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Libraries & online resources available during COVID-19
The UMN Libraries spaces are different due to COVID-19 AND we are here to help with your research online!
Studying at the Libraries during Covid-19
Four of our largest libraries are open - Wilson Library (west bank), Walter Library Health Sciences Library (east bank), and Magrath Library (St. Paul). These spaces are open for current U of M students with U Cards. Per University guidelines, masks are required. We have reconfigured furniture and are requiring physical distancing with one student per table. You can reserve a study room - one person per room. The coffee shops in Wilson and Walter are closed. Read through our FAQs for more details on visiting.
Getting physical materials from the Libraries
If you know the item you are looking for, search by title or author or search by your keywords in Libraries search. You can go to our open libraries to find your items or browse the stacks. Or sign in to Libraries search and place a “get it” request. You can pick up items at one of our four open buildings — Wilson Library, Walter Library, Health Science Libraries, and Magrath Library — or have them delivered to your office, home, or residence hall. You can also request to have part of a book or physical item scanned and we will send it electronically with our Digital Delivery service. Read through our FAQs including details on checking out and returning materials.
- Online library resources and services for students during COVID-19You can connect virtually to our libraries, librarians and staff and get millions of online books and many services and resources online.
Get research help online! Schedule an online consultation!
Help isn’t available in our spaces this semester, instead use Chat with a librarian 24/7, chedule an online consultation with Brian, your librarian, or schedule a 30 minute virtual appointment with a Peer Research Consultant (a.k.a. peer tutor for library research).
Background Information and Reference
- Dictionary of Literary Biography This link opens in a new windowProvides biographical and critical essays on the lives, works, and careers of the world's most influential literary figures from all eras and genres. Includes the DLB main series, the DLB Documentary Series, and the DLB Yearbook Series. Search by full-text keyword, author, topic, volume title, publication date, or DLB series.
- The early medieval world : from the fall of Rome to the time of CharlemagneSanta Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO c2013.
Examines a pivotal period in ancient human history: the fall of the Roman Empire and the birth of a new European civilization in the early Middle Ages. - Encyclopedia of European Social History from 1350 to 2000Online version of 6-vol. encyclopedia on European social history including more than 230 articles on everything from serfdom and the economy, to witchcraft and public health.
- Encyclopedia of the Middle AgesFrom Oxford, this encyclopedia covers all aspects of European history and culture from the 5th to 15th century, including art, architecture, religion, law, science, language, philosophy, and theology, as well as cultural, religious, intellectual, social and political history
- Internet Medieval SourcebookIncludes a wide range of texts which address elite governmental, legal, religious and economic concerns, now also includes a large selection of texts on women's and gender history, Islamic and Byzantine history, Jewish history, and social history.
- Libraries SearchTo find REFERENCE AND BACKGROUND ARTICLES in Libraries Search, search using a keyword. Then on the right-side, select "Reference Entries" under Material Type. Here's an example for Charlemagne
- The Oxford Encyclopedia of the ReformationA definitive source for information about the entire range of religious and social changes that altered the face of Europe in the sixteenth century, encompassing not only issues of church polity and theology but also developments in politics, economics, demographics, art and literature.
- Oxford Reference OnlineContains 100 language and subject dictionaries and other reference works, and searches across these resources. Limited to 5 simultaneous users.
Useful eBooks
The Cambridge Companion to the Dutch Golden Age by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781316623534Publication Date: 2018
The Cambridge Introduction to the Old Norse-Icelandic Saga by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780521514019Publication Date: 2010
German Literature of the High Middle Ages by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781571131737Publication Date: 2006Good resource for information on Hartmann von Aue and Wolfram von Eschenbach
The Vikings : a very short introduction by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780192806079Publication Date: 2005-11-03
Tips for Using Libraries Search and Catalog
Libraries Search will search many article databases, the UMN Library Catalog and other resources. But it doesn't search everything. You may want to search subject specific article databases to find more articles and for more search options. .
The UMN Library Catalog searches books, journals, DVDs, other formats but NOT articles. Click on "Catalog Only. "
To limit by language, format, or subject, use the limits on the right after performing a search in Libraries Search. Also, see How to Find Books and eBooks.
Databases for Scholarly Articles
Click "view online," "PDF," or the 
button to connect to the full text if we have it. The will also indicate whether a print copy is held in the Libraries. If not available, request the item via Interlibrary Loan.
- MLA International BibliographyUse the MLA International Bibliography to find scholarly books and articles on modern languages, literatures, folklore, and linguistics. This index has been compiled by the Modern Language Association of America since 1926.
- International Medieval Bibliography (IMB)Search books and articles useful to the study of the Middle Ages, the period 476-1500 across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, covering resources in over 25 languages.
- Iter: Gateway to the Middle Ages and RenaissanceIter is a bibliography of over 230,000 articles and reviews drawn from over 475 medieval and renaissance journal titles.
- Academic Search PremierA great place to start your research on any topic, search multidisciplinary, scholarly research articles. This database provides access to scholarly and peer reviewed journals, popular magazines and other resources. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
Language Dictionaries
- A Dictionary of Medieval Terms and PhrasesThis dictionary contains some 3,400 terms as headwords, ranging from legal and ecclesiastical to the more humdrum words of daily life. Latin was the language of the church, law and government, and many Latin terms illustrated here are frequently found in modern books of history of the period.
- Pocket Oxford German dictionary : German-English4th edition, 2009. German to English dictionary
- LEO German-English/English-German DictionaryOnline bilingual dictionaries to and from German English, and other languages.
Citing your sources (e.g. MLA, APA, etc.)
- Citation Managers (e.g. Zotero, EndNote Online, etc.)Citation managers are software packages used to create personalized databases of citation information and notes. They allow you to: import and organize citation information from article indexes and other sources; save links to pdfs and other documents; format citations for your papers and bibliographies using APA and many other styles; and include your own notes.
Many article databases (e.g. Academic Search Premier, Google Scholar) will create a citation for you. After you found the item, look for "cite" or "quotes." Here are examples:
In Google Scholar:
In Academic Search Premier:
- Chicago Manual of Style OnlineThis resource provides online access to the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style, which covers a variety of topics from manuscript preparation and publication to grammar, usage, and citation formating. The citation quick guide covers both the author-date and the notes and bibliography systems.
- Citation and research help (from Purdue OWL)Examples and instructions for how to cite many types of materials in MLA, APA, Chicago, and AMA styles.
Learn more about on annotated bibliographies
Annotated Bibliography from UW-Madison
An annotated bibliography is an organized list of sources, each of which is followed by a brief note or “annotation.”
- How to write an annotated bibliographyLearn more about annotated bibliographies.
- Writing Evaluative Annotated BibliographiesThis chapter includes useful questions to guide you in writing annotations for an annotated bibliography.