This assignment requires you to use a variety of Rod Library resources. This page offers tips for locating and using the four types of sources. Do not hesitate to contact your librarian (Amandajean Nolte) for additional support!
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB)This reference work contains biographical articles from notable figures from British history. UNI Rod Library DOES NOT subscribe to the online version, so your only access to these entries is to visit the third-floor stacks (DA 28.D4O95 2004). The contemporary collection is for library use only. You will need to use the KIC scanner on the second floor or a phone scanner app (such as Adobe Scan) to copy your articles.
The contemporary version of this text (2004) should reference all of the authors referenced in class. Some names have alternate spellings, however. If you cannot find the author try a Google search of the author's name to locate alternate spellings. For example, Emilia Lanier, Aemilia Lanyer, Aemilia Lanier, Amelia Lanier, and Amelia Lanyer are all spellings for the same person.
NOTE: Your classmates depend on these volumes being available when needed. After you read or copy your entries, please return the book to the Library Services Desk on the second floor.
If the volume you want is not on the shelf, ask at the Library Services Desk on the second floor.
UNI Rod Library has a variety of scholarly books (both physical and digital) about authors and their works. Use OneSearch to search the library catalog.
Utilize the Filters on the side to narrow your results to "Books." You could also narrow your search by adding the title of the work you are studying specifically and/or limiting by any of the subjects that include the words criticism or interpretation.
Suppose you are looking for one in the physical collection. In that case, you may notice we shelve the books topically, and you might find something of interest by browsing the area surrounding the work for which you initially searched. This type of finding is called Serendipitous Discovery and can lead you to unimagined possibilities!
Your best bet for finding scholarly articles on your authors is the MLA International Bibliography database. This bibliography contains is essential for finding literary theory and criticism. Unfortunately, not all of the records in this database contain the full text. While some are linked, you may need to follow the yellow "Find It" button to locate the article or submit an ILL request through OneSearch.
Clicking on the yellow "Find It" button will take you to the record for the article in OneSearch. At this point, you can click on a Full-text available link under "View It"
or, if UNI doesn't have access, you will be prompted to sign in and you can submit an ILL request under "View it."
Because you aren't looking for just any source, you're looking for an effective source, MLA International Bibliography really is the best place to search. Because you may need to request articles through Interlibrary Loan, be sure to start this research well in advance of the assignment due date.
Once you've located a scholarly book about your author, you want to see what critiques exist in the form of scholarly book reviews on that text. While you may be familiar with popular culture book reviews, scholarly book reviews are a bit different. First, they're typically more extensive, and second, they are published in scholarly journals alongside scholarly articles. They are written for an academic audience.
Search OneSearch for the title of the scholarly book you've chosen. This will bring up a variety of results. Off to the right, limit your results by "Reviews." You may recognize the title of the journal the book review is published in. For example, The Modern Language Review or Renaissance Society of America.
If you aren't certain, however, whether it is a scholarly book review, you can always check the journal title (not the book title) in UlrichsWeb to ensure the publication is indeed scholarly.
MLA Handbook - 9th Edition
MLA Handbook - 8th Edition
MLA Guide to Undergraduate Research in Literature by 
A Research Guide for Undergraduate Students by 
