU service to help you get to the fulltext when available. If you are on campus, Findit@VU will automatically appear -- but if you are off campus it won't. Not clicking on Findit@VU may lead to you receiving a message indicating that you must purchase the article to view it.
Bookmark this link as your access point to Google Scholar to ensure that the Findit@VU links appears in your searches or follow the instructions for setting your preferences in the video below. Don't get caught paying for articles when you don't have to!
-
Dissertations & Theses Full Text This link opens in a new windowDissertations and theses from around the world in business, health & medicine, history, literature & language, science & technology, social sciences, and the arts. Includes Vanderbilt University dissertations and theses.
-
Vanderbilt University Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) This link opens in a new window
Vanderbilt University theses and dissertations.
