Research Guides: African American Literature: Reference

Reference Sources for Black Studies

In the library catalog, see the titles under the following subject headings:

Oxford African American Studies Center
Comprehensive collection of scholarship focused on the lives and events which have shaped African American and African history and culture¸ coupled with precise search and browse capabilities. Features over 7¸500 articles from Oxford's reference works¸ approximately 100 primary sources with specially written commentaries¸ over 1¸000 images¸ over 100 maps¸ over 200 charts and tables¸ timelines to guide researchers through the history of African Americans and over 6¸000 biographies. The core content includes: Africana¸ which presents an account of the African and African American experience in five volumes ; the Encyclopedia of African American history ; Black women in America¸ 2nd ed ; and the African American national biography

General Biographical Reference Sources

American National Biography
The landmark American National Biography offers portraits of more than 17¸400 men and women -- from all eras and walks of life -- whose lives have shaped the nation. More than a decade in preparation¸ the American National Biography is the first biographical resource of this scope to be published in more than sixty years. (from the Web site).
Contemporary Authors
Information about contemporary authors including works¸ biographies¸ birth dates¸ etc.
Gale Literature - LitFinder
This database integrates various literature resources from Gale into a single research environment: Something about the author online -- Twayne's authors online: U.S. authors series classics -- Twayne's authors online: world authors series classics -- Twayne's authors online: English authors series classics -- Twayne's authors online: masterworks series -- Twayne's authors online: short fiction series -- Twayne's authors online: U.S. authors¸ world authors and British authors -- Scribner writers online: British writers collection -- Scribner writers online: world and writers collection -- Scribner writers online: American writers collection -- Scribner writers online: European writers collection -- Literature criticism online -- LitFinder -- LitFinder for schools -- Literature resource center -- Dictionary of literary biography
Literary Reference Center
Literary Reference Center is a comprehensive database that provides a broad spectrum of information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and timeframes. LRC combines information from major respected reference works, books, literary journals as well as original content from EBSCO Publishing.
Literature Resource Center - LRC
Includes Gales Contemporary Authors Online (biographical coverage of more than 109¸000 writer); Contemporary Literary Criticism Select¸ (entries on all authors appearing in CLC since vol. 95 of the print series and complete profiles of 266 most studied authors from editions prior to vol. 95); and Dictionary of Literary Biography Online (more than 10¸000 biocritical essays on authors and their works written by academic scholars). The database also includes selected full-text¸ excerpted¸ and commissioned critical material from Gale's respected Literature Criticism and For Students Series.