Searching for Books
Use a Library Catalog to search for materials (books, videos, maps, etc.). You can access the library catalogs listed below by going to Books & More.
- The CAT (Penn State's catalog)
- OCLC WorldCat (Libraries worldwide)
Collections of Primary Source Documents
- American Civil War: Letters and Diaries Online.
- American Culture Series, 1493-1875 (over 5,700 books and pamphlets)
Call # FILM D50, Microforms & Newspapers, Ground Floor, West Pattee
Search for individual titles in the CAT - American Fiction, 1774-1900 (novels, short stories, etc.)
Call # Micro 3 & 4, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee
Some years available online at: http://www.letrs.indiana.edu/web/w/wright2 - American Memory
Digital library of materials from the Library of Congress, including books, photographs, pamphlets, speeches, songs, etc. - Dime Novels: Escape Fiction of the 19th Century (Popular Fiction titles)
Call # FILM D310, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee
To locate specific titles use the printed guides: Call #PS374.D5D5 - Documenting the American South
A collection of documents including poetry, diaries, travel accounts and slave narratives illustrating Southern life and culture - English and American Drama of the 19th Century
Call # Microprint.e55, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee - Library of American Civilization (12,000 titles on all aspects of American life up to WWII)
Call # Micro 3 LAC, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee - Making of America
Online collection of books and periodicals, mostly from the years 1850-1877
Collections Focusing on Ethnic Groups in America
- American Colonization Society Records, 1792-1964
Call # FILM A66, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee
To identify topics consult the printed guide, Call # E448.A44 - Black Abolitionist Papers, 1830-1865 (letters, essays, diaries, etc.)
Call # FILM A131, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee
To locate topics in the collection consult the guide, Call # E446.B5 - Book Collection on Microfilm Relating to the North American Indian
Call # FILM D287, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee
Search for individual titles in The CAT - Papers of Frederick Douglass
Call # FILM A102, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee
Collections Focusing on Women
- American Women's Diaries (New England Women, and Southern Women)
Call # FILM A239 & A246, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee - Engendering America: A Documentary History
Call # HQ1410.E54 1999, Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor Paterno - History of Women (over 10,000 books as well as periodicals and photographs)
Call # FILM D285, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee
For individual titles search The CAT - North American Women: Letters and Diaries
- Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
Call # FILM A297, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee
For individual topics consult the printed guide, Call # HQ1413.S689P37 - Women's Rights in the United States: A Documentary History
Call # HQ1236.5.U6W68 1994, Social Sciences Reference, 2nd Floor Paterno
Collections Focusing on Labor Relations
- American Federation of Labor Records, Samuel Gompers Era, 1877-1937
Call # FILM A116, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee - Pamphlets on Socialism, Communism, Bolshevism, 1849-1930
Call # FILM D188, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee - Papers of Eugene Debs, 1834-1945
Call # FILM A207, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee
For individual topics consult the printed guide, Call # HX84.D3P36 1983
Reference Works
- Annals of Murder: A Bibliography from Colonial Times to Present
- Call # Z6455.C9 M2, CATO Annex, request via The CAT
- Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century
E169.1.E626 2001, Arts & Humanities Reference, Pattee Level 2 - Female Experience in 18th and 19th Century America: A Guide to the History of Women
Call # Z7961.C64, Arts & Humanities Reference, Pattee Level 2 - Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970
Call # HA202.B87, Social Sciences Reference, 2nd Floor Paterno
Also Historic U.S. Census Statistics, 1790-1970, http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/census - Victorian American Women, 1840-1880: An Annotated Bibliography
Call # HQ1418.M43 1992, Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor Paterno - Violence in America: An Encyclopedia
Call # HN90.V5V5474, Social Sciences Reference, 2nd Floor Paterno - What American Women Did, 1789-1920
Call # HQ1164.C665, Social Sciences Reference, 2nd Floor Paterno
Indexes to Biographical Sources
Government Publications
- Century of Lawmaking
Contains searchable text of debates in Congress, laws and bills to 1875. - Congressional Universe (Index to Congressional Hearings and U.S. Serial Set)
- Congressional Record (Debates in the U.S. Congress)
Call # J11.G5, 2nd Floor Paterno - U.S. Executive Branch Documents, 1789-1909
Call # CIS U.S. Executive, Social Sciences Library, U.S. Documents
For topics consult the printed guide, Call # J83.P87 - U.S. Government Documents on Women, 1800-1990
Call # HQ1410.H85, Social Sciences Reference, 2nd Floor Paterno - United States Serial Set (Misc. Congressional documents)
Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor, Paterno.
Article Indexes and Bibliographies
Indexes to Contemporary Publications
- Accessible Archives (18th and 19th century news sources)
- American Periodicals Series (magazines and journals on microfilm)
Call # FILM D16, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee - Early American Periodicals Index to 1850
Call # Microprint.e765, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee - Hampton University Peabody Newspaper Clipping File
Call # MICRO 4 HAMP, News & Microforms, Ground Floor, West Pattee
For articles on specific topics consult the printed guide, Call # CD3569.H364H36 - London Times Index, 1790-1905
- New York Times, 1851-1999
- Poole's Guide to Periodical Literature, 1806-1900
Call # AI3.R4, Arts and Humanities Index Tables, Pattee Level 2
Indexes to Secondary Sources
- America: History & Life (Articles published since 1964 in history journals)
- C.R.I.S, 1838-1974
Z6205.C2, Arts & Humanities Index Tables, Pattee Level 2 - History Cooperative
- JSTOR (full text from selected journals in history, Asian Studies, Economics, etc.)
- MUSE (Recent years of articles from selected journals in all fields)
- PsycINFO (Articles in Psychology journals from 1887-present.)
Questions????
Ask at the Reference Desk, 2nd Floor Arts and Humanities Library, OR contact:
Eric Novotny, Humanities Librarian for History 814-865-1014 ecn1@psu.edu, IM: HistoryLibrarian