Library Home Information Resources Library Catalog WorldCat Local Catalogs Journals, magazines, newspapers Databases General Reference Resources by Subject Government Resources Special Collections Research Assistance Guides & Tutorials Classes, workshops, tours Contact Subject Librarian Request Library Instruction Request Research Consultation Ask-a-Librarian Idea Generator Start Your Research Here StarQuest Library Services Reserves Interlibrary Loan Borrowing Privileges Renew an Item Printing Information Photocopy Information Services for Faculty Disability Services Distance Learning Services Digital Services Center About the Libraries Highlights & Events Library Publications Hours Calendar Directions Parking Information Library Floorplans Staff Directory Library Departments Policies & Procedures Employment Opportunities

Course Guide

Key Resources:

* For Finding Short Stories (and other primary source materials):

- Use the ODU Library Catalog to find out if ODU library owns a short story (search the story title by keyword, or try it by title or by anthology title or by author)
- Search WorldCat to see if it is available in other libraries (again, try the story title by keyword)
- Search General OneFile or other databases to see if it is available in a journal or magazine
- Use Web collections to find electronic full text of a short story:

Alex: Catalogue of Electronic Texts on the Internet -- Includes a collection of public domain documents from American and English literature as well as Western philosophy.
E-Server Fiction Collection: Short Fiction -- Includes full-text of many short stories.

- Use the Short Story Index (REF PN3321.S57) in the ODU Library Reference Room, 1st floor (or in many other libraries) to identify anthologies with specific short stories

* For Finding Criticism About a Short Story or Author (secondary sources):

- Use the ODU Library Catalog to find ODU materials about the story, author, theme, literary technique, theory, etc -- search by Keyword or Subject. You may not find full length books on a particular story, so try searching by author -- there may be a book that discusses all of the author's stories, including the one you're interested in -- check the index in the back.
- Use Literature Resource Center for fulltext materials from books (Twayne series), journals, and various literary reference sources (Contemporary Literary Criticism, Dictionary of Literary Biography, Short Story Criticism, Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism)
- Consult "Databases" option by subject "Literature." Best options:

MLA Bibliography  (languages & literature; includes citations to articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, and the MLA Directory of Periodicals; includes links to the library's catalog for finding full text items)
Academic Onefile  (all subjects; includes some full-text articles)

Try a combination search using your story and theme, theory, device, etc. (e.g., faulkner and "a rose for emily" and reader response)

- Consult Journals, Magazines, Newspapers to find out if ODU Library owns the journals you need -- either print or electronic -- search by the journal title not the article title. From the "Journals" page, you may also search your topic in Project Muse or JStor -- these are useful collections of fulltext journals in humanities and social sciences.
- Consult the Library Catalog to find out if ODU owns the books you identify in your database search.

* For Materials Not Available in the ODU Library or Internet:

- Use WorldCat -- to find out who owns a book or journal (or other materials)
- Use Other Library Catalogs to find out what's in Tidewater area libraries -- if your book is at a Virginia Tidewater Consortium library, stop at our Circulation Desk to get at VTC card before you go to another library to check out a book
- Use Interlibrary Loan to obtain materials we don't own

* For Teletechnet and Distance Learning Students:

-Use Interlibrary Loan to obtain materials from the ODU Library or other libraries.
- Consult the Distance Learning Services page for more information about library services.
- For reference assistance, call toll-free 1-800-968-2638 on weekdays and ask to be transferred to the reference desk 683-4178. Or, contact Karen Vaughan 683-4184 or kvaughan@odu.edu for literary research assistance.

--> For more good resources for literature, click here for "Resources by Subject: Literature"

Search Tips:

To refresh your memory and learn more about search strategy, truncation, wildcards, Boolean searching, phrase searching, limiters, etc. click here

Other Information:

MLA Citation Style and other citation styles are available on the General Reference Sources page under "Style Manuals & Writing Guides"