Purpose: To support student and faculty research in the WCC’s English Department.
Basics: The Value of Studying Literature
- Stories have power. Reading and understanding literature is the study—at once communal and intensely personal—of the human condition.
- We see through the eyes of people who transcend space, time, and country to create a world that resonates somehow with our own.
- Effectively, reading (and writing) becomes the gateway to a deeper level of thought.
How does this fit into my life?
Better understand our reality.
The inspiring truth in fiction.
Researching Literature
Start by Exploring Your Topic
eLibrary: A browsable collection of multidisciplinary content. Editorially created pages provide valuable context for both common and more unusual topics of research.
Britannica Academic: Reference entries, magazine articles and primary sources. Academic research tools such as the World Atlas and the the World Data Analyst (Country statistics and comparisons).
Wikipedia: A free, open content online encyclopedia created through the collaborative effort of a community of users. Check article References and Further Resources.
Then – Find Scholarly Sources
Literature (Gale): Literary criticism. Includes biographies of authors, composers, and artists.
MLA “International Bibliography”: An index of books, articles and websites covering modern languages, literatures, folklore, and linguistics. Abstract-only: useful for vetting ILL possibilities. From the Modern Language Association.
ProQuest “Literature & Language”: This resource includes publications on literature and language covering topics such as English, American Literature, World Literatures, and Linguistics.
See also Browse & Listen tab and Course Resources, below.
How To . . . Find Literary Works
A good initial search tool. Excellent source of actual literary works. Include title in quotes. If you want a physical source (book, DVD, etc.), choose “Available at WCC only.
Internet Archive early and out-of-copyright original texts (and more).
Project Gutenberg literary works in multiple forms.
See also specific genre, region, or group, in the Course Resources tab.
Search Tips
Use Keywords!
- For books *about* an author—advanced search, author name in subject field.
- For books *by* an author—advanced search, author name in author field; or book title in quotes. If not finding—keyword (anthology, chapter).
- For an overview, use "reference entry" limiter—via OneSearch or DBs like Britannica Academic.
- If you are not finding sources, give full play to your use of synonyms.
Dictionaries
Oxford English Dictionary (print Ref PE 1625 .O87 1989) 20 volumes.
Sign up for OED Word of the Day
Literary Reference Books
Devices, Terms, Symbols
Explore allegory, connotation, denotation, diction, figurative language, imagery, meter, speaker, structure, symbolism, or tone! For some 4000 terms, find resources from a wide range of thought-disciplines.
Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (print Ref PN 44.5 .B35 2008)
Benét's Reader's Encyclopedia (print Ref PN 41 .B4 1996)
The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English (online)
A Dictionary of Literary Symbols (online and print Ref PN 56 .S9 F47 2007)
Critical Terms for Literary Study (online and print Stacks PN 81 .C84 1995)
Analysis
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism (print Ref PN 81 .J554 2005)
Literature and Its Times: profiles of 300 literary works and the historical events that influenced them (print Ref PN 50 .L574 1997)
Interpreting Literature
Specific Literary Elements
General
Britannica Academic: elements of the novel and any of the sub-headings in this lib guide
Plot
Britannica Academic: plot
Booker, Christopher, The Seven Basic Plots: why we tell stories (print Stacks PN 3378 .B65 2004)
Theme
Frederick Ruffner, Jr, Laurence Urdang, Ruffner’s Allusions (print Ref PN 43 .A4 2010)
a thematic dictionary.
image JDHS (literary terms)
Reading With Purpose
Also described as critical reading, active reading, close reading.
Patricia Kain, How To Do a Close Reading. Harvard Coll. Writing Center 1998 A direct, three-step process to develop a close reading strategy.
Adler, Mortimer J., How to Read a Book: the classic guide to intelligent reading. (print Stacks PN 83 .A43 1940a) Transform your reading from passive to active: puzzle out the important words, remember, explain, and discover meaning as you read. Re-read. And take notes.
Ideas for Research Topics
The best topics are ones that emerge as you read the piece of literature. Here are some ways to approach your choice of topic:
- Explore gender roles.
- Compare genres.
- Compare/contrast characters, events, or between two novels.
- Analyze specific recurring metaphor, allusion, or symbolism.
- A particular political or philosophical framework
- Historical background: study the social, political or economical context in which a work was written. How does context influence the work?
In-Person Writing Support
Whatcom Community College Writing Center
Writing Center "readers" and student-writers talk—about an assignment, possible topics, the writer’s views and experiences, writing for college, how to cite sources, any subject related to writing. Bring up your challenges and problems. The writer’s goals and interests determine the direction a session will take.
Writing in Specialized Genres
Creating an Annotated Bibliography
The Annotated Bibliography (Cornell University)
Writing a Literature Review
Literature Reviews (U of N Carolina)
Explains what literature reviews are and offers insights into the form and construction of literature reviews.
Writing Literary Analysis
image Edutopia (adapted). Rebecca Zuñiga.
Writing Literary Analysis (Purdue Online Writing Lab)
Web Resources
- Writing for Success Provides instruction in steps, builds writing, reading, and critical thinking skills, and combines comprehensive grammar review with an introduction to paragraph writing and composition. University of Minnesota.
- Writing in College: From Competence to Excellence A friendly, down-to-earth introduction to academic professors’ goals and expectations, demystifying academic norms, and how to shape college writing assignments. State Univ of New York.
- Writing Commons Open resource for students and faculty: entries on topics like citations, quoting, literary analysis, point of view, rhetoric, formatting, conclusions, and so on. Joe Moxley, Univ. S Florida, founder.
- About Writing (Revised Edition) Condenses and covers everything a beginning writing student needs to successfully compose college-level work, including the basics of composition, grammar, and research. OpenOregon.
- EmpoWord: A Student-Centered Anthology & Handbook for College Writers Shane Abrams, Portland State University.
Browse and Listen
Browsing the Stacks
PN 1-200—General
PN 400-500 Authors, Writers
PN 1010-1525—Poetry
PN 1600-3307—Drama, incl. theatre and film
PQ—French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese lit (romance lang)
PR—English
PS—American
PT—German, Germanic
Why Browse?
Myslewski, Lee Anne, ed., The Lost Art of Browsing (blog: Indirect Routes, 2015)
Browse print journals!
Near Heiner 201A. Literary magazines include The Atlantic, Film Comment, Harper's, The New Yorker, and The Drama Review.
Listen
Audiobook Collection Over 70,000 audiobooks that you can download onto an audio device.
Librivox Volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain, and then release the audio files onto the net for free. Under U.S. law, public domain includes all works published before 1923.
For Educators
Introductory Topics
Writing in College: From Competence to Excellence A friendly, down-to-earth introduction to academic professors’ goals and expectations, demystifying the norms of the academy, and shaping college writing assignments. (PDF, ebook, 2016) [Amy Guptill, SUNY OER]
Teaching Literary Analysis
OpenLearn Free learning from the Open University. Search Approaching prose fiction, How to be a critical reader, and other topics.
Purdue Online Writing Lab Search Writing in literature, Writing about fiction, Literary terms, Close reading a text, Common assignments, and Avoiding pitfalls.
Course Resources
WCC’s English Department offers a wide range of literature courses, from introductory surveys to in-depth analysis of special topics. Many other areas of study, such as film studies, drama, history, languages, communications, philosophy, global studies, diversity, and sustainability, also draw on aspects of literature.
These resources are listed by Genre, Region, and Group. To expand a list, click + . To collapse it, click – .
Genre
Reference Sources
Cullinan, Bernice E., contributor, Diane Goetz Person, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature (print Ref PN 1008.5 .C66 2003 and online 2005)
Books
Denman-West, Margaret, Children’s Literature: A guide to information sources (online 1998)
Reynolds, Kimberley, Modern Children’s Literature: an Introduction (print Stacks PN 1009 .A1 M63 2005)Journals
Children’s Literature in Education (online)
Journal of Children’s Literature (online)
Web
Classic Children’s Book Collection
Classic works that are still read by children today, and lesser-known treasures drawn from the Library’s extensive collection of historically significant children’s books. The books in this collection were published in the United States and England before 1924, are no longer under copyright, and free to read, share, and reuse however you’d like. [Library of Congress]
International Children’s Digital Library
Promotes respect for diverse cultures, languages, and ideas by making outstanding children’s world literature available online, free. Children not in their native country can find books from their country online. Register for free. [U of Maryland, Internet Archive]
Books
Buell, Lawrence, Writing for an Endangered World: literature, culture, and environment in the U.S. and beyond (online and print Stacks PS 169 .E25B84 2001)
Kerridge, Richard, Writing the Environment: ecocriticism and literature (print Stacks PN 81 .W75 1998)
Rosendale, Steven, The Greening Of Literary Scholarship: literature, theory, and the environment (online 2005)
Vakoch, Douglas, et al., Feminist Ecocriticism: Environment, Women, and Literature (online 2012)
Reference Sources
Encyclopedia of Novels Into Film (print Ref PN 1998 .85 .T54 2005)
Magill’s Cinema Annual 1988–present (print Ref PN 1998 .M3 2017)
World Film Directors (print Ref PN 1998.2 .W67 1987 2 vols.)
Databases
Films on Demand. Educational films. Browse categories, especially those under English.
Internet Archive. Classic and early films that have passed beyond copyright. Also websites, books, movies, audio, TV, software, images, concerts, and collections. 
Journals
Drama Review (print Periodicals)
Film Comment (online and print Periodicals)
Film Quarterly (via ProQuest)
Book
Hornaday, Ann, Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies (print Stacks PN 1995 .H66 2017)
Films Themselves
Films may be in these places:
- For required course reading (DVD): Reserves Desk (Circulation Desk)
- For feature films (DVD): Film Collection (near 301D)
- For literature made into film (DVD): Stacks (third floor), by LC call number
- For early films whose copyright has expired: Internet Archive
Database
Salem Literature. Mythology and folklore: heroes, heroines, and world mythology.
Reference Sources
Critical Survey of Mythology and Folklore: Heroes & Heroines (Salem Press: 2013 online and print Stacks GR 515 .C75 2013) Forty essays on historical context plus discussion of the myths’ appearance in later times. Birth and Prophecy, Trial and Quest, The Host of Heroines, Myth and Monstrosity, The Culture Hero, Survey of Myth and Folklore. Maps, lists of different cultures’ major heroes and heroines.
Critical Survey of Mythology and Folklore: World Mythology (Salem Press: 2013 online and print Stacks BL 312 .C75 2013 ) A broad range of traditional literature from world regions, drawing from the Western tradition as well as underrepresented cultures. More than 200 tales.
Encyclopedia of Urban Legends (online)
American Folklore: An Encyclopedia (online and print Stacks GR 101 .A54 1996)
Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art (print Stacks GR 35 .F63 1997)
Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (print Ref PN 43 .O94 2000)
Books
Lindow, John, Norse Mythology A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs (online and print Stacks BL860. L56 2002)
Jones, Charles C., and Susan Millar Williams, Gullah Folktales From the Georgia Coast (online, 2000)
Morales, Helen, Classical Mythology : A Very Short Introduction (online, 2007)
Zipes, Jack, trans., The Cloak of Dreams: Chinese Fairy Tales (online, 2010)
Journals
Journal of Folklore Research (online)
Folklore (online)
Journal of American Folklore (online)
Film
Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth (film BL 304 .C36J674 2010 2-DVD set)
Web
- Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts. Links to many different translations of popular myths/folktales.
- Myth, Ritual, and Symbolism. Anthro perspective. How myths and symbols are structured; how they give meaning to the human world; how they are woven into politics, family life, and the life cycle; and how we interpret them. [MIT OpenCourseWare]
- Mythology & Folklore UnTextbook. Full of greatness.
- Shared Mythology. Basic intro plus Greek and Roman, Norse, Egyptian, Japanese, British, Native American, contemporary, and comparative mythology. Essay topics, quizzes, reviews, interactive exercises, and more. [Georgia Virtual Learning]
- Smithsonian. Large collection; search using specific terms.
Reference Sources
The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Poetry in English (print Ref PR 601 .O9 1994)
The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (online, 2012)
Preminger, Alex, and T.V.F. Brogan, The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (print Stacks PN 1021 .P75 1993)
Web
Poetry Archive Audio collection of poets reading their own work.
Columbia Granger’s World of Poetry Online Poems, biographies, commentaries. 250,000 poems in full text, 450,000 poem citations. Includes all poems indexed since 1985. Wide range of tools to enhance understanding and enjoyment of poetry. Includes audio poems, primary sources. Updated weekly. Columbia University.
Poetry Foundation Poems, readings, poetry news, and archives, from 1912, of Poetry Magazine.
Audio Archive Search by poet or poem title. Part of Internet Archive.
Journal
Poetry (online journal). Use ProQuest to search within or browse specific issues, 1989-present.
Reference Sources
Erin Fallon et al., eds., Reader’s Companion to the Short Story in English (online, 2001)
Martin Scofield, The Cambridge Introduction to the American Short Story (online, 2006)Web Resources
The Short Story Project “Stories that cross the line.” Curated, multi-lingual, audible. A new approach to reading short stories, from Israel.
201 Stories by Chekhov Chekhov stories translated by Russian translation pioneer Constance Garnett, in order of publication, available to read online, from ibiblio. [U of. of N Carolina Chapel Hill]
Includes science fiction, dystopian fiction, and fantasy.
Books
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Anthology (course textbook)
Adam Roberts, Don Brine, The History of Science Fiction (print Stacks PN 3433 .8 .R55 2007)
Bould, Mark, et al., The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction (print Stacks PN 3433 .5 .R69 2009)
Rabkin, et al., No Place Else: Explorations in Utopian and Dystopian Fiction (online, 1983)
Web Resources
Clute, John, Peter Nichols, et al., The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (online)
Internet Speculative Fiction Database University of Kansas
Reference Sources
Oxford Companion to American Theatre (online 2004)
The Oxford Companion to the Theatre (print Ref PN 2035 .O9 1983)
Databases
Video, audio, text: hundreds of theatrical performances, plays, operas, and analysis of theatre theory and composition.
Journals
Modern Drama (online)
Comparative Drama (online)
American Drama (online journal (—proquest res)
Reference Source
The Edinburgh Companion to Twentieth-Century British and American War Literature (online 2012)
Journals
Media, war, and conflict (online)
War, Literature, & the Arts: An International Journal of the Humanities (online)
Books
Hanley, Lynne, Writing war: fiction, gender, and memory (online 1991)
Samet, Elizabeth, Soldier’s Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War (2007 print Stacks PS 49 .U65S36 2007)Region
Reference Sources
Student Encyclopedia of African Literature (online 2007)
The Oxford Companion to African American Literature (print Ref PS 153 .N5096 1997)
World Literature and Its Times: African Literature (print Ref PN 50 .W67 2000)
Journal
Research in African Literatures (online)
Reference Sources
Dictionary of Native American Literature
Series: Understanding Contemporary American Literature
American Writers Series (print Ref, 4 vols 8 supps, PS 129 .A55 to 1996)
The Oxford Companion to African American Literature (online, print Ref, and Stacks PS 153 .N5096 1997)
The Oxford Companion to American Literature (print Ref PS 21 .H3 1995)
The Oxford Companion to Women’s Writing in the United States (print Stacks PS 147 .O94 1995)
Journals
American Literature (online)
Early American Literature (online)
Books
Starkey, Paul, Modern Arabic Literature (online, 2006)
ʻAkash, Munīr, and Khaled Mattawa, Post-Gibran Anthology of New Arab American Writing (print Stacks PS 508 .A65P67 1999)
Allen, Roger, An Introduction to Arabic Literature (online and print Stacks PJ 7510 .A43 2000
Journals
Journal of Arabic Literature (online) Islam’s sacred text, the Qur’an, and a wealth of poetry, narrative prose, drama and criticism. Thirty-six month delay.
Reference Sources
Seiwoong, Oh, Encyclopedia of Asian-American Literature (print Ref PS 153 .A84O37 2007)
Miller, J. Scott, Historical Dictionary of Modern Japanese Literature and Theater (online)
Keene, Donald, A History of Japanese Literature (print Stacks, 4 vols, PL 726 .55.K39 1998)
Journals
Journal of South Asian Literature (online)
New Voices in Japanese Studies (online)
Reference Sources
Concise Dictionary of British Literary Biography (print Ref, 8 vols, PR 19 .C64 1992)
The Oxford Companion to English Literature (print Ref PR 19 .D73 1985)
[WCC] Gale Artemis Literary Sources [WCC] ProQuest Literature and LanguagesJournal
Studies in English Literature (online)
The Continuum Encyclopedia of British Literature (online, 2003)
Web
Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature Full text of Medieval, Renaissance, 17th century, and Restoration era works from poets, dramatists, religious writers, and more. [isn’t loading]
The Middle English Compendium (1) HyperBibliography of Middle English prose and verse, based on the MED bibliographies. (2) An electronic version of the Middle English Dictionary. (3) A Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse, and links to an associated network of electronic resources. U. Mich.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare The original electronic source for this server was the Complete Moby(tm) Shakespeare. Now in the public domain. MIT.
Turning the Pages from the British Library Leaf through old books and magnify the details. Bibles, works of Jane Austen, William Blake, Lewis Carroll, Mozart, and more.
Reference Source
db, ref entry—Celtic literature, in Britannica Academic
Arnold, Matthew Nutt, Alfred Trubner, The Study of Celtic Literature (online, 1912)
Books
Bolahnd, Eavan, Irish Writers on Writing (print Stacks PR 8718 I75 2007)
Carruthers, Gerard, Scottish Literature (online, 2009)
Ronsley, Joseph, Myth and Reality in Irish Literature (online, 2006)
Journal
E-Keltoi Journal of Interdisciplinary Celtic Studies (The Center for Celtic Studies at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
Reference Sources
The Oxford Companion to French Literature (print Ref PQ 41 .H3 1969 )
Lyons, John D., French Literature: a Very Short Introduction (online, 2010)
Martin, Eva, Feminist Encyclopedia of French Literature (online, 1999)
Books
Damlé, Amaleena, Gill Rye, Women’s Writing in Twenty-First Century France: Life as Literature (online and print Stacks PQ 149 .W646 2013)
plus a number of French-language books; search by title, in French.
Journal
French Politics, Culture, and Society (online, 1999)
Web Resource
Studies of French Literature in Kansai
Select page in English; but journal is in French.
Reference Source
The Oxford Companion to German Literature (online and print Ref PT 41 .G3 1997)
Book
Daemmrich, Horst, The Challenge of German Literature (print Ref PT 105 .D3 1971)
Journal
Andererseits: Yearbook of Transatlantic German Studies (online)
Reference Sources
Latin American Literature, Britannica Academic reference entry (online)
Encyclopedia of Latin American and Caribbean Literature, 1900-2003
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Latino Literature (online, 3 vols, 2008)
Journal
Caracol (DOAJ)
Translation, linguistics, Latin American literature, Spanish literature, Spanish language. For English, click American flag.
Reference Sources
World Literature and Its Times (print Ref, 6 vols PN 50 .W67 1999–2002)
Cyclopedia of World Authors (print Ref, 5 vols PN 451 .M36 1997)
Book
Domenique, Julien, Foundational Texts of World Literature (online, 2012)
Journals
World Literature Today (online)
Indian Review of World Literature in English (online)
Promotes respect for diverse cultures, languages, and ideas by making outstanding contemporary children’s literature available online, free. Children not in their native country can find books from their country online. Award winners; browsable. U of Maryland, Internet Archive.
Group
Reference Source
The Oxford Companion to African-American Literature (online, print Ref, and Stacks PS 153 .N5 O96 1997)
Book
Rankine, Patrice D., Ulysses in Black : Ralph Ellison, classicism, and African American literature (online and print Stacks PS 153 .N5R34 2006)
Journals
African-American Review (online)
Black American Literature Forum (online)
Reference Source
Harper-Collins Bible Commentary (print Ref BS 491 .2.H37 2000)
Oxford Bible Commentary (online 2007)
Software
Bible reference tool; from local Bellingham company Logos. Free download.
Journal
Journal of Biblical Literature (online) ASP (1973- ) and JSTOR (earlier)
Reference Source
Encyclopedia of Jewish Folklore and Traditions (online, 2013)
Books
Baskin, Judith, Cambridge Companion to the Talmud and Rabbinical Literature (print Stacks BM 504 .C36 2007)
Roskies, David G., Naomi Diamant, Holocaust Literature: a history and guide 2012 (online, 2012)
Journal
Journal of Modern Jewish Studies (online)
Reference Sources
Nelson, Emmanuel S., Encyclopedia of Contemporary LGBTQ Literature of the United States (online, 2009) [on request]
Davidson, Cathy N., Linda Wagner-Martin, Oxford Companion to Women’s Writing in the United States (print Ref and Stacks PS 147 .O94 1995
Historical Dictionary of Lesbian Literature (print Ref PN 491 .3 .M55 2006)
Books
Gove, Ben, Cruising Culture: Promiscuity, Desire, and American Gay Literature (online, 2000)
Bram, Christopher, Eminent Outlaws: the Gay Writers who Changed America (print Stacks PS 153 .G38B73 2012)
Journal
Gender, Place, and Culture (online)
Web
GLBTQ Archives Archives of the world’s largest encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture and history. Includes literature, arts, social sciences, essays, interviews. (Wik Wikholm, 2000)
Reference Sources
Wiget, Andrew, Dictionary of Native American Literature (online, 1994)
Native North American Literature: biographical and critical information on Native writers and orators from the US and Canada from historical times to the present (print Ref PS 508 .I5N38 1994)
Book
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Treuer, David, Native American fiction: a user’s manual (print Stacks PS 153 .I52 T74 2006)
Journal
Studies in American Indian Literatures (online, 2004–2011, Free ejournals and ProQuest, or Sail
Reference Sources
Bomarito, Jessica, Feminism in Literature: a Gale critical companion (online 2005) [segments only]
Magill, Frank N., Great Women Writers: the lives and works of 135 of the world’s most important women writers, from antiquity to the present (print Ref PN 471 .G74 1994)
Showalter, Elaine, A Jury of her Peers: American women writers from Anne Bradstreet to Annie Proulx (print Stacks PS 147 .S46 2009)
Books
Ballamy, Maria Rice, Bridges to Memory : postmemory in contemporary ethnic American women’s fiction (online, 2015)
Gilbert, Sarah M., and Susan Gubar, Feminist literary theory and criticism: a Norton Reader (print Stacks PR 1110 .W6 F46 2007)
Greene, Gayle, Changing the Story: feminist fiction and the tradition (online, 1991)
Hearne, Betsy Gould, and Roberta Seelinger Trites, A Narrative Compass: stories that guide women’s lives (print Stacks PS 147 .N37 2009)
Sceats, Sarah, Food, consumption, and the body in contemporary women’s fiction (online, 2000)