In a world where STEM dominates the education landscape from PreK through college, the English major is sometimes viewed as a quaint anachronism. Back in a less STEM-crazed time, I was an English major, which meant I spent a lot of time in libraries searching the card catalog and periodical index — yes, I am old — for insights into the great works of literature we read and attempted to discuss.
Today’s English major, or even a STEM student doing a term paper for a required English course, will find the process much less time consuming by using library resources such as Literature Resource Center. Here, they will also find a breadth of knowledge unthinkable in the card catalog days. Type in “Crime and Punishment,” and you’ll find dozens of insights into Raskolnikov and the man who brought him to life. These range from straight-up overviews to fascinating commentary, including one drawing parralels between Dostoyevsky’s writing and the films of Woody Allen.
“Literature Resource Center is very easy to use and allows searches to be done by author, title, name of character, keyword, and by specific publication or time period,” says librarian Gayle Stratton. “You can limit your search to peer-reviewed articles only, a common requirement for many assignments. The entries also include how to cite the article using the common MLA style. Most of the material is available as full text so everything you need is right at your fingertips.”
The Literature Resource Center can be accessed from home any time you need it; log in using your library card. For help with this or any of our databases, call 609.924.9529, ext. 220, or email us and we’ll be glad to assist you.