CWIL/Library Collection Development Project
Notable reference works currently in the collection
Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America(2 vols.) (1995)
E184 .A1 G14
Consists primarily of longer entries (10-20 pp.) on various racial, national, and ethnic groups in America, including smaller national groups, such as Albanian-Americans. There are also entries for the Amish, Mormons, and a number of Native American tribes. Sources at the end of articles include the usual recommended readings, but also lists of associations and organizations, museums and research centers, and media outlets.
Columbia Documentary History of the Asian American Experience (2002)
E184 .O6 C63
An excellent collection of primary source documents from 1790-2001. Includes laws, court cases, letters, songs, pamphlets, speeches, and other documents. Particularly strong in Chinese immigration to California, Japanese internment during WWII, and southeast Asian (esp. Vietnamese) immigrants in the later 20th century. Each document is introduced with a short paragraph providing essential context.
Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States(4 vols.) (1993)
E184 .S75 H365
Each volume has a subject: Literature & Art, History, Sociology, Anthropology. Organized more like a textbook than a reference work, each volume contains longer essays, divided into sections with a detailed table of contents and index to help students find what they need. An excellent source to provide broad overviews of topics, and the bibliographies at the ends of the essays are extensive, containing sources in both English and Spanish.
Notable Hispanic American Women (1993)
E184 .S75 N899
Entries range from ½ page to 3 pages, usually with a photo. Sources for entries (often an interview with the subject) are included. Indexed by occupation and nationality.
Atlas of Hispanic-American History (2001)
E184 .S75 O28
Arranged chronologically; more text than illustrations, but the maps, etc. are crucial. Good index and bibliography of further reading. Valuable resource for visual learners.
Notable Black American Women (2 vols.) (1992, 1996)
E185.96 .N899
Entries range from ½ page to 3 pages, usually with a photo. Sources for entries (often an interview with the subject) are included. Second volume, published in 1996, adds half again as many entries as the first volume.
Routledge Atlas of African-American History (2000)
E185 .E125
Organized thematically, and then chronologically within themes. Excellent illustrated maps, with index and suggested further readings. Valuable resource for visual learners.
Penguin Atlas of Women in the World (2003)
G1046 .E1 S43
Detailed graphic representations of statistics relevant to women around the world. A deceptively small volume, each two-page spread contains a compact summary of facts and relationships. Includes a directory of the sources for the graphs and maps, as well as tables covering essential statistics like demography and education.
Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life (4 vols) (1998)
GN333 .W67
The Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association said this about it: “These volumes will explain how Rwandans, Mayans, and Uzbeks live; and characteristics of Hmong Americans, Choctaws, Iroquois, and Ojibwas are described. […] Instead of covering nation-states […] this work focuses on the traditions, living conditions, food, language, religions, and recreation of over 500 of the world's major culture groups. Entries emphasize how people live today. The articles on a particular culture group follow a 20-heading outline and include a bibliography.” Particularly useful for studying peoples who cross national boundaries. In addition to the usual books and articles, the bibliographies frequently reference U.N. reports and documents from NGOs.
Encyclopedia of Community (4 vols.) (2003)
HM756 .E53
Articles are 1-3 pages long, including topics such as Appalachia, Asian-American Communities, Civic Life, Intentional Communities (with sub-entries by topic or geography), Multiculturalism, and Privacy. Each article has a good list of further readings, and some include compelling excerpts from primary documents.
The International Encyclopedia of Sexuality (3 vols.) (1998)
HQ21 .I68
Entries are arranged by country, with good coverage of a wide, though not exhaustive, variety of countries, e.g. Argentina, Canada, Ghana, Iran, Poland, China; some entries are longer than others and the US entry is disproportionately large. All entries are organized on the same template, covering issues from demographics and gender roles to sexuality education, heterosexual and homosexual behaviors, contraception, and HIV/AIDS.
Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in America(3 vols.) (2004)
HQ76.3 .U5 E53
Substantive articles on people (Gloria Anzaldúa, Edmund White), trends and phenomena (bathhouses, tourism), organizations (PFLAG, NAMBLA), aspects of society (police, radio) with good references and the occasional illustration.
Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women’s Issues and Knowledge (4 vols.) (2000)
HQ1115 .R69
Wide-ranging selection of articles, well-researched and with excellent lists of references and further readings. Extensive, multi-faceted and multi-national articles include Development, Education, Environment, Literature, Family: Religious & Legal Systems, and Women’s Studies. A list of articles by broad topics (Arts & Literature, Culture & Communication, Religion & Spirituality, etc.) helps a student focus a topic or find additional relevant entries.
The World’s Women: Trends and Statistics (2000)
HQ1154 .W927
Published by the U.N. Provides essential statistics in a broad variety of fields, including health, education, work, and human rights. Tables, graphs, and charts are clear, with well-documented sources for their data. Extensive narrative text provide context for the data. SMC Bonus: Susan Vanek’s sister is a co-author: “Joann Vanek…of the Gender Statistics Programme, United Nations Statistics Division, advised on the project and prepared the final draft.” (Preface, p. ix)
Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice (2002)
HV6017 .E56
Notable articles include: Class and Crime; Comparative Criminal Law Enforcement: China, Islam, Russia, Preliterate Societies; Domestic Violence; Feminism: Criminological and Legal Aspects; Race and Crime. Extensive bibliographies accompany the articles.
Women’s Rights in International Documents: A Sourcebook with Commentary (1991)
K644 .W87
Primary source material: international documents (largely from the U.N.) relevant to women, each with an introduction providing context and explanation. Grouped into categories including Employment & Education; Marriage, Family, & Children; Prostitution & Slavery; as well as relevant excerpts from the U.N. charter and International Bill of Rights (including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
Dictionary of Women in Religious Art (1998)
N7793 .W65 A66
Particularly strong in western Christian and classical mythology, but also includes quite a number of entries from non-Western religions. Entries are short (usually half a page or less) but have extensive cross-references. Some illustrations, and a good selected bibliography at the end of the volume.
Bloomsbury Guide to Women’s Literature (1992)
PN471 .B655
This is a rich and rewarding reference work, but it takes a little patience to work with. The bulk of the volume is made up of short entries (generally half a page or less) with lots of cross references on authors, works, and other aspects of literature (realism, new criticism, etc.). The beginning of the volume has essays on women’s literature around the world; it’s about as truly international as one could reasonably hope for. These essays also cross-reference the shorter entries, and some contain compact but useful bibliographies.
Latin American Writers (3 vols. + supplement) (1989, supplement 2002)
PQ7081 .A1 L35
Extended articles (3-4 pages or more) on authors, with selected bibliographies of their works and of criticism. The articles are arranged chronologically, which can be confusing to work with. There are more women writers included in the supplement than in the first 3 volumes.
Writers of Multicultural Fiction for Young Adults: A Bio-Critical Sourcebook (1996)
PS374 .Y57 W75
Profiles approximately 50 authors of young adult fiction. Each entry is substantial, 6-10 pages or more, and includes a short biographical sketch, a discussion of the author’s major works and themes and the critical reception of the works, and bibliographies of the author’s works and of critical studies of those works. A more extended bibliography, organized by racial/ethnic groups, appears at the end of the volume.
Voices of Multicultural America: Notable Speeches Delivered By African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Americans 1790-1995 (1996)
PS663 .M55 V64
Organized alphabetically by the author of the speech, many entrants have two or more speeches included. There is a list of entrants, as well as indexes by ethnicity and broad speech topic (e.g., civil rights, hate crimes, education) and an extensive keyword index. Each speech is preceded by a thorough introduction giving biographical and historical context for the speech. Some additional sources and references are provided for each entry. This is a valuable source not only for students working on the issues addressed by the speeches, but also for a study of oratory and rhetoric.
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (3 vols.) (2003)
TX349 .E53
See especially the articles on countries (e.g. Brazil) and regions (e.g. Arctic) and the article on Women and Food. These and other longer articles have extensive bibliographies.
Notable Reference Works10/10/2018