Guides: PAID 111 Section 10: Caton (Fall 2024): Find Reference Sources

Getting Started with Reference

Reference sources are a good starting point.

These materials can

Provide background information
Get you familiar with terms and keywords and related topics for a particular subject
Help you choose, broaden, or narrow a research topic

Preus Library has print and online reference sources. The print reference books are located near the Technology Help Desk on the main floor of the library, between the computer lab and the Writing Help Center. Online reference sources are available through the catalog or library database subscriptions.

General Online Reference Resources

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
An online collection of over 600 full-text reference works, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and more.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
A collection of over 3,000 reference works, covering all disciplines.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
This online source provides access to subject and language reference works from Oxford University Press. In addition to text, access is provided to maps and illustrations, timelines, web sites, and bibliographies.
Cambridge Histories Online This link opens in a new window
Provides full text online access to the complete 250-plus volumes of Cambridge Histories reference series. Provides political, economic and social history, philosophy and literature of selected countries and subjects. Use the lower "Search Cambridge Histories" search box to find Luther-held content.

Print Reference Resources

Some of these reference books are available both as print and e-books. The catalog entry will tell you which ones have e-book options.

Some of these reference books will have published versions of primary sources. If you need help identifying which items may be a primary source, contact your librarian!

American Immigration by James Ciment; John Radzilowski
Call Number: Ref JV6465 .E53 2014
" ... traces the scope and sweep of U.S. immigration from the earliest settlements to the present, providing a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to all aspects of this critically important subject. Every major immigrant group and every era in U.S. history are fully documented and examined through detailed analysis of social, legal, political, economic, and demographic factors."
The Columbia Documentary History of Race and Ethnicity in America by Ronald H. Bayor
Call Number: EBOOK (Ref E184.A1 C57 2004)
Publication Date: 2004
Documents all eras of the American past, including black and white interactions and the broad spectrum of American attitudes and reactions concerning Native Americans, Irish Catholics, Mexican Americans, Jewish Americans, and other groups. Each of the eight chronological chapters contains a survey essay, an annotated bibliography, and 20 to 30 related public and private primary source documents, including manifestos, speeches, court cases, letters, memoirs, and much more. Available as a print book and e-book.
Defining Documents in American History: Immigration and Immigrant Communities (1790-2016) by James S. Pula
Call Number: Ref JV6450 .I5597 2017
ISBN: 9781682172858
Publication Date: 2017
This book contains several documents related to immigration history in the United States, along with additional elements that explain each document's impact and historical importance.
Encyclopedia of American Immigration by Salem Press
Call Number: Ref JV6465 .E53 2010
Publication Date: 2010 ; 2021
This three-volume set covers the full breadth of American immigration history in 525 alphabetically arranged and easy-to-understand articles. Available as a print book (2010) and an e-book (2021).
Encyclopedia of American Immigration by Carl L. Bankston; Salem Press Staff
Call Number: Ref JV6465 .E53 2010
ISBN: 9781587655999
Publication Date: 2010-03-12
" ... traces the scope and sweep of U.S. immigration from the earliest settlements to the present, providing a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to all aspects of this critically important subject. Every major immigrant group and every era in U.S. history are fully documented and examined through detailed analysis of social, legal, political, economic, and demographic factors. Available as a print and e-book.
Immigration: a documentary and reference guide by Thomas Cieslik
Call Number: Ref JV6465 .I46 2009 (also as ebook)
Publication Date: 2009
Three respected authorities on immigration and international affairs here present a carefully calibrated history of U.S. immigration in primary source documents, tracing the roots of the current debate in the history of our profoundly divided and surprisingly cyclical response to foreign immigration. Available as a print and an e-book.
Immigration and Multiculturalism by K. Lee Lerner
Call Number: Ref JV6465 .I4737 2006 (e-book also available)
ISBN: 1414403291
Publication Date: 2006
This volume of primary source documents focuses on some of the leading social issues of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries: immigration and multiculturalism. It contains approximately 175 full and excerpted documents---speeches, legislation, magazine and newspaper articles, essays, memoirs, letters, interviews, novels, songs, and works of art---as well as overview information that places each document in context. Entries are organized into chapters that feature a general overview of the chapter's subtopic. Also included is an introduction to the topic, a chronology of major events associated with the topic, and a general index. Available as a print book and an e-book.
Issues in U. S. Immigration by Salem Press Editors
Call Number: Ref JV6450 .I565 2015
Publication Date: 2015-02-06
Immigration in U.S. History examines the many issues surrounding immigration--from the earliest settlement of British North America in the seventeenth century through the immediate aftermath of the of September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks of the twenty-first century. It also places special emphasis on the many ethnic communities that have provided American immigrants.
Race Relations in America
Call Number: Ref E184.A1 D283 2006
ISBN: 9780313311154
Publication Date: 2006
Presents primary documents to support an exploration of race relations in the United States from 1785 to the present.