H. M. Briggs Library | Quick Search | Online Catalog 

South Dakota State University Archives
& Hilton M. Briggs Library Special Collections

Finding Library Materials

The SDLN Catalog (South Dakota Library Network) is used to determine the location of books, periodicals, and media resources in Hilton M. Briggs Library. Help and instructions for searching the SDLN Catalog can be obtained by clicking on the help icon on each page while searching. Click here for help getting started with the catalog.

Books and media resources are arranged on the shelves according to the Library of Congress classification system.

For examples of subject areas specific to History click here.

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Finding Periodicals/Journals

Periodicals are arranged according to the Dewey Decimal Classification.

Click here to view sample periodical titles for History.

Click here for a step-by-step guide to finding articles.

Current periodicals reside on the main level of the library, and non-current periodicals reside on the lower level.

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Databases, Periodical Indexes and Abstracts

To locate periodical/journal articles, use the following indexes and/or abstracts. Contact a reference librarian for more information or if off-campus access is denied.

Databases

Arts & Humanities Search.
This citation index references approximately 1,300 of the world's significant arts and humanities journals. Access this FirstSearch database on the Electronic Information Resources page.

InfoTrac. 1980+.
This resource includes includes many databases that cover a broad array of disciplines and topics. Subject, keyword, and author indexing is provided along with the full-text of many articles. Access this database via the Library Home Page.

JSTOR.
Provides electronic full text/image access to the back issues of more than 125 scholarly journals in many fields including sociology and anthropology.

Project MUSE.
Provides electronic full text/image access to articles from almost 50 scholarly journals in the humanities, social sciences and mathematics from Johns Hopkins University Press.

Social Science Citation Index. 1997+.
A multidisciplinary CD-ROM database covering 1,700 of the most significant social sciences journals in 50 disciplines. Older paper volumes, 1973-1976, 1985-1996, are shelved on the library's main floor in the Abstracts & Indexes area (016.3.So13). Access this CD-ROM database on a specific workstation in the reference area of the library.

Sociological Abstracts. 1963+.
The Sociological Abstracts database indexes and provides abstracts for journal articles from sociology and related disciplines including history. In addition, it covers relevant association papers and PhD and Master's theses. Access Sociological Abstracts via the Electronic Information Resources page or on any campus workstation with the WinSPIRS database. Older journal articles are also covered in the paper Sociological Abstracts shelved on the library's main floor in the Abstracts & Indexes area (305.So15).

Periodical Indexes

British Humanities Index. 1962+ (Abstracts & Indexes/Main Level 050.B777) An abstracting and indexing service covering around 350 British journals and newspapers in the humanities area.

Index to Book Reviews in the Humanities. 1960-90 (Abstracts & Indexes/Main Level 028.1.In2)

New York Times Index. (1851-1994 in paper at Abstracts & Indexes/Main Level 071.N482.)
A comprehensive index to the New York Times newspaper. Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe indexes recent years of the New york Times and provides full text.

Nineteenth Century Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature.... (Abstrcts & Indexes/Main Level 051.R2281) Indexes periodicals published between 1890-1899, and some as late as 1922.

Abstracts

Dissertation Abstracts International CD-ROM Database, 1861+.
Access this CD-ROM database on a specific workstation in the reference area of the library.
Database featuring abstracts of dissertations in all academic disciplines.  (1956-80 in paper at Abstracts & Indexes/Main Level 013.379.D633)

Geographical abstracts. Human geography. 1989+ (Abstracts & Indexes 551.05.G2883)

Historical Abstracts. Parts A. & B. (Abstracts & Indexes 909.05.H629.2) Historical Abstracts is an extensive index that covers world history from 1450 to the present (excluding the United States and Canada, which are covered in America: History and Life). Currently over 2,000 journals published throughout the world are covered in this database. It includes entries for books published, but not book reviews.

Click here for Other Databases/Indexes/Abstracts.

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Useful Reference Sources

The following sources can be found in the Hilton M. Briggs Library collection. These sources may provide pertinent and related information regarding your topic.

Atlas of American History. (REF Atlas Area G1201.S1 A8 1984)

Bibliographic Index (REF Index table 016.016 B471)

Brassey's Encyclopedia of Military History and Biography. (REF U24 .B73 1994)

The Cambridge Ancient History. (REF D57 .C3 1970)

The Cambridge Medieval History. (REF D117 .C3 1966)

Chronology of Native North American History:  From Pre-Columbian Times to the Present. (REF E77 .C555 1994)

Dictionary of African Historical Biography (REF DT352.6 L56 1978b)

Dictionary of American Biography (REF E176 D5)

Dictionary of Scandinavian History (Reference DL43 .D53 1986)

Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada. (E172.0482 Latest ed. in Reference)

Encyclopedia of Rural America (REF E169.12 .E5 1997)

Handbook of American Women's History  (REF HQ1410.H36 1990)

Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (REF HA202.B86 1975)

Harvard Guide to American History (REF Z1236 .F77 1974)

Guide To Historical Literature (REF D13 .A11 A5g)

Guide to Reference Books (INFO DESK Z1035.1 .S43 1986)

Reference Sources in History:  An Introductory Guide (REF D20 .F72 1990)

Steinberg's Dictionary of British History. (REF DA34 .S7 1971)

United States History:  A Selective Guide to Information Resources (REF E178 .B1 B52 1994)

Who's Who in America (REF E663 .W56)

Who Was Who in America (REF E663 .W54)

Writings on American History 1961+ (REF Z1236 .D68)
 

In addition, both the Government Documents Department and the Special Collections Department contain many items which could be useful for research in History. Consult with Archivist or Documents Librarian for further assistance

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Internet Resources

The World Wide Web (WWW) can provide access to much useful information. However, users should evaluate the quality of each Internet resource consulted. A link to a list of WWW sites is provided below. Also provided is a link to a list of WWW search engines that can be used to look for sites on the Internet.

American Historical Association

American Memories, Historical Collections for the National Digital Library

Special Collections Department at SDSU

The History Channel

Index of Resources for Historians. A very comprehensive resource maintained by the Department of History of the University of Kansas

Making of America. A digital library of primary sources in US social history (1850-77)

Presidents of the United States. Provides basic information about the US Presidents.

Repositories of Primary Sources - University of Idaho
    This site provides an extensive list of web sites of national and international repositories,
    designated by state, country or province.

World Wide Web Search Engines

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