This guide will help you search for, find and use resources from the library website and print collection
for your Harlem Renaissance project. Please reach out to Ms. Tragert or any of the librarians with questions!
The search bar on the top right of the library website at lib.nobles.edu allows you to search for books and other library resources. See the photo below for the box's location. When searching for books, here are a few rules of thumb:
1. Use broad search terms, such as a person's name or the term "Harlem Renaissance" rather than specific terms like names of artworks.
2. If you're having trouble finding relevant books, think about alternate search terms, such as "art 1920s" or "women painters America" instead of the search terms you have been using.
3. When you find one book, look at books nearby on the shelves--they sometimes cover the same or similar topics.
Here is a video that shows you how to search the Putnam Library catalog. Make the video full screen to see it better. If you need help searching, check out the search tips above.
The library has many databases, which are collections of reliable resources that you can use in your research. These databases include encyclopedia articles, biographies, newspaper and magazine articles, and even photos and artworks. Below you will find a few databases that you can use for this project. When searching a database, here are a few rules of thumb:
1. Start with broad search terms (an artist's name, "Harlem Renaissance") and then move to more narrow search terms (an artwork, a specific location) if you are getting lots of results or irrelevant results.
2. Be willing to try several different search terms: just because you don't find results with your first search doesn't mean there's nothing there.
3. Try searching in a few different databases; different databases will work better or worse for different topics.
Start your research here:
Deepen your research with these databases:
If you are interested in looking at some of the library's other databases (we have over 80!), you can find them at the link below. Be sure to read the descriptions and use the drop-down subject menu to help you find what you're looking for!
