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THEO 276 - Theologies of the Civil Rights Movement: Welcome

Welcome!

This guide will help you conduct research for your Theologies of the Civil Rights Movement final project. If you get stuck at any point when looking for sources, feel free to contact Amelia Koford or another librarian. 

During our library instruction session in Fall 2021, use this link to access a shared document. 

 

Types of sources

Primary sources offer firsthand evidence from people with a direct connection to the topic. Examples of primary sources:

  • Journals, letters, and diaries
  • Autobiographies and memoirs
  • Oral histories
  • Archives and personal papers
  • Photographs
  • Audio recordings, video recordings, and films
  • Newspaper articles from the time period in question

Secondary sources are one step removed from the primary source. They analyze or interpret past events, creative works, or research findings. Examples of secondary sources:

  • Books such as monographs (scholarly books by one author) or edited collections (scholarly books with multiple chapter authors)
  • Scholarly articles
  • Literature reviews and historiographies

Some people also refer to another category, tertiary sources - several steps removed from the primary source. Examples of tertiary sources:

  • Encyclopedias
  • Bibliographies

Some books in the TLU library

Some places to search

Search for your figure's name in many different places.

Try your figure's name as the only search term, especially in the library catalog or WorldCat. In other databases, also try looking for an Advanced Search screen and adding an additional search term such as God, theology, religio* (will find religion or religious in most databases), spiritual*, or faith. 

More places to search

Library Catalog

  • Use the library catalog to find books in the TLU Library.
  • Try searching for your figure as an author (last name followed by first name) and also as a keyword.
  • Use Advanced Search to combine your search term with the subject heading Sources (use the drop-down menu to select Subject). 

Combine your search term with the subject heading Sources

Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature

The library has an index called the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. It is a physical reference source located on the main floor. You can use it to find articles by subject in the library's bound periodicals such as:

  • Time (starting in 1927)
  • Harper's Monthly Magazine (starting in 1902)
  • The Atlantic (starting in 1981)
  • Good Housekeeping (starting in 1930)

You can also use the Reader's Guide to locate periodical articles that the library does not own and request them through ILL. 

Opinion Archives

Provides full-text access (including backfiles) to periodicals. These periodicals are also indexed in QuickSearch. American Spectator (1967-present)Commentary (1945-present)Commonweal (1924-present)Dissent (1954-present)Harper's (1850-present)La Follette's Magazine (1909-1929), Moment (1975-present)The Nation (1865-present)National Review (1955-present)The New Leader (1924-present)The New Republic (1914-present)The New Yorker (1925-present)Orion (1982-present)The Progressive (1909-present)The Washington Monthly (1969-present), and The Weekly Standard (1995-present).

Outreach & information literacy librarian

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Amelia Koford
Contact:
Library Office 115
830-372-8138
Website

Ask a Librarian

Library main desk

Ask a Librarian

Librarians offer in-depth research help. 

Visit

During library open hours, ask at the main desk for help finding what you need. The desk is usually staffed by student workers - if you have in-depth research questions, just let them know that you want to meet with a librarian.

Email

librarian@tlu.edu

Chat

Click on the Ask a Question tab on the right side of a library web page. It will bring you either to live chat, or to a place where you can leave a message. 

Call

830-372-8100 (main desk)

Library directory (list of individual library staff and faculty)

--Interlibrary Loan--

Need an item that our library doesn't own? No worries, you can email the title, author and date of what you need to ill@tlu.edu or fill out a form. We can get most (but not all) articles within 2 days and many books within 4-8 days. 

For more information, visit our interlibrary loan page.