African American Studies Collection
The Penn State Libraries define the African American Studies collection as those materials dealing with the experiences of people of African descent living in the United States. The Libraries' collection supports the curriculum needs of the Department of African and African American Studies, the mission of the Africana Research Center, and the teaching and research needs for faculty in a variety of disciplines across the University.
Reference Resources
Encyclopedias and other reference works provide background information and overviews on a broad range of topics. The links below provide selected lists of general resources that are useful for beginning research in African American Studies. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of African American Studies, research materials will be found in various subject libraries. Use the CAT (Penn State Libraries' online library catalog) to locate books, databases, and other materials available at the Penn State Libraries.
- Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Use to locate specific facts and information on a broad range of topics - Bibliographies
Use to locate information in books, journals, magazines, newspapers, etc. on a topic - Indexes and Databases
Use to locate citations, abstracts, or full-text articles. - Biographical Sources
Use to locate information pertaining to the lives and life stories of specific people - Statistical Sources
Use to locate statistical information and data on a topic - Other Catalogs
Researchers with a Penn State Access Account may access library materials from these off-campus catalogs
(e-reference)