Literature
This is a Research Guide section for people studying Literature. If you are looking for "reading for pleasure" guides, please visit the Read section.
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You can search among hundreds of thousands of popular fiction and readable nonfiction titles, and also retrieve author read-alikes, book lists, book discussion guides, and more. All of this content is developed by Librarians and reading authorities who are experts in the field.
Magazine, Newspaper, Encyclopedia & Journal Articles
Literature Resource Center
Contains author biographies, bibliographies, critical essays, overviews of literacy works, and links to author-related Web sites. Includes full-text articles from over 250 literary journals and access to numerous literature sources including: Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literature Criticism Select, and Dictionary of Literary Biography. Search by author, title, keyword, authors by type and historical timeline. [Thomson Gale]
This database integrates encyclopedias with related full-text articles from hundreds of periodicals, as well as tens of thousands of images and links to hand-picked web sites. Search for people---both current and historic from all eras and fields of endeavor---based on name, occupation, nationality, ethnicity, birth/death dates and places, as well as keyword and full text. Or, combine search criteria to create a highly-targeted custom search.
See a complete list of recommended information databases for finding literary criticism, author biographies and book recommendations.
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American Literature
Searching for Encyclopedias or Reference Books?
Cyclopaedia of American Literature 
Cambridge History of American Literature
Oxford Companion to American Literature
20th Century American Poetry
Searching for Books?
Books about American literature
Books about American Poetry – history and criticism – 19th century
Books about Modernism (Literature)
Books about Women & Literature – United States – History – 20th century
Searching for Audiovisual material?
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Searching for Literary Criticism?
Using Information Databases, you will find articles published in magazines, newspapers and academic journals that you can’t find using the Internet. All our databases are listed on our website but we recommend you try the ones below first.
*If you are using a computer that isn’t in the library, you’ll be asked to type in your library card number.
- Choose your search by clicking on ‘person’, ‘name of work’ or ‘keyword’. Enter your terms in the search bar, for example: F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Use the ‘name of work’ function for literary criticism on specific titles, for example: The Great Gatsby
- Look at the clickable tabs above your results list for more information.
See all Information Databases.
What are Information Databases?
Recommended Websites
Norton Anthology of American Literature
Other?
Check out these classics as downloadable eBooks:
To Kill a Mockingbird (Spark Notes)
The Old Man and the Sea (Cliff notes)
British Literature
Searching for Encyclopedias or Reference Books?
Literature Resource Centre: British literature
World Book Encyclopedia: British literature
The Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature (5 volumes)
Searching for Books?
Books about British biographers
Books about British cartoonists
Books about British editors
Books about British illustrators
Books about popular British literature
Books about Victorian British women writers
Books about modern British women writers
Searching for Magazine, Journal and Newspaper Articles?
Using Information Databases, you will find articles published in magazines, newspapers and academic journals that you can’t find using the Internet. All our databases are listed on our website but we recommend you try the ones below first.
*If you are using a computer that isn’t in the library, you’ll be asked to type in your library card number.
Literature Resource Center
Search by:
- Author’s name
- Title of work
- Keywords or topics
- Click on Advanced Search
- Do a Subject (SU) search on ‘British Literature’
- Click on the articles most appropriate for your search.
See all Information Databases.
What are Information Databases?
Recommended Websites
Bibliomania - British Women Poets
British Council literature department
The British Council literature department facilitates cultural understanding and exchange through writing and reading projects relevant to audiences
The Norton Anthology of English Literature
Prepared by the Norton Anthology editors, this extensive, freely accessible Web resource for The Norton Anthology of English Literature offers twenty-seven topics for study and discussion
Canadian Literature
Searching for Encyclopedias or Reference Books? 
The Canadian Encyclopedia: Canadian Literature in English
The Canadian Encyclopedia: Biographies of Fiction Writers
The Canadian Encyclopedia: Biographies of Non-Fiction Writers
The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature
The Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada
Canadian Writers and their Works: [essays on form, context and development]: Fiction Series
Canadian Writers and their Works: [essays on form, context and development]: Poetry Series
Searching for Books?
Anthologies of Canadian literature, including poetry, short stories and fiction
Books on history and literary criticism of Canadian literature
Books of Canadian poetry (English)
Governor General’s Literary Award titles
Finding books of biography and literary criticism about individual Canadian authors at the library
- Do a Subject Search using the individual author’s name e.g. W.O. Mitchell
- Add the term ‘Criticism ‘ to the Subject Search e.g. Margaret Atwood and criticism
- Do a Subject Search using the title of a specific title e.g. The Handmaid’s Tale
Searching for Audiovisual material?
Videos about Canadian authors and their works
Searching for Magazine, Journal and Newspaper Articles?
Using Information Databases, you will find articles published in magazines, newspapers and academic journals that you can’t find using the Internet. All our databases are listed on our website but we recommend you try the ones below first.
*If you are using a computer that isn’t in the library, you’ll be asked to type in your library card number.
Literature Resource Center
Search by:
- Author’s name
- Title of work
- Keywords or topics
Canadian Business and Current Affairs (CBCA)
Search for:
- Author’s name under the Topic tab
- Reviews and criticism by title of work
For more articles, also try
Biography Resource Centre
Canadian Reference Centre
See all Information Databases.
What are Information Databases?
Recommended Websites
Canadian Poetry Archive
Selected poems from early English and French language Canadian poets, notable poetry from the 19th and early 20th century, drawn from public domain anthologies in the National Library of Canada. Search by poet, title, keyword or date.
Markham Village Writers
Home page of the Markham Village Writers group whose mission is to inspire each other to write, write, write! Includes Events & Resources, Contests, and Writer's Market information.
In my Community
London Arts Council
The home page of the Arts Council, an umbrella organization for the arts in London, including literature. This site offers arts news and an arts calendar which includes events related to poetry, drama and literature.
London Writers’ Society
This group offers information, support, community and literary exposure for London, Ontario area writers. The group is open to aspiring writers at all levels and meets on the third Thursday of each month.
Poetry
Searching for Encyclopedias or Reference Books? 
The Canadian Encyclopedia: Canadian English Poetry
The Canadian Encyclopedia: Canadian French Poetry
World Book Encyclopedia Online: type in poetry and choose "Research Guide" from the left column to get a list of all the encyclopedia articles related to poetry
The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
Searching for Books?
Books about American Poetry – history and criticism
Books about American Poets – 20th century
Books about Canadian Poetry (London, Ontario)
Books about Canadian Poets – women
Searching for Magazine, Journal and Newspaper Articles?
Using Information Databases, you will find articles published in magazines, newspapers and academic journals that you can’t find using the Internet. All our databases are listed on our website but we recommend you try the ones below first.
*If you are using a computer that isn’t in the library, you’ll be asked to type in your library card number.
Literature Resource Center
Search by:
- Choose your search by clicking on 'person', 'name of work' or 'keyword. Enter your terms in the search bar, for example: Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- Use the 'name of work' function for literary criticism on specific titles, for example: How do I love thee?
- Look at the clickable tabs above your results list for more information
See all information databases.
What are information databases?
Recommended Websites
Bibliomania - Poetry
Canadian Poetry Archive Features selected poems from over 100 early English and French-language Canadian poets. The poems represent some of Canada's notable poetry from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some biographies also included.
In my Community
London Arts Council
The home page of the Arts Council, an umbrella organization for the arts in London, including literature. This site offers arts news and an arts calendar which includes events related to poetry, drama and literature.
London Writers' Society
The home page of the London Writers' Society, a group offering information, support, community and literary exposure for London, Ontario area writers. The group is open to aspiring writers at all levels and meets on the third Thursday of each month.
Shakespeare
Searching for Encyclopedias or Reference Books? 
Twentieth Century interpretations of Hamlet
Twentieth Century interpretations of Julius Caesar
The Royal Play of Macbeth
Twentieth Century Interpretations of Merchant of Venice
The Riddle of Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Searching for Books?
Books with literary criticism of Shakespeare's work
Books about female characters in Shakespeare's plays
Books about villians in Shakespeare's plays
Searching for Audiovisual material?
Audiobooks
Merchant of Venice
A Midsummer Nights dream
Videos and DVDs
Videos and DVDs of Shakespearean Plays
Searching for Literary Criticism?
- Choose your search by clicking on ‘person’,‘name of work’ or ‘keyword’.
- Enter your terms in the search bar, for example: William Shakespeare
- Use the ‘name of work’ function for literary criticism on specific titles, for example: King Lear
- Look at the clickable tabs above your results list for more information.
See all Information Databases.
What are Information Databases?
Recommended websites
Elizabethan Theatre (Encyclopaedia Britanica)
Folger's Shakespeare