The Humanities & Social Sciences
Please Note: If you are coming in from the web at home or outside the Library and its subscription modem pool, most titles on this list will require either your Farmington Community Library Card bar code number and the last 4 digits of your home phone number or your Metro Net subscription username and password for access . Titles marked with a Michigan eLibrary Logo ( 
) are available courtesy of the Michigan eLibrary (MeL), and may require your Michigan Driver's License number to login from outside the Library. Follow the link to the Database page of the MeL, and scroll down to the database you want to use.
A few databases are available only from within the library, and these are marked with a red arrow (
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ArchiveGrid ( ArchiveGrid is an important destination for searching through historical documents, personal papers, and family histories held in archives around the world.
Thousands of libraries, museums, and archives have contributed nearly a million collection. )
- BookNook (BookLetters) ( BookNook is a unique Internet tool that integrates Faarmington Community Library's offerings with patron interests by using technology to strengthen patron communication channels. It provides an e-newsletter and set of web pages that lets library users receive book and library news on their computers and immediately connect into the Library's web site, e-resources and catalog.
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- Books and Authors ( Books and Authors offers new ways to explore the endless possibilities and combinations of books, authors, genres and topics. Combining over 140,000 titles, 50,000 authors, and thousands of read-alike, award winner and librarian's favorites lists, Books & Authors helps bring readers and literature together. Through the use of expertly written and arranged content and a dynamic, cutting edge user interface, Books & Authors makes exploration of genre fiction and essential non-fiction fun!
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- CAMIO®—Catalog of Art Museum Images Online ( A premiere resource of works of art from around the world contributed and described by leading museums. Showcasing a wide range of fine and decorative art, CAMIO provides high-quality art images for education, research and enjoyment. All content is rights-cleared for educational use. Every work in CAMIO is represented by at least one high-resolution image and a description. Many have additional views of the work, sound, video and curatorial notes. )
- CollegeSource Online ( A virutal library representing 34,692 college catalogs in full cover-to-cover, original page format with 2-year, 4-year, graduate, professional and international schools. )
- CultureGrams ( This database provides a profile of the cultures of 182 countries around the world, with in-depth information on 25 categories. The database also includes StateGrams for all the fifty state, and a Kids’ Edition providing a kids’-eye view of 66 countries featuring cultural and geographical information, history, flags, maps and colorful images.
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- Discovering Collection ( A multimedia reference source with information on six core curriculum areas, specifically: geography & cultures, literature, history, personal biography, science & health, plus an extensive searchable multimedia gallery. )
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Electronic Books ( A catalog of online electronic books available through libraries worldwide Via FirstSearch. )
- ECO Electronic Collections Online ( A collection of scholarly journals available via FirstSearch. )
- Educators Reference Complete ( K-12 teachers, administrators and undergraduate or graduate students in education will appreciate the focused and timely resources available within Educator's Reference Complete. This powerful database covers multiple levels of education from preschool to college and includes every educational specialty, such as bilingual studies, health, technology and testing. Also included are resources on issues related to administration, funding and policy in education. With more than 1,100 periodicals that cover a wide variety of subjects and 200 reports from the United States Department of Education, the Educator's Reference Complete is an important tool for today's educator. In addition, Educators Reference Complete is the perfect complement for any library that utilizes the ERIC database, because it provides full-text results for nearly half of the journal titles found in ERIC. )
- ERIC ( Journal articles and reports in education available via FirstSearch. )
From the Gale Virtual Reference Library:
This encyclopedia explores the many peoples of early European civilizations responsible for such accomplishments as the rise of farming in the Neolithic era and the building of Stonehenge. Coverage expands from prehistoric origins through the early Middle Ages (8000 BC to AD 1000) when tribal movements helped define the end of ancient culture and the rise of the modern European world.
- Colonial America Reference Library, Peggy Saari and Julie L. Carnagie, Eds. Detroit: U*X*L, 2000. 1128 pp. 6 vols.
The Colonial America Reference Library provides students with the comprehensive information on the Colonial American period they need to write reports and class assignments including biographical profiles and primary source documents.
Focuses on cultures and countries around the world, specifically what is and is not shared culturally by the people who live in a particular country. Entries contain descriptive summaries of the country in question, including demographic, historical, cultural, economic, religious, and political information.
- Dictionary of American History, 3d ed. 10vols. 2003
The first comprehensive revision of this classic reference source, originally published in 1940, features updated and revised entries from previous editions, as well as more than 800 new entries covering recent events and topics not covered previously. This authoritative work serves students, scholars, and general readers interested in a wide range of topics in American history, from the well studied and familiar to the obscure.
- < Encyclopedia of American Religions 7th ed.
Contains general essays that historically trace the major religious families and traditions, as well as directory listings that include contact and descriptive information on individual churches, religious bodies, and spiritual groups.
- Steele, Valerie, Ed. Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. 1 ed. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 1454 pp. 3 vols.
This broad-based set surveys clothing, body adornment, and examines the origins of clothing, the development of fabrics and technologies, and the social meanings of dress. It also presents information on representative costumes from a wide variety of historical eras, which are frequently the topic of student research. Topics range from the bustle, sari, and toga to Polyester and body piercing. The short entries explain the history of garments (necktie, codpiece, cocktail dress, bathing suit, burqua, Nehru jacket), techniques and manufactures (batik, dry cleaning, zipper, stone washing), body adornment (makeup, mask, tattoo, wig), and important persons and institutions (Coco Chanel, Edith Head, Yves Saint-Laurent, Fashion Institute of Technology). The longer essays provide cultural context: class, gender, sumptuary laws, costume design for stage and screen, advertising; fashion careers; ecclesiastical dress; military uniforms; etc. The set includes a comprehensive general index in the last volume, a timeline, and a topical outline.
- Encyclopedia of European Social History. Peter Stearns, Ed. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001. 3186 pp. 6 vols.
This six-volume reference on European social history includes more than 230 articles on everything from serfdom and the economy, to witchcraft and public health.
- Encyclopedia of India Stanley Wolpert, Ed. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 1532 pp. 4 vols
The Encyclopedia of India encompasses the history, cultures, geography and religions of India from ancient times to the present day. Across the four volumes of the Encyclopedia, readers are invited to explore India in a comprehensive reference work of more than 600 alphabetically arranged, illustrated articles.
- Encyclopedia of Irish History & Culture James S. Donnelly, Jr., Ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 1084 pp. 2 vols.
The Encyclopedia of Irish History and Culture spans prehistoric times to the present, and treats both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in detail. Entries represent an inclusive, cross-disciplinary approach, written by specialists in history, archaeology, anthropology, geography, politics, economics, the Irish and English languages and literatures, the visual arts and other fields.
- Encyclopedia of Modern Asia David Levinson and Karen Christensen, Eds. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. 3268 pp. 6 vols.
Nearly 700 contributors from around the world, including 25 Asian countries, provide 3,000 articles on Modern Asia from a global perspective. Historical articles emphasize people, places, events, and developments that have had a lasting influence on Asia. Articles also cover Asian relations with Western nations, the relations between nations within Asia, and also the flow of people, goods, and ideas within Asia and globally.
- Mattar, Philip, Ed. Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. 2nd ed. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 2936 pp. 4 vols.
With nearly 600 new entries and 1,000 updates, this second editon reflects the far-reaching changes the Middle East has undergone in recent years, making it more relevant and necessary than ever before. Covers the modern history of the Middle East and North Africa, with major sections on Colonialism and Imperialism, the World Wars, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the United Nations' involvement in the region. Each country in the region is reviewed, detailing its population, economy, and government.
- Jones, Lindsay, Ed. Encyclopedia of Religion. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 10735 pp. 15 vols.
The second edition of this highly regarded encyclopedia, intended to reflect both changes in academia and in the world since 1987, includes almost all of the 2,750 original entries—many heavily updated—as well as approximately 600 entirely new articles. Preserving the best of the first edition's cross-cultural approach, while emphasizing religion's role within everyday life and as a unique experience from culture to culture, this new edition is the definitive work in the field for the 21st century. An international team of scholars and contributors have reviewed, revised and added to every word of the classic work, making it relevant to the questions and interests of all researchers.
- Europe since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction:. John Merriman and Jay Winter, Eds. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 3135 pp. 5 vols.
A multi-volume survey of European history from the beginning of World War I in 1914 to the present, presented through alphabetically arranged entries that focus on the period's scientific, social and cultural history as well as the political, military and economic developments. For students and general readers.
- Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America 2nd ed., 3v, 2000
Contains 8,000 to 12,000 word essays on specific culture groups in the United States, emphasizing religions, holidays, customs, and languages in addition to providing information on historical background and settlement patterns. Also covers ethnoreligious groups such as Jews, Chaldeans, and Amish. Each essay lists organizations and research centers; name, address, and contact information for periodicals, radio, and television stations; and a further readings section.
- Encyclopedia of Russian History James R. Millar, Ed. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 1507 pp. 4 vols.
Providing a comprehensive discussion of the people, politics, economics, religion, culture, and social systems of Russia, this work spans the time from the earliest beginnings of the Russian nation (among the ancient Eastern Slavic tribes) to the end of czarist Russia and on through the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. It provides the necessary information for readers to obtain a greater understanding of and appreciation for Russia in all of its many spheres.
- Europe—1450 to 1789: An Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World Jonathan Dewald, Ed. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. 3232 pp. 6 vols.
Explores European history from 1450-1789, from the print revolution to the French Revolution. Includes 1,150 articles written by eminent scholars covering major topics in art, government, and education as well as providing biographical entries on key figures of the period. Also covers topics specific to the era, such as apocalypticism, guilds, food riots, royal mistresses and lovers, the Spanish Inquisition, Utopia and others.
- New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., 15vols., 2003
A standard in public, academic, and high school libraries worldwide, and prized for its scholarly presentation of persons and subjects related to Catholicism and the humanities, this book is the first place to turn for answers for questions on topics such as abortion, divorce, cloning, and reproductive technologies. In addition to the hundreds of new, signed articles on a wide variety of topics, this edition also features biographies of contemporary religious figures, thousands of photos, maps, and illustrations, and completely updated bibliographical citations. The 15th volume is a cumulative index to the entire encyclopedia.
Includes more than 2,700 signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and, where appropriate, photographs and textual cross-references to related essays.
- Greenwood Daily Life Online: A Suite of Social History Products ( Daily Life Online focuses on the men and woman history often forgets, but whose everyday lives created the world we know. Perfect for general readers, students of art, history, literature, drama, social studies, anthropology, religion, organized by time period, region, and topic for easy navigation. )
- Greenwood Pop Culture Universe Online ( Greenwood has taken one of the most-loved research assignments in high schools (the "Decades Research" assignment) to an entirely new level with Pop Culture Universe. No longer will students have to fight over single copies of print reference titles to research a specific decade or the everyday events surrounding historical events....Greenwood's Pop Culture Universe database is not only a fun way to learn about the history of some of our favorite people, places, and things, it's also a great way to learn about America's past and the influence that popular culture has had on our world today. While many librarians try to provide a wide variety of resources dealing with the history and culture of America throughout much of the 20th century, few can provide the wealth of resources that this database provides. )
- HandPress Books(Heritage of the Printed Book) ( The Hand Press Book Database is a unique and growing catalog of European printing in the early modern era or “hand-press period” (15th century to the 1830s). This resource integrates descriptive records for major European national, university and research library holdings. It is especially valuable for research in intellectual history, social history and transmission of thought—as well as the history of printing and the history of the book. )
- History Resource Center:—U.S. ( History Resource Center: U.S. provides integrated access to over 4,000 historical (primary) documents, articles from more than 30 reference titles, and over 110 full-text journal covering themes, events, individuals and periods in U.S. history from pre-Colonial times to the present. The material also includes citations from over 180 additional history journals from the Institute for Scientific Information's Arts and Humanities Citation Index, as well as the entire "American Journey Online" series. )
- Literature Resource Center ( An extremely useful source for book club participants as well as students. Allows you to search for author biographies, bibliographies, and full-text criticism of an author's works and literary career. You can search Title to find related critical essays and Authors by Type (which includes options such as Author Ethnicity, Author Nationality, Genre, Theme, and Literary Movement or Time Period.) )
- LitfinderLitfinder ( Lit Finder is a unique database of full-text poems, stories, essays, speeches, and plays focusing on the humanities and social sciences, and includes biographies and literary criticism. You can search by title or author, or use the subject navigator organized into a hierarchy of groupings, leading from the most general to the most specific )
- Michigan Authors & Illustrators ( A searcheable database of Michigan authors and illustrators. Provides biographical and contact information. Indicates whether person will do library presentations. No log-in required. )
- Michigana ( Michigana: Sources in U.S. History Online provides access to primary source documents in an online system that is easily accessible by students and researchers of all levels. For example, a user may enter a search term such as Fort Mackinac to find all references to that word or phrase found on any page within the database. Or a student may choose a subject term from the listing of top subjects that are listed on the home page to quickly find all works that are closely related to that person, place or event–for example, William Hull or railroads.
Another way to access the content is through contextual essays that have been written by Michigan historians specifically for the database. These are accessed through the images at the bottom of the home page which take a user to a list of related essays, all of which include a bibliography of related documents from within the database. ) - NetLibrary ( Over 20,000 eBooks available on all topics. Consider using a keyword search (in the drop-down menu) rather than the default full-text search. )
- NoveList ( Helps to find the next best fiction book to read. Search by author, title, series, plots, or even books like the one you just finished. Browse lists of award winners, lists of genres, and lists based on age. Create and save lists of your own favorites. Find book discussion guides and more. This has something for children, young adults, and adults, plus specific information for teachers, and librarians. )
- OAIster ( This catalog of digitized materials includes books, articles and multimedia, representing multidisciplinary resources from more than 1000 contributors worldwide. )
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Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center ( Designed to aid students in researching both sides of a social issue, while making it simple, fast and rewarding, the Center includes over 60 topics from key reference sources, including full-text articles from over 30 major newspapers and newsmagazines, making researching both sides of an issue simple, fast and rewarding. )
- SCIPIO: Art & Rare Book Sales Catalogs ( Art and Rare Book Sales Catalogs is the only online union catalog of auction catalog records in existence. This database provides bibliographic access to auction sales catalogs from all major North American and European auction houses as well as private sales—valuable sources of information on the provenance of art objects and rare books, the history of collection, and contemporary and historical market trends. )
- SIRS Renaissance ( For High school, College and University. Full text.
Provides dynamic information on architecture and design, culture, literature, multimedia, music, performing arts, philosophy and religion, and visual arts. Full-text articles are selected from more than 1,200 domestic and international publications. Many articles are accompanied by full-color images, including art reproductions, photographs, and illustrations. )
- What Do I Read Next? ( Reading Advice. A database to help you decide what to read next. Search by character, topic, setting, time period, genre, title, author and series. Will also make recommendations based upon likes and dislikes. )
- Wilson SelectPlus ( All full text articles in science, humanities, education and business. )
- World Almanacs ( Contains full text of Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, The World Almanac and Book of Facts, The World Almanac for Kids, The World Almanac of the U. S. A., The World Almanac of U. S. Politics. )
- WorldCAT ( world's largest online catalog of books and magazines. Includes a description of the item and which libraries own the item. )
History Resource Center:—World ( History Resource Center: World is a comprehensive collection of award-winning reference, full-text articles from leading scholarly publications, an array of primary sources, and images, maps and charts which provide expansive geographic and chronlogic research materials for the study of world history. From ancient Europe to Latin America and from the Far East to the Renaissance, world history curricula is supported with over 1,800 primary sources, over 27 reference titles and more than 110 journals.
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