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British History Sources

Search the Databases

The library's databases are your source for scholarly and academic articles!

Bortz Library subscribes to dozens of academic research databases, covering a wide array of subject matter. These databases provide access to articles from academic journals, magazines, newspapers, and more. 

Recommended Library Databases

Please see a Reference Librarian at the desk on the second floor of the library if you have any questions. We'll be happy to provide more individualized research assistance with your chosen topics.

Search the Library Catalog

Searching through the Bortz Library Catalog will help you find print books, electronic books, movies, and other library resources. Try clicking on the subject terms below to be taken directly to the catalog results, or go straight to our Online Catalog to try searching on your own. 

Library CatalogFind articles, books, AV materials, or online resources:

Catalog Search Tips

  1. Brainstorm potential search terms before you start your research. You're probably going to enter some search terms that don't retrieve the results you want. Having a bank of search terms will help you recover from these moments quickly!
  2. When brainstorming search terms, try to think of different ways to describe the same thing. This will help you cast as wide a net as possible.  
  3. Try to think of both broad and narrow search terms. 
  4. Use the search filters on the results page to narrow your results. You can narrow by publication date, subject, author and more.
  5. Try keyword searching, and avoid phrase searching. Keyword searching is a more flexible way of searching. Just remember to keep it simple, start with entering just a word or two. Here are the results for a keyword search for "horror fiction". 

Reference Works

Reference works are a source of factual information on a particular topic. They are typically referred to for consultation on specific topics rather than read through continuously. Examples of reference books include dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, etc. They can be excellent sources of introductory information.

For introductory information on British history, see the following titles in the Reference Collection (located on the main floor):

  • Ref. DA357 .W34 1999 - Historical Dictionary of the Elizabethan World: Britain, Ireland, Europe, and America
  • Ref. DA34 .O93 1997 - Oxford Companion to British Historyem
  • Ref. DA175 .H56 2002 - Historical Dictionary of Late Medieval England, 1272-1485
  • Ref. DA315 .T753 2001 - Tudor England: an Encyclopedia
  • Ref. DA175 .S382 2000 - A Companion to Medieval England, 1066-1485
  • Ref. DA16 .A8 1989 - Atlas of the British Empire