Ohrstrom Blog » American History

New Reference Book: Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography

Lura Sanborn — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:00:08 +0000

Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography edited by Lynne Warren, Routledge, 2006.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 770.9 W25

Photography’s second century is recorded, analyzed and discussed in this new reference set. Photography is placed in a variety of contexts such as: geography, institutions & exhibitions, inventions and people. The set offers a glossary of photographic terms, bibliographies and B&W samples of artists work.

Check out entries on: Lotte Jacobi, Bracketing, Impressionism, Dada, and Works Progress Administration.

Looking for more examples of a particular artist’s work? Try searching the artist’s name in ARTstor.

Helpful for: Humanities V, Humanities V Research Paper, Humanities IV, Humanities IV Research Paper, Photographers, Art

New Reference Book: The Measure of America

Lura Sanborn — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:00:45 +0000

The Measure of America written and edited by Sarah Burd-Sharps, Kristen Lewis and Eduardo Borges Martins, Columbia U. Press, 2008.

Find it in Ohrstrom: REF 317 B89M

A collection of data, statistics and interpretive text that reflects upon and measures the well-being of Americans. The report focuses, using a variety of different measurements, on three main areas: health, education & standard of living.

Chapter/Essay Titles Include: The Essential Conditions for Good Health, Health Insurance: The Policy That Unlocks Many Doors, Access to Knowledge: How We Fare Internationally, Factors That Fuel Growth in Earnings InEquality.

Helpful for: Humanities IV, American History, Social History, Statistics, Gender Studies

New Reference Book: Encyclopedia of African American History

Lura Sanborn — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:00:07 +0000

Encyclopedia of African American History: 1619 -1895 edited by Paul Finkelman, Oxford U. Press, 2006.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 305.896 F49A

Throughout three volumes this set discusses the history of African Americans from the earliest American settlements to the close of the nineteenth century corresponding with the death of Frederick Douglass. Entries focus on historical biography, politics, law, culture, religion, and economics.

Examples include: African Americans and the West, Black Seafarers, Haitian Revolutions, Hair and Beauty Culture, Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Helpful for: Humanities IV, American History, African American Studies, Social History

Encyclopedia of African American History: 1896 to the Present edited by Paul Finkelman, Oxford U. Press, 2009.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 305.896 F49A

In five volumes and 1,250 entries, this set “reflects the trauma, tragedy, hope and accomplishments of black culture and life since 1896” (xxiii). Entries focus on biography, politics, law, art, music, sport, entertainment, religion, and economics.

Examples include: Astronauts, Blaxploitation Films, Sean Combs, Family, Oprah, Railroad Segregation, and United Negro College Fund.

Helpful for: Humanities IV, American History, African American Studies, Social History

New Reference Book: Chronology of American History

Lura Sanborn — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:00:09 +0000

Chronology of American History by John C. Fredriksen, Facts on File, 2008.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 973 F87C

A lengthy, four-volume, chronology spanning American History 1400s-2007. Some events are given a brief mention (1-2 sentences) while others are discussed in more detail (2-3 paragraphs).

Find a place in time and read about:

Hannah Dustin
Business, Religion
Military and Slavery issues in 1703
Music in 1946 (one of the year’s most popular tunes was “Ole Buttermilk Sky”)
The Cold War

Scan political and business highlights from 2004 and find:

Democrats nominate John Kerry SPS ’62 for President
U.S. Supreme Court upholds Pennsylvania’s 2002 redistricting plan
Dow Jones closes the year at 10,783.01

Helpful for: Humanities IV, Humanities IV Research Paper, American History, Topic Finding

New Database: American History in Video

Lura Sanborn — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:00:31 +0000

Ohrstrom Library is pleased to announce its subscription to American History in Video. This database provides access to over 5,000 titles from the 1920s to 2008 including: newsreels, documentaries and government footage.

Every video includes a complete and fully searchable transcript, readable alongside the video.

Videos can be selected from the database by keyword searching, or by multiple categories, including: subjects, historical eras, years, historical events, people, places and topics. Consider browsing by year to locate primary source videos created during the time period you are studying.

Click HERE to access the database.

To cite this source, be sure to give credit to both the creator of the video and to the database.
Example:

Burns, Ken, dir. Civil War. Episode 3, Forever Free (1862). PBS, 1990.

American History in Video. Web. 12 Dec. 2009. .

Fourth Form Paper: Go with the Flowchart!

Lisa Laughy — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:00:20 +0000

You’ve received your assignment and had your class with Ms. Sanborn in the library, but where do you go from there? Go with the flowchart – the Fourth Form Paper Flowchart, that is.

The Fourth Form Paper Flowchart was developed as a companion to the Fourth Form Paper Research guide – as an easy way to visualize the process of writing your Humanities paper. The flowchart is available as a one page PDF document (click HERE) that can be downloaded, saved to your computer desktop, printed out for ready reference, and/or hung on the wall as a constant guide. Hypertext links have been embedded into the PDF for the online elements, making it possible to click through to the resource described. Following the flowchart step-by-step will help you see where you are in the research process and what still needs to be done – assisting with time management so you can avoid a last minute crunch.

Save it, print it, post it, bookmark it, or favorite it, just be sure to take advantage of this great new reference resource!

New Reference Book: Daily Life through World History in Primary Documents

Lura Sanborn — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:00:31 +0000

Daily Life through World History in Primary Documents edited by Lawrence Morris, Greenwood Press, 2009.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 909 M832D

Each volume in this three-volume set features worldwide primary source documents from a different time period.

Volume 1 – The Ancient World
Volume 2 – The Middle Ages and the Renaissance
Volume 3 – The Modern World

Examples include:

An excerpt from the first-century A.D. text Jewish Antiquities: “Jewish Laws on Marriage and Family.”
A passage from Lankavatara Sutra, a Buddhist religious text estimated to be from the fourth century B.C.: “Do Not Eat Meat.”
A document written by a third-century Egyptian lentil merchant, requesting tax relief.
A poem by Chinese poet Po Chu-I (A.D. 772-846): “The Charcoal-Seller.”
An excerpt from the writings of a millworker, Harriet H. Robinson: Loom and Spindle, or Life Among the Early Mill Girls.
An excerpt about fast food from Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation: the Dark Side of the All-American Meal.

Helpful for: Humanities III, Humanities IV, Humanities IV Research Paper, Humanities V, Humanities V Research Paper, Topic Finding, Global Studies

New Reference Book: Census Atlas of the United States: Census 2000 Special Reports, U. S. Census Bureau

Lura Sanborn — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:00:28 +0000

Census Atlas of the United States: Census 2000 Special Reports, U. S. Census Bureau, 2007.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 912 Un3C

Over 250 pages of maps and data reflect characteristics of the United States. Comparative historical data is often included.

Compare the percentage of foreign born residents from in England in 1900 to 2000 (pg 151), look at a map of the U.S. presenting commuters leaving home before 6 a.m. in 1990 and also 2000 (pg 191), consider the child-to-woman ratio across the U.S. in 2000 (pg 81) or examine multi-generational households across the U.S. in 2000 (pg 81).

View the online version HERE.

Helpful for: Humanities IV, American History, Social History, Statistics

New Reference Book: The Greenwood Encyclopedia of World Popular Culture

Lura Sanborn — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:59:51 +0000

Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

The Greenwood Encyclopedia of World Popular Culture edited by Gary Hoppenstand, Greenwood Press, 2007.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 306.03 G85W

Each volume in this 6-volume set discusses popular culture from a particular area of the world.

Included are:
• Volume 1 – North America
• Volume 2 – Latin America
• Volume 3 – Europe
• Volume 4 – North Africa and the Middle East
• Volume 5 – Sub-Saharan Africa
• Volume 6 – Asia and Pacific Oceania

Each volume then discusses the following topics:
•   Architecture
•   Art
•   Dance
•   Fashion and Appearance
•   Film
•   Food and Foodways
•   Games, Toys and Pastimes
•   Literature
•   Love, Sex and Marriage
•   Music
•   Periodicals
•   Radio and Television
•   Sports and Recreation
•   Theater and Performance
•   Transportation and Travel

Helpful for: Humanities III, Humanities IV, Humanities IV Research Paper, Humanities V, Humanities V Research Paper, Topic Finding, History, Middle Eastern Voices, Global Studies

New Reference Book: The Eighties in America

Lura Sanborn — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:50:14 +0000

Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

The Eighties in America edited by Milton Berman, Salem Press, 2008.

Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 973.927 B45E

Almost 700 essays span this 3-volume set. Essays focus on important people, ideas, and innovations of the 1980s. Volume three also contains several lists pertinent to the 1980s including: Major films, Academy Awards, Broadway plays, TV Shows, Legislation, and Best-Selling Books. Following this selection of lists is a year-by-year breakdown of key events that occurred during this decade.

Read about: Fax machines, The Empire Strikes Back, Cyberpunk literature, Nintendo and the 1980’s Environmental Movement.

Helpful for research and fun for browsing!

Access the online version of this Reference set (and the 1960’s decade version as well) by clicking HERE.

Helpful for: Humanities IV, Humanities IV Research Paper, Popular Culture, Topic Finding