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ENG215a Research Guide: Serching in the Library Catalogs

This guide will provide you with resources & strategies for your assignment for ENG215a, Survey of British Literature 1--Early Literature.

Books & Bbooks

Use the library catalogs to find books and ebooks on authors and their literary works.

Find out how to search for biographies as well as scholarly research on literary works.

Search in the Library Catalogs

Library Catalog Guides

Search Tips: Finding Books About an Author

To search for books and essays about an author, try this strategy:

  1. Go to the Library Catalog
  2. Choose Advanced Search
  3. Choose Subject from the drop-down menu options
  4. Type in your author's last name, first name - Example: ,twain, mark

TIP: To the left of your results, you can click on Subject to see if a more focused subject might be useful, such as Mark Twain Criticism and Interpretation. 

Search Tips: Finding Essays on One Work by an Author

Try this search strategy in the library catalogs to find books of criticism and interpretation concerning an author or his/her works:

  1. Go to a library catalog
  2. Type the author's last name or title of the work + the word AND + either the word CRITICISM or the word INTERPRETATION
  3. Click on the search button

Sample Searches:

TIP #1: You must use AND in all capital letters in the Library Catalog or any other search tools in the library's One Search

TIP #2: Sometimes you need to open the book to find out which of the author's works are covered.