Related

Public and academic libraries alike can benefit from books that draw both browsers and researchers looking for quick facts. Many of the recent and upcoming titles listed offer that versatility, compellingly and factually covering everything from objects carried on the famed Silk Roads to the United States Constitution.

This database contains thousands of primary documents from 1870 through 1920, sourced from eight archives and libraries (including the Library of Congress, the New-York Historical Society, and Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library). It includes personal and business papers of key industrialists; records from rail, steel, and oil corporations; material on labor disputes, politics, and progressivism; and a variety of visuals on fashion, material culture, and architecture; plus calendars, cartoons, diaries, ephemera, essays, personal correspondence, and reports. It is an outstanding resource for general researchers, scholars, and students of late 19th and early 20th-century American history, culture, and society.

Launched in 2022, this groundbreaking research database brings together ProQuest’s rich array of African American studies content from a wide range of sources, including scholarly journals, historical newspapers, encyclopedias, dissertations, and archival materials totaling around 10 million pages. Researchers of all levels will appreciate the database’s powerful search, user-friendly design, and extensive scholarly and archival content.

This user-friendly resource, a collaboration between Adam Matthew Digital and Sage Research Methods, is designed to introduce undergraduate students to research methodologies and primary sources. Although aimed primarily at undergraduate students, graduate students new to their field or needing a refresher will also find it useful. Overall, this is a solid choice for institutions supporting undergraduate research in the arts and humanities.

The collection emphasizes female trailblazers in areas such as pop culture, health care, social work, activism, and more. It is a solid selection for institutions that support advanced research in the humanities, history, gender studies, and other scholarly areas with a focus on women’s lived experiences.

This second installment in Gale’s “Making of Modern Law” series chronicles additions of the 11 United States appellate courts from 1891 until 1950. The database comprises nearly two million pages of briefs, appendixes, memoranda, petitions, statements, transcripts, and more. A recommended addition to libraries already subscribing to the “Making of Modern Law” series, this is a key resource not only for legal researchers but also for anyone interested in the economic, political, and social issues of the 1900s.

Though 2021 was another tough year, it also brought spots of joy with these 37 stellar titles selected by the LJ Best Reference Committee.

Librarians, students and instrutcors will find tremendous value in these top picks of 2021.

These free resources are a treasure trove of information for casual users, researchers, and librarians.

The British Museum has partnered with digital content vendor Exact Editions to create an accessible digital archive of the British Museum Magazine from the first issue published in 1990 to Winter 2021. Within this excellent resource containing over 100 issues, users will find full-text with ads, announcements, pictures, and complete articles covering archaeology, anthropology, art, culture, and history.

EBSCO’s Ethnic Diversity Source is a full-text research database covering “the culture, traditions, social treatment and lived experiences of different ethnic groups in America.” Both novice and expert researchers will appreciate the database’s powerful search, user-friendly design, and breadth of content.

Part of Bloomsbury’s Drama Online this new resource builds on the now-complete National Theatre Collection, with 20 new high-quality streaming videos of a variety of theatrical productions from the turn of the 20th century through the contemporary era. For institutions supporting research in theater, literature, and humanities, this is a compelling choice.

From family and food to memory and sexuality, Bloomsbury Cultural History covers an expansive list of themes throughout various periods of recorded history. Its versatility and accessibility appeal to a wide audience, making it especially useful to institutions that support the humanities. 

Gale Case Studies complies a number of case studies in each of the three modules which encompass multidisciplinary subjects. The topics covered (LGBTQ+ issues, political extremism, and public health) intersect with a wide variety of studies. Straightforward with helpful functions to create citations and facilitate discussions, this resource is ideal for undergraduates, although it could appeal to the general researcher as well.

With tributes to the late Stephen Sondheim coming thick and fast in the wake of his late November death, Rick Pender, author of The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia (Rowman & Littlefield), discusses his new book, his research process, what it was like corresponding with Sondheim, and the enduring appeal of the Broadway composer.

Editorial director Lisa Thomas looks back on a wide-ranging career at National Geographic Books that has included editing titles on animals, the national parks, and sustainable living.

The Booker T. Washington Papers Digital Edition gives access to multiple volumes of the innerworkings an instrumental Black educator and author. Researchers and historians will revel in the richness of this collection. Although, the platform is outdated and difficult to navigate at times, the significance of the information is likely unparalleled.

Proving that print reference is alive and well, these backlist titles explore a variety of popular topics. Online resources round out the list.

Representatives from Gale, EBSCO, Oxford University Press, and Bloomsbury discuss upcoming products, the need to address bias, and what makes an ideal reference resource.

The reference books most in-demand with readers include career guides, a travel book from Anthony Bourdain, and a handbook to antiques.