You will often be asked to look for reviews of books you are using for your research or to find out something about an author's credentials. This is the "evaluating your sources" part of the research process, and a very good thing to do. These tips will lead you in the right direction but you may still need to ask a librarian for help deciding which reviews to track down or how to compile a list of an author's publications.

Finding Reviews: Look at Your Book!! Locate the copyright date on the reverse of the title page. Use the earliest publication date to select from the appropriate section below. Look especially for reviews published in journals in your subject area, i.e., history, psychology, art. These will provide you with indepth comments about your book.

1) Books Published Since 1980

Use the following sources in this order:

• Gale Literature Resource Center - available on library webpage
• Ebsco "Academic Search Premier" - available on library webpage.
• Appropriate subject databases  
• Book Review Index - a print index located on shelves in the reference area.

• Gale Literature Resource Center - available on library webpage
• Book Review Index - a print index located on shelves in the reference area.
• Appropriate subject databases

• Book Review Digest - a print index located in the basement periodicals collection. The Digest includes excerpts of reviews but only for books that merited reviews in several magazines 
• The New York Times Index - a print index located on the shelves in the reference area. 

• Search The New York Times Index, The 19th Century Readers' Guide, or Poole's Index to Periodical Literature - all located on the shelves in the reference area. The Times includes book reviews as early as the 1858 volume. Check under Books-Reviews or Reviews-Books. Search out a reference librarian for the help you will need using these sources.

Finding Author Info: Bring the book or article to the library. Talk to a librarian about authors of old books, journal, newspaper and magazine articles before you start your search. Is there something special you know about this person?? 

1) Start your search with the following sources:

• Contemporary Authors - Located at REF Z 1224.C66 and included in Gale Literature Resource Center; Start you search in the cumulative paper index to the various sets that make up the complete series.
• Dictionary of Literary Biography - Located at REF PS 129.D5 and includeded in Gale Literature Resource Center. Use the cumulative index located in the most recent volume of this set. The scope of the DLB goes well beyond literary authors.
• Directory of American Scholars - Located at REF LA 2311.C32.  Older volumes in stacks.  Great source for academic authors.

2)  No luck??  Ask yourself what you know about your author.  Bring this information to a  librarian for further help.

• Is my author dead or alive?
• Is my author American or from some other country?
• Is my author also an artist, musician, or scientist?

4)  DON'T GIVE UP !!!  Librarians know a few other tricks for finding information about people !!!