Book reviews can be used to learn about the book's subject matter, read a critical evaluation of a given book, and identify other books on the same topic. Often a book review appears in a journal, magazine, or newspaper shortly after the book's publication. Some reviews are very brief, offering only a summary of the book's contents, and others can be longer, providing a detailed analysis of the book and information about the author.
Databases
To access the electronic databases you can click on the hypertext link, or from the library homepage select Articles | Research Guides. The hypertext link provided will take you to the A-Z List and you will have to select your database from there.
The following list of databases represents only some of the resources available in a discipline. For additional help in selecting or using these resources please ask a reference librarian.
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Book Index with Reviews (BIR) is a comprehensive database that
provides information on over 3.8 million book titles in a wide
range of formats, including large print, books on tape, etc.
Fiction and non-fiction titles are included in the database,
in all genres. BIR contains over 800,000 full text searchable
reviews from the sources such as: Library Journal, School Library
Journal, Publishers Weekly, CHOICE, and others. Dates:
1800-2020
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Book Review Digest is a reference database that provides review
excerpts and book summaries for current English-language fiction
and non-fiction books for all ages. Abstracting and indexing
are included for more than 112,000 books. This database contains
coverage of more than 109 periodicals, with more than 8,000
new records added per year. Full bibliographic information
is available for every book covered in the database. Indexing
of nonfiction books have received reviews in at least two or
more periodicals indexed in Book Review Digest while fiction
books have received reviews in at least three different periodicals.
Dates: 1983-present
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This subscription database is provided through FirstSearch.
It contains over 4 million records, and is updated weekly.
It describes in-print, out-of-print, and forthcoming fiction
and non-fiction books, audios, and videos from North American
publishers and U.S. distributors and wholesalers. Includes
over 680,000 full-text book reviews from these sources: Boston
Book Review, BIOSIS, Booklist, Bookstore Journal, Choice, Doody’s
Reviews, ForeWord Reviews, Horn Book Guide, Horn Book Magazine,
Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Quill &
Quire, Reference and Research Book News, SciTech Book News,
School Library Journal, University Press Book News and VOYA.
Dates: 1979-present.
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Contemporary Authors provides complete biographical and bibliographical
information on more than 120,000 U.S. and international authors.
Contemporary Literary Criticism--Select collects more than
35,000 critical essays on contemporary authors, with biographical,
critical, principal works, and further study information. Dictionary
of Literary Biography provides nearly 10,000 biographical and
critical essays on the lives, works, and careers of influential
literary figures from all eras and genres Dates
vary.
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News, business, medical and legal information, with full text
and abstracts. Includes foreign news sources, national and
regional newspapers, (not the Chicago Tribune) regional U.S.
news services, radio and television transcripts, federal and
state case law, medical, legislative and industry news, annual
reports from SEC and many other sources. Newspapers are updated
several times daily, and wire services hourly. Click
on News, Arts & Sports,Book Reviews.
Dates vary.
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A bibliographic database that indexes articles and book reviews
in more than 234 key library and information science periodicals
published in the United States and elsewhere. Full-text coverage
for selected periodicals is also included. Books, chapters
in collected works such as conference proceedings, library
school theses, and pamphlets are also indexed. Dates
vary.
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The most comprehensive review coverage of educational media,
along with strong supplemental coverage of entertainment resources.
In addition to coverage of the best reviews in print publications,
Media Review Digest also provides access to reviews and related
resources accessible via the Web -- currently linking to approximately
300,000 full-text reviews. 1989-present.
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NoveList is an electronic readers’ advisory resource that assists
fiction readers in finding new authors and titles. Includes
reviews. Dates vary.
What Do I Read Next?
Featuring over 100,000 recommended titles, What Do I Read Next? Online extends Gale’s popular What Do I Read Next? print series to the online environment. What Do I Read Next? Online cumulates entries from What Do I Read Next?, What Do Young Adults Read Next?, What Do Children Read Next?, What Do I Read Next? Multicultural Literature, What Historical Novel Do I Read Next?, What Inspirational Literature Do I Read Next?, plus thousands of award winners, bestsellers, and librarian favorites. Additionally, What Do I Read Next? Online reaches beyond the scope of the print series to include classic fiction and popular nonfiction. Dates vary.
Internet Sites
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Numerous well-categorized book review web sites. The general
interest review sites include both popular press magazines
and scholarly journals. Subject-specific book review site include
topics such as children, young adults, computing, education,
history,literature, music, mysteries, science, science fiction,
romance, and social science.
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Selection of current books with multiple reviews and author
interviews. Also includes reading guides, bestseller lists
and previews of upcoming publications.
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BookPage is a monthly general interest book review focusing
on new releases. It typically reviews up to 100 of each month's
new fiction, nonfiction, business, children's, spoken word
audio, and how-to books. The searchable archives includes issues
back to 1996.
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This site reviews of books that may be overlooked due to odd
subjects, or unknown authors. The reviews draw on a variety
of publishers and cover a multitude of subjects and genres.
Includes a searchable archive.
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BookSpot.com is a free resource center that simplifies the
search for the best book-related content on the Web
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Provides access to Bowker's complete Books In Print database
of US and Canadian titles, Book Data's complete British Books
in Print database of U.K. titles, Books Out-of-Print, Children's
Books In Print, Forthcoming Books, Bowker's Publisher Authority
Database, Bowker's Complete Video Directory, Words on Cassette.
Includes links to reviews from Publisher's Weekly, Choice,
Library Journal and others.
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H-Net Reviews in the Humanities and Social Sciences is an online
scholarly review resource. The reviews are published online
via discussion networks and the H-Net web site. It makes interactivity
possible, as reviewers, authors and readers engage in discussions
of the reviews online. The Reviews archive is separated into
annual volumes. You can browse through the volumes or use the
search feature to find a particular review.
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Presents a directory of resources related to multicultural
books, focusing on reviews of such books. Notes that the site
is in no way related to the "Multicultural Book Review"
magazine. Lists Coretta Scott King Book Award winners and provides
instructions for those wishing to submit book reviews. Links
to educational and multicultural Web sites, including Latino
Link, Bosphorus Books, and the Multicultural Publishing and
Education Council.