THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

A Research Guide

What key words will help me find information about this topic?

Where can I find print resources about this topic?

What are some good internet sites about this topic?

 

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SELECTED SOURCES AT PAMUNKEY REGIONAL LIBRARY

 

This guide tells how to find information in the library about THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. If you need assistance, please feel free to ask the Library staff. 

 

 

1. What key words will help me find information about this topic?

 

To find books that can be checked out, choose the SUBJECT search in the online catalog, and type (one at a time) these subjects:

 

• United States History Civil War

• Reconstruction U.S. History

• Individual’s name

•  

You may also want to browse subjects: when in the catalog, choose BROWSE and type in “United States History Civil War 1861-1865”. This will allow you to browse narrower subjects related to the war.

 

 

2. Where can I find print resources on the Civil War in the library?

 

Most of the books will be shelved according to their Dewey Decimal Classification number in the Non-fiction Stacks at:

 

973.7

[Civil War in United States]

 

When you are doing research, make sure that you search in the reference area as well; these books cannot be checked out like the general collection can, but there is a lot of valuable information available.  Some reference books you might look at might include

 

R 973.7 LIB	The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference	Available at Ashland, Goochland, King & Queen, Mechanicsville, Montpelier, and Rockville Branch Libraries.
R 973.703 BOA	The Civil War Dictionary	Available at Ashland and Mechanicsville Branch Libraries.
R 973.7 SIF	Who Was Who in the Civil War	Available at Mechanicsville Branch Library.
R 973.7 WOO	Atlas of the Civil War	Available at Goochland, King & Queen, and Mechanicsville Branch Libraries.
R YA 973.7 BAR	The Civil War and Reconstruction : A Student Companion	Available at Goochland, Mechanicsville, and Upper King William Branch Libraries.
R 973.7 ENC	Encyclopedia of the American Civil War	Available at Goochland and Upper King William Branch Libraries.

 

Your library may not have all these resources available, but other resources will be available — when in doubt, just ask the Library staff.

 

For more in depth information, you may want to visit the Hanover Branch.  As part of the extensive collection of Virginiana at that library, the following is included:

 

R 973.7 WAR

War of the Rebellion: Records of the Union and Confederate Armies

 

 

3. What are some good internet sites about this topic?

 

One place you should check out is our Electronic Resources page.  We offer online reference resources that include General Reference, Student Resources, and Biographical Resources.  Most of these are available to you at home.  If you are logging in from outside the library, you will need your library card number, which you will find on the back of your library card.

 

In addition to the resources the library provides, there are a variety of excellent websites that include information on this topic, such as:

 

Civil War Resources at Virginia Military Institute.

Civil War Photographs from the Library of Congress.

The Crisis of the Union from the University of Pennsylvania.

The American Civil War at Dakota State University.

Women in the Civil War from Duke University Libraries.

 

If you have a particular search term that you would like to use, go to our Rollyo page to search all these resources at once.

 

You may also want to check out the resources at the Internet Public Library. These websites will provide you with reliable information.

 

As always, please feel free to ask a Library Staff member, or email us at Ask a Librarian!

 

 

 

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compiled by the PRL Reference and Training Department (2009)