American Studies-Beyond Books and Journals

Beyond Books And Journals

Not all knowledge is contained in scholarly journals or weighty tomes, and your research should not end with books and journals. Learning to incorporate some of the additional resources available will add life to your research. Here are some examples. Click on each heading to go to an explanation of the resource:

1. Atlases and Maps

2. Government Documents

3. Images - Photographs, illustrations, portraits, etc.

4. Quotations

5. Speeches

6. Statistics

1. Atlases and Maps

Maps are no longer used just for finding cities or countries. Atlases and maps present information in a graphical format. Atlases exist for almost every conceivable topic Charts, graphs, and maps can be used to present data on language, population, ethnicity, religion, economic conditions and other important areas. A few examples from our collections:

Atlas of Religious Change in America, 1952-1990

Call # G 1201 E4 H3 1994 PCL Reference, PCL Maps Collection

Atlas of American History

Call # G 1201 S1 F4 1987 PCL Stacks, PCL Reference

The Women's Atlas of the United States

Call # G 1201 E1 G5 1995 PCL Reference

To see if an atlas is available for your topic try a title keyword (tk) search in the online catalog, using atlas and your topic. For example: tk atlas religion, or tk atlas hispanic. You might also try a subject keyword (sk) approach using maps. sk maps united states history or maps texas. As always, if you cannot find what you need ask a librarian for help.

Maps Online

With its multimedia capabilities the Internet is rapidly becoming an excellent source for locating maps and images. A good place to start is right here at UT. Our Map Library has scanned a number of documents and made them available on the web. We have also provided links to other map collections, so if what you need isn't here you can try other places.

2. Government Documents

The United States government is the world's largest collector and publisher of information. The government produces a wealth of information on matters of public policy, including such important topics as the economic state of the nation, social concerns (gun control, drub abuse, crime), and other issues. Much of this material is made available to libraries, including the University of Texas, through the depository library system. Materials available at UT include the texts of bills, committee hearings, government agency reports, presidential documents, and other publications.

Locating Government Documents at UT

Most government publications are not included in the online catalog. (Although older ones can be found in the card catalog.) To locate a specific document you will need to use an index. There are two primary indexes for most government publications; the Congressional Masterfile, and the Monthly Catalog.

Congressional Masterfile, 1789 - present.

This database is available only in UT libraries on UT Library Online Stations.

This online database allows you to search for congressional publications produced since 1789. It does not include bills, but does include citations for committee hearings, House and Senate Reports, and other congressional documents. Search here to find out what actions Congress has taken on important issues.

Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications 1976-present

Contains over 380,000 citations to the publications of U.S. government agencies.

The databases above do not provide full-text of documents. We have paper or microfiche copies of most of the documents issued by the federal government Ask a librarian for assistance once you have identified the document you wish to read.

Documents Online

The U.S. Government has been a leader in making information available on the Internet. Other state and international agencies have followed suit. A range of publications can now be accessed from any computer in the world. At UT we have compiled a list of some of the more useful government information sites for you. To access this list click on Government Information here or from the Library's main page.

3. Images (Photographs, illustrations, portraits, etc.)

Tracking down pictures requires patience and sometime a bit of luck, but the right image can be worth the effort. Fortunately a few publications have been created to assist you in tracking down that perfect image.

The Illustration Index available in the PCL, UGL, and Fine Arts Libraries, will help you locate drawings, photographs, and other images appearing in several hundred magazines and journals.

To track down classic works of art, try the Index to Art Reproductions in Books (Call # N 7525 H48 1974, PCL, UGL, and Fine Arts Reference Collections)

If you looking for a portrait of an individual try the ALA Portrait Index. Pictures which appear in books are indexed here, simply look up the person by name.

Other indexes for images exist, so if you cannot locate what you need in these sources consult with a librarian.

4. Quotations

While quotations should not form the meat of your essay, they can supplement your arguments and help to illustrate your main points. Quotation guides can point you to the longer, full-text source to analyze in your papers.

The library has quotation books on just about any topic. There are quotations by or about women, African Americans, or other groups. Quote books are also available on specific subjects. There are entire books composed of quotations about war, history, religion, etc.... A few examples are:

Familiar Quotations (Bartlett's)

Call # PN 6081 B27 1992 PCL Reference, UGL Reference. Previous editions in PCL Stacks.

Morrow Book of Quotations in American History

Call # PN 6084 U5 C6 1984 PCL Reference, UGL Reference

Treasury of Presidential Quotations

Call # PN 6080 H329 PCL Reference, UGL Reference

Many of the library quotation books are shelved in the same place, and can be browsed starting with the call number PN 6080. The library has thousands of quotation books. We probably have one which will fit your need. Ask a reference librarian for additional help locating more specialized sources.

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5. Speeches

Speeches can be difficult to locate in that they are rarely published separately. Fortunately there are many collections of major speeches available. Below are some typical examples in our collection:

Representative American Speeches, 1971-1997

Call # PS 668 B3 PCL Stacks & Undergraduate Library

Voices of Multicultural America : Notable Speeches Delivered by African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Americans, 1790-1995

Call # PS 663 M55 V64 1996 PCL Reference Benson Latin American Collection, UGL Reference

Vital Speeches of the Day., 1935- present

This important resource contains major speeches from current world figures. It is probably the best place to start when looking for speeches from the 20th Century.

Call # 808.505 V83 PCL has 1935 to present. Current issues are in the Periodicals Room, PCL Level 1. Issues are also available in the Undergraduate Library, and the Public Affairs Library.

Speech Index: an index to collections of world famous orations and speeches for various occasions.

Use the Speech Index to locate a speech by topic or author. Call # AI 3 S85 1982 PCL Reference, UGL Reference

If you cannot locate the speech you are looking for in any of the sources above, consult a reference librarian.

6. Statistics

Sometimes a number back up your paper's argument more forcefully than anything else. The best place to start for current statistics is the Statistical Abstract of the United States (Call # HA 202 U572, available in most libraries on campus, also available online.) This resource contains a wealth of data on topics such as economics, education, population, immigration, and social conditions. You could use the Statistical Abstract to determine the number of shoes sold last year, or to find out how many people died of AIDS. For most statistics this should be the first source you consult.

The Statistical Abstract of the United States annual volumes have been cumulated into two cumulative volumes entitled Historical Statistics of the United States, from Colonial Times to 1970. (Call # HA 202 B87 1976A, PCL Stacks, PCL Reference, UGL Reference)

Statistics Online

Many statistics, especially those compiled by government agencies can now be accessed on the Internet. The library has compiled a list of some of these sites on our page under the heading Statistics and Demographics. This page includes links to a searchable version of the 1997 Statistical Abstract of the United States, as well as data from the 1990 United States Census, sources for Texas statistics, and other useful sites.

Can't find the statistic you need? Ask a librarian for help.