English
Introduction
This subject guide contains a non-inclusive list of resources not only housed in the Henry Pfeiffer Library, but also electronic sources, some of which may be accessed from off campus. It is designed to serve as a starting point for research primarily on specific authors and works, but also on grammar and theory.
Library of Congress Classification Headings
Language and Literature books can be found under the “P” heading in the stacks. For a more detailed breakdown of the headings, visit the Library of Congress Classification Outline
. You can search the Pfeiffer Library online book catalog here.Select Reference Books
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism, Ref. PN81 .J554 1994
Masterplots, Ref. PN44 .M33 1976
Plot summaries and criticism about major works of world literature.Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism, Ref. PN681.5 .C57
Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism, Ref. PN761 .N56
Contemporary Literary Criticism, Ref. PN771 .C59
Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Ref. PN771 .G27
Short Story Criticism, Ref. PN3321 .S56 1988
The Oxford Companion to African American Literature, Ref. PS153.N5 O96 1997
The Oxford Companion to American Literature, Ref. PS21 .H3 1995
The Oxford Companion to English Literature, Ref. PR19 .H3 1967
The Oxford Companion to Women’s Writing in the United States, Ref. PS147 .O94 1995
Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Ref. PN3321 .C7
Critical Survey of Poetry, Ref. PR502 .C85 1982
The Oxford English Dictionary, Ref. PE1625 .N53 1933
Contemporary Authors, Ref. Z1224 .C6
Biographical and critical information about contemporary authors.The Oxford English Grammar, Ref. PE1106 .G74 1996
Electronic Books on Credo Reference
The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style
The Cambridge Guide to Children’s Books in English
The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English
The Cambridge Guide to Theatre
The Columbia Companion to the Twentieth-Century American Short Story
Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature
Continuum Encyclopedia of British Literature
Continuum Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature
The Edinburgh Encyclopaedia of Modern Criticism and Theory
Encyclopedia of American Poetry: The Twentieth Century
Encyclopedia of Latin American and Caribbean Literature, 1900-2003
Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature
Electronic Databases
Refer to the Tutorials page for tips on how to search in particular databases.
Credo Reference
A database containing 100 digital books including a number of literature titles, as well as some titles on language. This database may be accessed from off campus.Academic Search Premier
A general database containing abstracts for over 8,000 journals, and full-text for more than 4,500 of those titles. This database may be accessed from off campus.JSTOR
A full-text general database that contains 19 language and literature titles.OmniFile Full Text Select
A general database indexing over 1,600 full-text titles. This database may be accessed from off campus.Print Journals
Cresset
Modern Fiction StudiesWeb Links
Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
Perseus Digital Library
A digital library of materials ranging from ancient Greek and Latin to the English Renaissance.Literary Resources on the Net
A collection of links dealing primarily with American and English literature.The Cambridge History of English and American Literature
Bartleby.com
“The preeminent Internet publisher of literature, reference and verse…”Get Help
Jake Magnuson
Public Service & Reference Librarian
Henry Pfeiffer Library
217-479-7110
jake.magnuson@mac.edu
