The researcher is able to locate critical reviews and essays of an author's work in Web sites, encyclopedias, dictionaries and anthologies. Often, critical analysis of novels or poetry of an individual writer may appear in biographical sketches.

Locating Books through Web Pals

To locate critical works on a specific author try a KEYWORD SEARCH on WebPals in the Library Catalog under the name of individual you are searching for.

The following are some specific samples of searches in WebPals for literary criticism:

KEYWORD:alice walker

KEYWORD: nathaniel hawthorne

KEYWORD: short stor# criticism

SUBJECT HEADING , KEYWORD: literature history AND criticism

Browsing the Collection

For literary criticism browse the Reference Collection and the Circulating Collection under the following range of numbers in the Dewey Decimal Classification System:

• for specific works of authors: authors will be listed under different call numbers
• for literary criticism (collected): 809-810
• for biographies of authors: 808.8-899. Literary criticism is often found together with biographical information.See also the pathfinder Biographical Information.

Selected Reference Sources

The following list is a selection of more current reference sources in which information on literary criticism may be located. All of these sources are located in the REFERENCE AREA on the main floor of the Library.

GENERAL

• Contemporary Literary Criticism. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Co.
  A collection of critical essays on literary works. Focus on the twentieth century.
  REF 809.04 C767s

• Literary Criticism Index. Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1994.
  Guide to critical essays found in a variety of sources. The Library owns many of these resources.
  REF 809.016 W431L2 1994

• Survey of Contemporary Literature. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Salem Press, c1977. 12 vols.
  REF 809.04 M272s 1978
  

• Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism.Detroit, MI, Gale Research Co., 1978-
  A collection of critical essays on literary works of the 20th century reprinted in a multivolume set. Does not duplicate entries in Contemporary Literary Criticism
  REF 809.04 T918p 1983.

Plays

• Play Index. New York, H. W. Wilson Co.
  The index provides information about individual plays and plays in collections. Brief annotations accompany many entries. Arranged by title, author, subject. Also includes a cast analysis, list of collections and a directory of publishers and distributors. Library owns 1949-52;1953-60;1961-67;1968-1972; 1973-1977; 1978-1982; 1983-1987 5-92.
  REF 808.82 P699

Poetry

• Poetry Criticism : excerpts from criticism of the works of the most significant and widely studied poets of world literature.
  Detroit : Gale Research Inc., c1991-
  Multi-volume which contains reprints of significant critical essays on the works of poets.
  REF 809.1 P752c

Short Stories

• Short Fiction : a critical companion. West Cornwall, CT : Locust Hill Press, 1997.
  REF 809.3016 Ev16s 1997
  

• Short Story Criticism : excerpts from criticism of the works of short fiction writers. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Co., 1988-.
  REF 809 Sh81s

• Twentieth-Century Short Story Explication : interpretations, 1900-1966, of short fiction since 1800. Hamden, CT: Shoe String Press, 1967.
  REF 809.306 W154t2 1967

• Twentieth-Century Short Story Explication : interpretations, 1900-1975, of short fiction since 1800. Hamden, CT: Shoe String Press, 1977
  REF 809.306 W154t2 1977

• Twentieth-Century Short Story Explication: supplement to third edition: with check lists of books and journals used. Hamden, CT: Shoe String Press, 1980-
  REF 809.306 W154t2 1980

• Twentieth-Century Short Story Explication : supplement V to the third edition : with checklists of books and journals used Hamden, CT: Shoe String Press, 1991.
  REF 809.306 W154t2 1991

• Twentieth-Century Short Story Explication : new series. . Vol. 2 (1991-1992), Vol. 3 (1993-1994). Hamden, CT : Shoe String Press, 1993-
  REF 809.3016 T918

Web Work

• Voice of the Shuttle-English Literature- Minority Literatures
  Includes links to general resources, Afro-American, Asian-American, Chicano, Jewish, Native American, Pacific and other cultural groups (including minority literatures in Britain). Link to Minority Studies page. and The Movies, Race, and Ethnicity

• WesternWorld Literature - Criticism and Reviews
  Links to Greek and Roman Literature, Homer, Euripides, Virgil, Dante, Beowulf, Cervantes.

• Yahoo - Authors
  Access to many authors. Extensive links.

Magazine/Journal/Newspaper Indexes

• Essay and General Literature Index. A index to over 3,000 essays and articles which can be found in collections of essays and miscellaneous works. If you locate the essay in an anthology, (a collection of articles or essays) check the Library Catalog to see if the library owns the book in which the essay appears.
  LOCATED ON INDEX SHELVING AREA.

Journals and Magazines

All current issues of journals and magazines are located on the periodical shelves on the main floor of the Library. All previous issues of titles are located on the upper floor of the Library. Refer to "MCTC Library Periodicals List" to find out what periodical titles the Library owns. The following is a list of journals and magazines that do contain literary criticism:

• American Literature: a journal of literary history, criticism and bibliography. The Library owns 1985 to current issues.
  

• Poetry. Library owns 1979 to current issues.

• World Literature Today. Library owns 1986 to current issues.

Book Reviews

• Book Review Digest. 1908 to current.
  Provides access to citations and excerpts of reviews of current juvenile and adult fiction and nonfiction in the English language. Book reviews are not strictly "literary criticism."
  LOCATED ON INDEX SHELVING AREA

To return to Library Pathfinders:CLICK HERE

Created by the library staff at the Minneapolis Community & Technical College, 2/99