Skip to Main Content

Libraries Ask Us

Afro American Studies

A general guide to library research in Afro American Studies.

An Integrative Experience

Welcome to the Library Research Guide for
Afro Am 494DI: The W.E.B. Du Bois Senior Seminar

Spotlight on: W.E.B. Du Bois Papers & W.E.B. Du Bois Center

W.E.B. Du Bois Papers

Search and view correspondence, writings, and photographs in the W. E. B. Du Bois Papers online.

And/ or visit the Special Collections and University Archives department of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, located on the 25th floor.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., during the academic year, except major holidays.

During semester breaks, on certain holidays, and in the summer, Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) is open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m

.

W.E.B. Du Bois Center

Located on the 22nd floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, the W. E. B. Du Bois Center was established in 2009 to engage the nation and the world in discussion and scholarship about the global issues involving race, labor and social justice.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Senior Honors Theses

Senior Honors Theses

are available in Special Collections and Archives, 25th floor. Arranged by year, by department or alphabetically by name. These cannot be checked out.

Citation Management

Use a citation manager, such as Zotero to keep track of your research.

Put all your references in one place, create quick and easy bibliographies, build your knowledgebase for the rest of your career. For help, check out the online guides and webinars or Ask a Librarian.

Some tips on using Chicago notation style with Zotero.

Spotlight on Music Online: American Song

Music Online: American Song is a database that allows people to hear and feel the music from America's past. The database includes songs of the Civil Rights Movement. Go to section of database on "Historical Events."

Music, such as:

Liner notes here.

Speeches (some include music), such as:

Afro American Studies Databases

African American Newspapers This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Seven nineteenth-century African American newspapers in full text, including advertising, 1827-1902.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
America: History & Life This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Journal articles, dissertations, and book reviews, many in full text, relating to United States and Canadian history and prehistory, 1954-present.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
Black Studies Center This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Combines key indices (Schomburg, IIBP, etc) to scholarship and primary sources in Afro-American studies.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.

More Databases - Afro American Studies
Take a look at this long list of databases for Afro American Studies. Not all of them are limited to Afro American Studies, but all provide a lot of content in this field.

Databases Outside of Afro American Studies

Subject Research Guides
Access hundred of databases and library resources by subject. For example, if you need a psychology database, look in the Psychology research guide. If you need an education database, look in the research guide for Education.

America: History & Life This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Journal articles, dissertations, and book reviews, many in full text, relating to United States and Canadian history and prehistory, 1954-present.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
Criminal Justice Abstracts This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Journal articles, books, and dissertations on criminology, justice system, police, corrections, crime prevention, and victim's rights, 1968 to present.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
An index to journal articles and other scholarly literature on literature, literary theory and criticism, linguistics, folklore, and (since 1996) film, 1920s -
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Use to access many UMass online journal subscriptions.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.

You can access Google Scholar with UMLinks buttons from outside the UMass Amherst IP range ("off campus") by two methods:

1. Access Google Scholar through the Library web site by using this link.
2. Go to generic Google Scholar.
a. Click on "Settings."
b. Click on Library links.
c. Type in "University of Massachusetts" or "UMass Amherst" (or a few other variations).
d. Check "University of Massachusetts Amherst - UMass Check for Full Text" and Save.
e. You will be asked to authenticate somewhere along the way to full text.
Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
References to scholarly journal articles, dissertations, and conference papers on sociology and related disciplines, 1960-present.
Available on campus to all, or off-campus to UMass Amherst students, staff and faculty with an UMass Amherst IT NetID (user name) and password.

Web of Science
Provides a search by cited reference, topic, author, and more for articles in almost all important English-language journals. Arts and Humanities covers 1975-present; Social Sciences 1956-present; and Science 1900-present.

If it's not at UMass, we'll get it for you - for free!

Use your Interlibrary Loan account to:

Borrow books, videos, and other materials not available in the Five College system.
Request electronic copies of articles and book chapters not available at UMass.