Use Hawai‘i Voyager (the UH system’s online catalog) to search for books. From the library's homepage, use the UH - Hilo Basic Search or the UH Hilo - Advanced Search to search by Author, Subject, Title, Keyword, and more.
Truncation is a useful search strategy. In Voyager, a ? at the end of the root of a word will retrieve various endings of that word:
A click on the subject headings below will perform an advanced subject search in UH Hilo’s holdings in the Voyager catalog. You can also Search all UH System Libraries and request items from other libraries (restrictions and fees may apply).
Literature will retrieve books and media on literature in general as well as more specific aspects of the subject.
Try experimenting with variations on these searches:
Finding Literature Books to Check Out
The library uses the Library of Congress call number scheme to put books in order by subject. Books related to literature are in the P areas:
| Call Numbers | Subject Area | Location in Library |
| A | General Encyclopedias | Main Level |
| PL | Oriental Literature (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Oceanic) | Lower Level |
| PN | General and Comparative Literature | Lower Level |
| PN 4+ | World Literature | Lower Level |
| PR | British Literature | Lower Level |
| PS | American Literature | Lower Level |
| PZ | Juvenile Literature | Lower Level |
Literary Research Guide: An Annotated Listing of Reference Sources in
English Literary Studies
“This work should be manacled to the wrist
of every student entering an English Department” (Year’s Work
in English Studies).
Reference Collection: PR 83 .H34 2002
American Writers
Long entries with strong bibliographies. The base set
arranges authors by date. If you don’t see your author, remember
to check the supplement volumes.
Reference Collection: PS 129 .A55
British Writers
Long entries with strong bibliographies. The base set
arranges authors by date. If you don’t see your author, remember
to check the supplement volumes.
Reference Collection: PR 85. B688
Dictionary of Literary Biography
A series of volumes, each covering
authors writing in a particular genre in a particular place and time (e.g.,
American Poets since World War II). The library has only selected volumes
from this series.
Reference Collection: PS 129 .D5
Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
Meanings and origins of
words and phrases - especially good for explaining puzzling allusions.
Reference Collection: PN 43 .B65 1999
A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory
Reference Collection: PN 41 .C83 1998
A Handbook to Literature
Dictionary-style listing of terms pertaining
to literature in English.
Reference Collection: PN 41 .H355 2000
Cambridge Guide to Women’s
Writing in English
Reference Collection: PR 111 .C353 1999
Encyclopaedia Britannica (32 volumes)
A general encyclopedia, so don't expect extensive coverage or entries on more obscure authors.
However, it does provide good overview information on major authors, and articles may give information on
where to find the more influential criticism.
Reference Collection: AE 5 .E363 2007
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online
Encyclopedia of the Novel
Example of an encyclopedia devoted to a particular
literary form.
Reference Collection: PN 41 .E487 1998
Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English
Reference Collection: PR9080.A52 E53 1994
The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
Reference Collection: PN1021 .N39 1993
Oxford Companion to American Literature.
Covers over 5,000 topics related
to American literature.
Reference Collection: PS 21 .H3 1995
Oxford Companion to English Literature.
Shorter entries on authors (including
non-British authors) as well as all aspects of literature in English.
Reference Collection: PR 19 .O94 2000
Cambridge History of American Literature
A multi-volume set, still being
published. Covers the colonial period forward.
PS92 .C34 1994
Columbia Literary History of the United States
A one-volume survey.
PS 92 .C64 1988
Oxford History of English Literature
A multi-volume set, each volume
covering a different genre and time period. Individual volumes are shelved
with other books on their individual subjects.
Contemporary Literary Criticism
Articles first provide information about the authors and their works, then criticism.
Reference Collection: PN 771 .C59
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Literary Theory: Approaches, Scholars, Terms
Reference Collection: PN81 .E63 1993
Encyclopedia of Feminist Literary Theory
Reference Collection: PN98.W64 E53 1997
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism
Print Edition: Reference Collection: PN81 .J554 1994
Online
Edition
Reader’s Guide to Literature in English
Guide to literary criticism. Evaluative descriptions of influential critical writings covering important authors
and numerous literary topics.
Reference Collection: PR 85 .R33 1996
The library subscribes to several collections of online books to supplement the print collection. Some of these books are listed in the Voyager catalog, however, searching the collections themselves allows you to search within the text of books, not just the catalog record.
WorldCat lists books, audiovisual materials, and other items held by some 18,000 libraries worldwide. Its 1.3 billion items may be searched by author, keyword, title, and ISBN.
Once you have found a title you're interested in, you need to check the Hawai‘i Voyager catalog to see if we have the book. Students may obtain books which the UH Hilo library does not have. For more information and instructions on requesting material from other libraries, please see the loans from other libraries page. Restrictions and fees may apply.
The library has access to the full-text of North American theses and dissertations completed since 1997 in Digital Dissertations. Some examples of material available in full-text on that site:
Reevesman, Anne M. 'A Local Habitation and a Name: Local Literatures of Hawai‘i. (University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, 2006).
Yi, Jane H. Asian American Literature in the Age of Globalization: Rethinking Race, Ethnicity and
Nationalism in the United States. (University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, 2005)
In order to find articles in periodicals on a specific topic, use one or more of the library's periodical databases:
Academic Search Premier provides access to more than 20 databases with many full-text articles.
JSTOR provides full-text of 60+ language and literature journals, including American Literature; Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews; English Journal; Journal of American Folklore. Most journals are available from the first volume until five years ago.
Project MUSE Basic
Undergraduate Collection
Full text of more than 100 journals in the humanities and social sciences from numerous scholarly
publishers.
Gale
Literature Resource Center
Up-to-date biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism, and reviews
for almost 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods, and from around the world.
MLA Bibliography(licensed for UHH users only)
A subject index for books and articles published on modern languages, literatures, folklore,
and linguistics. The electronic version of the Bibliography dates back to 1925 and contains over 1.7 million
citations from more than 4,400 periodicals (including peer-reviewed e-journals) and 1,000 book publishers.
Biographies
Plus Illustrated(Access limited to 8 simultaneous users)
More than 111,000 biographies and obituaries and more than 32,000 photographs. Many of the
biographies have full text. The biographies are searchable by name, profession, title, place of origin, gender,
race/ethnicity, titles of works, date of birth, date of death, keyword, and presence of images.
Finding Articles in Print and Online
The vast majority of journals we have available are now online. In order to find out if we have access to a journal, either in print or online, use the “Find Periodicals” box on the library’s homepage. Type in the title of the journal (not the title of the article within the journal).
If we have online access to the journal, a link will be provided to the journals homepage, from which you may find the specific issue and article you’re looking for.
If we have the journal in print, the system will take you to the Hawai‘i Voyager catalog record for the journal, which will tell you what issues we have. Current issues of print journals are available behind the Reference area on the Main Level and are shelved by subject. Periodical Backfiles (back issues) are usually on the Upper Level, shelved alphabetically by title, although some titles are in the Hawaiian Collection on the Main Level.
Some literary titles available for browsing include:
Obtaining Articles from Journals the Library Does Not Have
Students may obtain journal articles which the UH Hilo library does not have. For more information and instructions on requesting material from other libraries, please see the loans from other libraries page. Restrictions and fees may apply.
Intute: Arts and Humanities Formerly Humbul Humanities Hub. An extremely selective offering of links in the humanities. Sites are well described, so Humbul makes a good guide to humanities Web resources. This is part of the Resource Discover Network, which is funded by the British government and operates out of Oxford University.
Literaryhistory.com Covers over 200 19th and 20th century authors. Links to selected Web sites.
Literary Resources on the Net Links to sites dealing with English and American literature.
Modern American Poetry An Online Journal and Multimedia Companion to Anthology of Modern American Poetry.
UH Hilo English Department List of Resources
The Voice of the Shuttle An essential online destination for the humanities. Started by a University of California, Santa Barbara professor in 1994, VoS provides research links in such categories as literature (in English), literary theory, and philosophy.
Great Jobs for English Majors.
General Collection: HF 5382.7 .D43 2000
Great Jobs for Liberal Arts Majors.
General Collection: HF5382.5.U5 C252 1997
Liberal Arts Jobs: The Guide that Turns Learning into Earning.
Reference Collection: Desk 4C: HF5382.5.U5 N25 1998
What Can I Do with a Major In …?
From the Career Services office of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Diana Hacker - Research and Documentation Online
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
General Collection: LB2369 .G53
There is also a copy in the Reference Collection and a copy at the Reference Desk.
Citation Machine - A fill-in-the-blanks tool for creating citations in MLA.
RefWorks - A web-based bibliographic software package. More information about RefWorks.
Bergeron, David Moore and Geraldo U. de Sousa. Shakespeare: A Study
and Research Guide
General Collection: PR 2894 .B44
Harris, L.L. and M.W. Scott, eds., Shakespearean Criticism: Excerpts
from the Criticism of William Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry from the
First Published Appraisals to Current Evaluations
Reference Collection: PR 2965 S43
Magill, Frank N., ed., Magill's
Bibliography of Literary Criticism, Vol
4: Shakespeare to Zola.
Reference Collection: PN 523 M25 v. 4.
McManaway, J.C. and Jeanne Roberts. A Selective Bibliography of Shakespeare:
Editions, Textual Studies, Commentary
General Collection: PR 2894 M23
Sajdak, Bruce T. Shakespeare Index: An Annotated Bibliography of Critical
Articles on the Plays, 1959-1983
Reference Collection: PR 2894 .S25
Wells, Stanley. Shakespeare: A Bibliographical Guide
General Collection: PR 2894 .S5
These two serials provide annual bibliographies:
Shakespeare Quarterly - Includes an annual
bibliography issue.
Periodical Backfiles Collection
Shakespeare Survey - An annual publication with
a bibliography for the year.
General Collection: PR 28888 .C33
Bate, Jonathan. The Genius of Shakespeare
General Collection:
PR 2937 .B38
1998
Greenblatt, Stephan. Will in the World: How Shakespeare became Shakespeare
General Collection: PR 2894 .G74 2004
Honan, Park. Shakespeare: A Life
General Collection: PR 2894 .H65 1998
Andrews, John F., ed. Shakespeare's World and Work: An Encyclopedia
for Students
Reference Collection: PR 2892 .S56 2001
Boyce, Charles and David Allen White. Shakespeare A to Z: The Essential
Reference to His Plays, His Poems, his Life and Times, and More
Reference Collection: PR 2892 .B69 1990
Campbell, Oscar James, ed. The Reader's Encyclopedia of Shakespeare
General Collection: PR 2892 C3
Fox, Levi, ed. The Shakespeare Handbook
Includes chapters
on Shakespeare in performance and on film.
Reference Collection: PR 2976 .S3374
Jackson, Russell. The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film
General Collection: PR 3093 .C36
Wells, Stanley. The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare Studies
General Collection: PR 2976 .C29 1986
Coye, Dale F. Pronouncing Shakespeare's Words: A Guide from A to Zounds.
Reference Collection: PR 3081 .C87
Great Hamlets.
Circulation Desk: Videotape PN 16
Gurr, Andrew. Playgoing in Shakespeare's London.
General Collection: PN 2596. L6 G87
Kermode, Frank. Shakespeare's Language.
General Collection: PR 3072 .K47
Oxford English Dictionary.
Reference Collection: PE 1625 .O87
Playing Shakespeare: The Royal Shakespeare Company. DVDs.
Circulation Desk: DVD PN 1
Spevack, Marvin. The Harvard Concordance to Shakespeare
Reference Collection: PR 2892
.S62
William Shakespeare: Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies.
Lectures by Peter Saccio on six DVDs.
Circulation Desk: DVD PN 2
Internet Public Library's Shakespeare Bookshelf
Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet
Asian American Almanac.
In addition to sections on Asian American ethnic groups and issues concerning
with them, there is a section on Asian American literature and writers.
Reference Collection: E184.06 A824 1995
Asian American Encyclopedia.
More than 2000 entries cover the histories and cultures of Asian American
minorities, as well as their achievements in various fields. An invaluable
source for information on Asian Americans.
Reference Collection: E184.06 A827 1995
Asian Americans Information Directory.
1992
A guide to organizations, agencies, institutions, programs, publications,
and services concerned with Asian American nationalities and ethnic groups
in the U.S.
Reference Collection: E184.06 .A75
Bloom, Harold, ed. Asian-American Women Writers. Philadelphia:
Chelsea House (1997).
Reference Collection: PS 153 .A84 A83 1997 (a second copy circulates from the library's
General Collection)
Contemporary American Ethnic Poets: Lives, Works, Sources. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2004.
Reference Collection: PS 153 .M56 L56 2004
Fister, Barbara. Third World Women's Literature: A Dictionary and
Guide to Materials in English. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1995.
Reference Collection: PN849 .U43 1995
Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English. London, New
York: Routledge, 1994.
Reference Collection: PR9080 .A52 E53 1994
Identities and Issues in Literature. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem Press,
1997.
Reference Collection: PS153 .M56 I34 1997
Liu, Miles Xian, ed. Asian American Playwrights: A Bio-Bibliographical
Critical Sourcebook. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002.
Reference Collection: PS 338 .A74 A9 2002
Multicultural Writers since 1945: An A-to-Z Guide. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2004.
Reference Collection: PN 452 .M88 2004
Nelson, Emmanuel S., ed. Asian American Novelists: A Bio-Bibliographical
Critical Sourcebook. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2000.
Ref. PS 153 .A84 A825 2000
New Immigrant Literatures in the United States: A Sourcebook to Our
Multicultural Literary Heritage. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press,
1996.
Reference Collection: PS153 .M56 N475 1996
Oxford Companion to Australian Literature. Melbourne, New York:
Oxford University Press, 1994.
Reference Collection: PR9600.2 .W55 1994
Oxford Companion to Women's Writing in the United States. New York:
Oxford University Press, 1995.
Reference Collection: PS147 .O94 1995
Wong, Sau-ling Cynthia and Stephen H. Sumida, eds. A Resource Guide
to Asian American Literature. New York: Modern Language Association
of America (2001)
Reference Collection: PS 153 .A84 R47 2001
7 Tutuila Writers. Pago Pago, American Samoa: O Le Si`uleo o Samoa,
1987.
General Collection: PS574 .A5 A15
American Dragons: Twenty-five Asian American Voices. New York:
HarperCollins, 1993.
READ Collection: PZ5 .A51144 1995
Asian-American Women Writers. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers,
1997.
Reference Collection: PS153 .A84 A83 1997
Balaz, Joseph P., ed. Hoomanoa: An Anthology of Contemporary Hawaiian
Literature. Honolulu, HI: Ku Paa Inc., 1989.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571 .H3 H66 1989
The Big Aiiieeeee!: An Anthology of Chinese American and Japanese
American Literature. New York: Meridan, 1991.
General Collection: PS508 .A8 B54 1991
Bruchac, Joseph, ed. Breaking Silence: An Anthology of Contemporary
Asian American Poets. 1st ed. Greenfield Center, NY: Greenfield Review
Press, 1983.
General Collection: PS591 .A8 B7 1983
Carroll, Dennis, ed. Kumu Kahua Plays. Honolulu, HI: University
of Hawaii Press, 1983.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571 .H3 K85 1983
Chin, Frank, ed. Aiiieeeee! An Anthology of Asian-American Writers.
Washington: Howard University Press, 1974.
General Collection: PS508 A8 A4
Chock, Eric and Darrell H. Y. Lum, eds. The Best of Bamboo Ridge; the
Hawaii Writer's Quarterly. Honolulu, HI: Bamboo Ridge Press, 1986.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571 .H3 B47 1986
Chock, Eric, et al, eds. Growing Up Local: An Anthology of Poetry and
Prose from Hawaii. Honolulu, HI: Bamboo Ridge Press, 1998.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571 H3 G76 1998
Chock, Eric and Darrell H. Y. Lum, eds. Pake: Writings by Chinese
in Hawaii. Honolulu: Bamboo Ridge, 1989.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571.H3 P35 1989
Chock, Eric, et al., eds. Talk Story: An Anthology of Hawaii's Local
Writers. Honolulu: Petronium Press, Talk Story Inc., 1978.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571 .H3 T2
Growing Up Asian American: An Anthology. New York: W. Morrow,
1993.
General Collection: PS508 .A8 G76 1993
Hagedorn, Jessica ed. Charlie Chan is Dead: An Anthology of Contemporary Asian American
Fiction.
General Collection: PS647.A75
C48 1993
Hall, Dana Naone, ed. Malama: Hawaiian Land and Water (Bamboo Ridge
issue #29). Honolulu, HI: Bamboo Ridge Press, 1985.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571 .H3 .M34
Hara, Marie and Nora Okja Keller, eds. Intersecting Circles: The Voices
of Hapa Women in Poetry and Prose. Honolulu, HI: Bamboo Ridge Press,
1999.
Hawaiian Collection: PS 571 .H3 B35 no. 76.
Harris, Catherine E. and Barbara Robinson, eds. Sandwich Isles U.S.A.,
a Collection: Fifty Views of Hawaii by Forty-five Authors and Four Artists.
Honolulu: Menehune, 1973.
Hawaiian Collection: DU620.3 .H34
Harstad, Cheryl A. and James R. Harstad, eds. Island Fire: an Anthology
of Literature From Hawai'i. Honolulu, HI: UH Press, 2002.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571 H3 I85 2002
Hiura, Arnold, et al., eds. Talk Story: Big Island Anthology. Honolulu,
HI: Bamboo Ridge Press, 1979.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571.H3 T355 1979
Hongo, Garrent ed. The Open Boat: Poems from Asian America.
General Collection: PS591.A76 O6 1993
Hsu, Kai-yu and Helen Palubinskas, eds. Asian-American Authors.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1976.
General Collection: PS508 .O7 .H8 1976
Kono, Juliet and Cathy Song. Sister Stew: Fiction and Poetry by Women.
Honolulu, HI: Bamboo Ridge Press, 1991.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571 .H3 .B4 1991
Lew, Walter K. ed. Premonitions: the Kaya Anthology of New Asian North American Poetry.
General Collection: PS591.A76 P7 1995
Lim, Shirley, Mayumi Tsutakawa and Margarita Donnelly, eds. Forbidden
Stitch: An Asian American Women's Anthology. Corvallis, OR: Calyx
Books, 1989.
General Collection: PS153 .A84 F66 1988
Lum, Darrell H. Y., et al., eds. The Quietest Singing. Honolulu,
HI: University of Hawaii Press, 2000.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571.H3 Q82 2000
The Politics of Life: Four Plays. Philadelphia: Temple University
Press, 1993.
General Collection: PS628 .A85 P65 1993
Stewart, Frank, ed. Passages to the Dream Shore: Short Stories of Contemporary
Hawaii. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press, 1987.
Hawaiian Collection: PS571 .H3 P37 1987
Stewart, Frank and John Unterecker. Poetry Hawaii: AContemporary Anthology.
Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press, 1979.
Hawaiian Collection: Grandfolio. PS571 H3 P6
Watanabe, Sylvia and Carol Bruchac. Home to Stay: Asian American Women's
Fiction. 1st ed. Greenfield Center, NY: Greenfield Review Press, 1990.
General Collection: PS647 .A75 H58 1990
Cheung, Kink-kok and Yogi, Stan. Asian American Literature: An Annotated
Bibliography. New York: MLA, 1988.
Reference Collection: PS153 .A84 C43 1988
Hiura, Arnold T. and Stephen H. Sumida. Asian American Literature of
Hawaii: An Annotated Bibliography. Honolulu: Hawaii Ethnic Resource
Center, Talk Story, 1979.
Hawaiian Collection: Z1361 O7 H58
Peck, David R. American Ethnic Literatures: Native American, African
American, Chicano/Latino, and Asian American Writers and Their Backgrounds:
An Annotated Bibliography. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem Press, 1992.
Reference Collection: PS153 .M56 1992
Valeros, Florentino and Estrellita Valeros-Gruenber. Filipino Writers
in English: A Biographical and Bibliographical Directory . Quezon
City, Philippines: New Day Publishers, 1987.
Reference Collection: PR9550 .A52 V35 1987
Notable Asian Americans. New York: Gale Research Co., 1995.
Ref. E184 .O6 N67 1995
Asian-American Authors. Hsu, Kai-yu and Helen Palubinskas ed. 1976 PS508 O7 H8 1976
Asian-American Women Writers. Bloom, Harold ed. 1997 Ref. PS153.A84 A83 1997
Kim, Elaine H. Asian American Literature: An Introduction to the Writings and Their Social Context. 1982 PS153.A84 K55 1982
Ling, Amy. Between Worlds: Women Writers of Chinese Ancestry. 1990 PS153.C45 L56 1990
Reading the Literature of Asian America. Lim, Shirley Geok-lin and Amy Ling ed. 1992 PS153.A84 R43 1992
Mookini library has the following print journals that cover Asian American literature.
Amerasia Journal
Holdings: 1971 (v.1) - , current issue displayed: D
MELUS -- The Journal of the Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic
Literature of the United States
Holdings: 1981 (v.8, no.4) - , current issue displayed: PN
Some journals and newspapers which publish primary works of the region are:
Voices from the Gaps: Women Artists and Writers of Color
Asian American Literature: Sources for Research
The Asian American Writer’s Workshop
Voice of the Shuttle -- Asian American
Major authors and illustrators for children and young adults: a selection
of sketches from Something about the author
Reference Collection: PN 497 .M3 1993
St. James guide to children's writers
Reference Collection: PN 1009 .A1 S74 1999
100 most popular picture book authors and illustrators: biographical
sketches and bibliographies
Reference Collection: PS 490 M395 2000
Children's books: awards & prizes: includes prizes and awards
for young adult books
Reference Collection: PN 1009 .A1 C49 1996
Our family, our friends, our world: an annotated guide to significant
multicultural books for children and teenagers
Reference Collection: PN 1009 .A1 1992
literature and child? and criticism
Caldecott Medal
Awarded annually by the American Library Association to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
Nene Awards
Awarded annually by Hawaii's elementary and middle school children, who vote for their favorite fiction book.
Newbery Medal
Awarded annually by the American Library Association to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
Children's Literature
Web Guide
From David K. Brown at the University of Calgary.
International Children’s Digital Library
Literary Resources
on the Net
Links to sites dealing with English and American literature. Try searching for "children".