Race & Representation

Need help with your research? Contact:

Jen Jarson
Social Sciences Reference Librarian
phone: x3552
email: jarson [at] muhlenberg [dot] edu
IM (AIM, Yahoo, MSN): jjarson1 (add @hotmail.com for MSN)

Need help after hours?
IM the Library at TalkToTrexler (for AIM, Yahoo, and MSN)
Note: Add @hotmail.com for MSN.
Online Sunday-Thursday 2pm-10pm.
See Ask a Librarian for more information.

Selected Reference Materials

Communication Studies Reference

Johnston, Donald H., ed. Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications. San Diego, CA: Academic, 2003.
Reference 302.2303 E56o v.1-4

Newcomb, Horace, ed. Encyclopedia of Television, 2nd ed. New York : Fitzroy Dearborn, 2004.
Reference 384.5503 E56o v.1-4

Schement, Jorge Reina, ed. Encyclopedia of Communication and Information. New York : Macmillan Reference USA, 2002.
Reference 302.203 E56o v.1-3

Watson, James and Anne Hill. A Dictionary of Communication and Media Studies, 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997.
Reference 302.2 W339d, 1997

Race Reference

Bankston III, Carl L., ed. Racial and Ethnic Relations in America. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 2000.
Reference 305.800973 R121a v.1-3

Galens, Judy, Anna Sheets and Robyn V. Young, eds. Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. Detroit, MI : Gale Research, 1995.
Reference 305.800973 V413g v.1-2

Thernstrom, Stephan, ed. Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 1980.
Reference 973.04 H339

Examples of Reference Works on Specific Populations

Fischel, Jack and Sanford Pinsker, eds. Jewish-American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia. New York : Garland, 1992.
Reference 973.04924 F529

Gall, Susan. The Asian-American Almanac: A Reference Work on Asians in the United States. Publisher Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1995.
Reference 973.0495 G162a

Kanellos, Nicolás, Claudio Esteva-Fabregat, eds. Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States. Houston, TX: Arte Público Press, 1993 - 1994.
Reference 973.0468 L845h v.1-4

Salzman, Jack, David Lionel Smith and Cornel West, eds. Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1996.
Reference 973.0496 E56o v.1-5

Finding Books

TREXLER LIBRARY

Search the Trexler Library Catalog to find out what books, government publications, journals, videos, etc. the library owns.

GETTING THERE:
Use the shortcut search box on the Library Homepage or Library Homepage  --  Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box)  --  Trexler Library Catalog

For tips on searching the catalog, use the Help link above the search boxes.

OTHER LIBRARIES

WorldCat. To find books held by other libraries, search WorldCat, a database of over 60 million library records from around the country and world. Use the ILL button to request a book from another library. (ILL can take 10-14 days.)

GETTING THERE:
Library Homepage  --  Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box)  --  Other Library Catalogs -- WorldCat

E-ZBorrow. For quick delivery of books from many Pennsylvania and area academic libraries (including University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, University of Pittsburgh, and many more), use E-ZBorrow. (E-ZBorrow takes 2-4 business days.)

GETTING THERE:
Library Homepage  --  Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box)  --  Other Library Catalogs -- E-ZBorrow

TIP: Because E-ZBorrow books can arrive so quickly, check the E-ZBorrow catalog for any books you find in WorldCat. If not available there, then request via the ILL button in Worldcat.

LVAIC. You can borrow books directly from LVAIC (Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges) Libraries.

GETTING THERE:
Library Homepage  --  Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box)  --  Regional Libraries  -- LVAIC Libraries

For more information on Interlibrary Loan options, see http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/more/ill/index.html or ask for help.

GETTING THERE:
Library Homepage  --  ILL (in the Services & Forms box)

Finding Articles: Databases & Indexes

See a list of all databases via the Library Homepage  --  Articles A-Z (in the Find box).

Communication Studies Databases

Communication and Mass Media Complete
The most comprehensive database in communication studies. Contains both abstracts and amost 200 journal titles in full-text.

Sage Journals Online
Provides access to all journals published by Sage (full-text online for 1999-present).

Related Databases (See Articles A-Z for all library article databases.)

Health Source
Indexes scholarly articles dealing with public health and medicine.

MLA (Modern Literature Association)
A humanities database that covers a wide range of topics including race in media.

Sociological Abstracts (SocAbs)
Premier sociology database. Subjects covered: community development, culture and social structure, demography and human biology, environmental interactions, family and social welfare, racial issues, and women's studies.

PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service)
Indexes government and scholarly journals dealing with all manner of public affairs, such as housing and labor.

Interdisciplinary Databases

Academic Search Premier
Large and diverse database that covers most academic disciplines, including communication and sociology. Contains both scholarly and non-academic resources. Includes many articles in full text. Great for Hurricane Katrina coverage (primary and some secondary sources).

OmniFile (WilsonWeb)
Multi-disciplinary database providing the complete content-indexing, abstracts, and full text-from six of Wilson's full-text databases, including Social Sciences Abstracts.

Newspaper Databases

Alternative Press Index
Indexes publications covering cultural, economic, political & social change. Includes indexing from nearly 300 alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines.

LexisNexis Academic
Deep archives of all major newspapers worldwide, plus many local U.S. papers.

GETTING THE ARTICLES

  1. When searching for articles, you may find the full-text of an article linked in the database.

  2. If not, you need to search the Trexler Library Catalog to see if we own the journal in which the article is published.
    • Most databases have a Get It! or Text at Trexler link embedded. Click the link to check our holdings.
    • Otherwise, search the catalog by journal title. Verify that we have online, print, or microform access to the year/volume you need.
  3. If we do not own the journal you need, request the article via Interlibrary Loan.
    • Some databases have a Request on Interlibrary Loan link embedded. Click the link to fill out the form. Click Submit.
    • Otherwise, use the Interlibrary Loan Journal Article Request Form (Library Homepage  --  ILL (in the Services & Forms box)  --  Articles request form). Fill out the form with as much information as possible. Ask for help, if you have questions.

Citing Your Sources

For help using APA Style, consult the following resources:

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.).  (2001).  Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 p976m 2001 (at Reference Desk)

Concise Rules of APA Style.  (2005).  Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 C744r (at Reference Desk)

Writer's Handbook (University of Wisconsin--Madison)
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html

Trexler Library handout on using APA style: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/reshelp/apa_example.pdf.
This and other style guide handouts available from the library website.  Library Homepage -- Citation Guides (in the Research Help box).

© Muhlenberg College
Last modified: 19 September 2007