The Bluest Eye and Beasts of No Nation

Search the library catalogue (Omni) to find books of criticism, biographies, bibliographies, concordances, literary glossaries, dictionaries, and encyclopedias on literary works.  

Subject Headings vs Keyword Searching

Subject headings allow you to search the library catalogue for resources on a particular author or topic and are often more productive than keyword searches. 

Keyword searches work best if you have multiple concepts or topics. Use the results to find relevant titles and identify assigned subject headings for your topic in order to find similar books. 

In Literature. there are many ways to search for information on an author, work, genre or time period.

Finding Individual Literary Authors

For works on an individual author, do a subject search by the author's last name. Select the Subject search and type in the author's last name, a comma, and the author's first name or initial(s).

morrison toni

This heading can be followed by various sub-divisions: Biography, Characters, Criticism and Interpretation, Knowledge, Religion, Political and Social views to name a few. 

Note the criticism subject heading used for an author will have the author's name, sometimes date of birth and/or death, and sub-heading "Criticism and Interpretation."

Finding Literary Works by an Author

For important work with a known author, search by the author's name:

morrison toni bluest eye.

Keep in mind that only major works will have entire books written about them.

Finding Literatures by Region or Genre    

Search for works on literatures or specific genres by country

African literature (English)
American fiction
American literature
English literature

These headings can be subdivided by format, time period or topic:

African literature (English)--21st century
American fiction--20th century--History and criticism

American literature African American authors
American literature--Minority writers
American literature Women authors

Finding Name or Topic in Literature

African American women in literature
African Americans in literature
Slavery in literature
Women in literature

Finding Authors by Nationality

African American authors
African American women authors
African American novelists
Authors American
Novelists American
Women authors
Women novelists

Miscellaneous Subject Headings

Child soldiers
Child soldiers--Uganda
Children and war
Children and war--Africa 
War crimes 

Literature and history
Literature and society
Politics and literature    

Once you have found call numbers for a few promising books, go to the stacks, where you will find other related titles.