Books
Here are a few types to look out for:
Encyclopedias/Directories: These cover a broad spectrum of people/topics. You may be able to get some essential information about your writer here, and it could provide references to other works of use.
Many encyclopedias are now available online to us, either through Credo Reference or another database.
Encyclopedia of African LiteratureCall Number: REFERENCE PL8010 .E63 2003ISBN: 9780415230193Publication Date: 2002
Encyclopedia of Latin American and Caribbean Literature, 1900-2003Call Number: ebookISBN: 9780415306867Publication Date: 2004
The Continuum Encyclopedia of British LiteratureCall Number: ebookISBN: 9780826418395Publication Date: 2006
The Continuum Encyclopedia of American LiteratureCall Number: ebookISBN: 9780826410528Publication Date: 2003
Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th CenturyCall Number: ebookISBN: 9781558623736Publication Date: 1998
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Offers over 1,000 full-text reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, atlases, thesauri) that cover a broad scope of subject areas. Image types include charts, diagrams, graphs, illustrations, maps, photos.
Also:
Biographies/Monographs: These will be entirely about the life and/or work of your writer.
Collections of essays: Most likely written by a variety of authors, examining themes in your writer's work. May or may not be about only your chosen writer - it could be that only one essay mentions them. For literary analysis, this can still be helpful as it places your writer within a thematic framework or scholarly canon.
Where to Look
- Don't just search your author's name: try the movement, country, continent, etc.
Brown Library Catalog -- more on borrowing from Brown here
Worldcat.org / Amazon / Google Books -- Found a book we don't have locally? Request it through Interlibrary Loan and we'll borrow it from another institution on your behalf.