U.S. History Since 1877: The History Makers

The Basics

Restricted Access

Many of the resources listed in the sections below are marked Restricted Access. You should have no problem connecting to these from any networked computer on campus. However, in order to use these from off-campus, you must log in with your Rutgers NetID. For instructions see the Libraries' Remote Access to Library Resources.

When working from home or some other off-campus locations, you can use the "Off-Campus Link" provided for each Rutgers-restricted resource below to login with your Rutgers NetID and connect to that database or article. Use the link embedded in the citation to access these resources when on campus.

IRIS: Find Books

IRIS is the online catalog for all the Rutgers University Libraries except the Newark and Camden Law Libraries. Use IRIS to find out if the Rutgers Libraries have the specific books or journals that you need, or to locate books on topics that you're researching. Show Me How

Getting Books From Other Rutgers Libraries

If a book that you need is not available (not owned/checked out) at the Dana Library, but is available from another Rutgers Library, you can request delivery of that book to Dana by bringing up the record for the book in IRIS and clicking on tbe Deliver/Recall button. Show Me

Book Not Available/Not Owned by the Rutgers Libraries?

The fastest way to get a copy of a book that is not owned or not available (checked out/on Reserve/missing etc.) at the Rutgers Libraries is to request it through E-Z Borrow. E-Z Borrow books are normally received within about five working days. Tell Me More

If a book is not owned by the Rutgers Libraries and is not available via E-Z Borrow, you can place an Interlibrary Loan request. Tell Me More

Finding Articles plus

Humanities Full Text
Humanities Full Text is the basic index for finding articles in the humanities disciplines, including history. It indexes over 550 of the core, English language journals in history, literature, art and music, philosophy and religion. It indexes many journals back to 1984 and, beginning with 1995, includes many full-text articles.
Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

Need More?

While Humanities Full Text will usually give you what you need for a basic research paper, if you're working on a more extensive project, or a more specialized topic, you will probably need to use one or more indexes that focus specifically on history. You'll find links to most of these in the Finding Articles section below.

Becoming an 'Expert' User

Want to maximize your use of Library resources? Check out Searchpath, the Libraries' interactive tutorial.

Citing Your Sources

You will probably be asked to use Chicago/Turabian style when citing the sources that you use in your research papers. The Chicago Manual of Style and Turabian's Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations are both available at the Dana Library Reference Desk. The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison also has a nice introduction to Chicago/Turabian Documentation that will give you the basic information you need to create bibliographic citations.

The above site does not, however, cover citing online resources. The Library of Congress has a guide on How to Cite Electronic Sources that show Turabian-style examples; the Bedford/St. Martin's site also offers useful information on Using Chicago Style to Cite and Document Sources

You can also import references from IRIS and many of the electronic databases into RefWorks, a web-based bibliography and database manager. RefWorks will build your bibliography for you based on whatever style sheet you specify (MLA, Chicago, etc.). For information on setting up your (free) RefWorks account see the RefWorks FAQ.

Not sure when you need to cite something? Check out the Plagiarism Guide

U.S. Biography: Dictionaries & Directories

National Biography

Dictionary of American biography (DAB). New York, Scribner, 1964.: The original authoritative American biographical dictionary. Over 18,000 signed entries. Reprint of the original 20 vol. ed. published 1928-1937. 10 volumes plus 8 supplements.; Dana Call Number: Ref. E176 .D564; Comprehensive Index: Ref. E176 .D563 Index

American National Biography / general editors, John A. Garraty, Mark C. Carnes. New York : Oxford University Press, 1999.: 17,500 entries in 24 volumes. Includes new scholarship and people who were missed in the DAB, including women, ethnic minorities, and immigrants. Where available, includes locations of subject's papers.; Dana Call Number: Ref. CT213.A68 1999

The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. New York : J.T. White, 1898-1984: The most extensive, and least scholarly, of the major biographical sets. Over 66,500 biographical entries based on questionnaires completed by individuals or their families. Includes many names not found elsewhere.; Dana Call Number: Ref. REF E176.N27 v.1-v.63 Index:

Government

The Presidents: Summary page, legacy, links to presidential sites, primary sources, and detailed bibliographies. Created in conjunction with the PBS The American Experience: The Presidents series.

Presidents of the United States (POTUS): "Background information, election results, cabinet members, notable events, and some points of interest on each of the presidents. Links to biographies, historical documents, audio and video files, and other presidential sites are also included."

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress: Short biography, bibliography, and location of subject's papers for U.S. senators, representatives, and other elected officials from 1774 to the present.

The Military

Dictionary of American Military Biography: Rogers J. Spiller, editor. Westport, Conn., Greenwood Press, 1984. 3 vols.; Entries on American military leaders from the colonial period to the beginning of the 1980s. Entries include short bibliographies.; DANA REF. U52 .D53 1984

Business

American Business Leaders: From Colonial Times to the Present: Neil A. Hamilton. Santa Barbara, Calif., ABC-CLIO, 1999. 2 vols.; 1-3 page biographical essays with short bibliographies.; DANA REF. HC102.5 .A2H36 1999

Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders: John N. Ingham. Westport, Conn., Greenwood Press, 1983. 4 vols.; Biographical sketches with bibliographies of 1,159 "historically significant" American business leaders. Appendices index those profiled by industry, companies, birthplaces, principal business locations, religion, ethnic origin, years of birth, and gender.; DANA REF. HC102.5 .A2I53 1983

African-American Business Leaders: A Biographical Dictionary: John N. Ingham and Lynne B. Feldman. Westport, Conn., Greenwood Press, 1994.; 5-15 page profiles of 123 African-Americans who have had an impact on American economic and business life. Includes information taken from primary sources and information on individuals not included in other standard biographical works.; DANA REF HC102.5 .A2I52 1994

Science and Medicine

Dictionary of Scientific Biography: Charles Coulston Gillispie, editor-in-chief. New York, Scribner, 1970-1990. 18 vols.; Extensive, scholarly biographies of prominent scientists in the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and earth sciences from antiquity to about the 1950s. Information on lives and scientific contributions. Entries include lengthy bibliographies.; DANA: REF Q141 .D5

Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century: James H. Kessler et al., Phoenix, Arizona, Oryx Press, 1996.; DANA Q141 .D535 1996 [REF and STACKS]

Dictionary of American Medical Biography: Martin Kaufman, Stuart Galishoff, and Todd L. Savitt, ed. Westport, Conn., Greenwood Press, 1984. 2 vols.; DANA REF R153 .D53 1984

Finding Biographies

To find books and other materials on a specific individual search IRIS using SUBJECT begins with that person's name, for example: CLINTON, HILARY; PARKS, ROSA; PATTON, GEORGE; ROOSEVELT, FRANKLIN D

Newark Law
Camden Law
Law library materials are not listed in IRIS. Use the same subject headings you use in IRIS find relevant publications in the law collections.

Finding Articles plus: Indexes

Biography Index: New York, H.W. Wison Co., 1946- .

Humanities Full Text: The Humanities Full Text is the basic index for finding articles in the humanities disciplines, including history. It indexes over 550 of the core, English language journals in history, literature, art and music, philosophy and religion. It indexes many journals back to 1984 and, beginning with 1995, includes many full-text articles.; Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

America: History and Life: 1964- . The most comprehensive index to American (U.S. and Canada) history. Indexes over 2000 journals worldwide, as well as book reviews and dissertations.; Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

The News: Now and Then

For links to many newspaper sites with online searchable archives, as well as to physical collections of newspapers see the Newspapers Research Guide.

Contemporary Accounts

Access World News: Access to the full text of over 600 U.S. and over 700 international newspapers. Includes access to the Newark Star-Ledger back to 1996.; Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access

Historical Accounts

American Periodicals Series Online 1740-1900: The full text of articles, advertisements, illustrations etc., from American popular and literary magazines and journals that began publication between 1741 and 1900. Search by author, title, article type, publication title, date, and keywords in the full-text.; Off-Campus Access Restricted Access

Historical New York Times: Allows you to search and display the full image of articles published in the New York Times back to 1851. The two+ most recent years are not included, use Access World News.; Off-Campus Access Restricted Access.

Corrections?
Natalie Borisovets (natalieb@andromeda.rutgers.edu)
February 5, 2008