Social Sciences & History Librarian
Get Started: Suggested Resources
You can find more resources in the tabs menu, but below is a short list of some of the top go-to resources for this course.
Recommended Database
- Credo ReferenceCredo Reference is an online full-text library that covers all major subjects such as art, business geography, history, literature, music, psychology, social Sciences, and technology. It includes general reference resources such as dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific titles covering everything from art to zoology. It offers easy keyword searching across the database of resources so you don’t need to know the title of a specific reference book to get started. Search in hundreds of encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, quotations, and subject-specific titles, as well as 200,000+ images and audio files, and nearly 200 videos.
Recommended Books
Encyclopedia of World Trade: from Ancient Times to the Present by Call Number: HF1373 .W67 2005
History of World Trade since 1450 2 Volume Set by Call Number: HF1379 .H574 2006
British Historical Statistics by Call Number: HA1134 .M58 1988
Recommended Primary Sources
- British History OnlineNonprofit digital library which provides searchable primary and secondary sources, ranging from medieval to twentieth century related to British history.
- Smithsonian Institution Libraries Trade Literature Collection"The trade literature collection of the Smithsonian is internationally known as an important source for the history of American business, technology, marketing, consumption, and design... The present collection contains more than 500,000 catalogs, technical manuals, advertising brochures, price lists, company histories and related materials representing more than 30,000 companies. "
Recommended Article Databases
These databases also contain other secondary sources, such as thesis's, conference proceedings, book chapters, and more
- America: History & LifeProvides a robust source of information focusing on the history and life of the United States and Canada. Selective indexing includes over a thousand journals dating back over 55 years. Find more information.
- Historical AbstractsHistorical Abstracts covers the history of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) focusing on the 15th century forward, including art history, world history, military history, women's history, history of education, foreign languages and literatures, and more. Find more information.
Recommended Websites
- Center for Research Libraries: Digital CollectionsDatabase of documents, journals, books, and newspapers, some available to access for free.
- British History OnlineNonprofit digital library which provides searchable primary and secondary sources, ranging from medieval to twentieth century related to British history.
- Congress.govOfficial website for U.S. federal legislative information. Provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public. Usually updated the morning after session adjourns.
Search the Library Catalog
When searching the library catalog for books, you can start with a general keyword search. Then, look at the records retrieved with your keyword search and examine the Subject Heading section of the records. These will help you find more useful books!
Some useful headings for your topic may include:
Commerce -- History
International trade -- History
Mercantile system
Trade routes
[names of trading companies], e.g., East India Company
[product] industry, e.g., Textile industry
[product] trade, e.g., Spice trade
- Library Thing - Tag: MicrohistoryCollection of books related to microhistories.