THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
School of Information
Information Resources in the Humanities
Literature Worksheet, Word format
For each of your assigned questions, please provide:
A. An analysis of the question. An acceptable response here would be to (a) highlight clues in
the question (you may underline or use a highlighter or use bold type); (b) provide a short
statement summarizing the clues.
B. Outline a search strategy, including subject headings you may have used that were successful.
You may number your steps. These need not be full sentences.
C. Provide an answer to the question. It is acceptable to provide page numbers for lengthy
responses.
D. Full citation to source, including call number.
E. Verify your answer in one other source.
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1. I would like to locate the name of the Swedish author who wrote a series of novels about
Swedish immigrants to Minnesota and also a novel about letters Swedish immigrants wrote
home.
2. I'm in a bibliography class and recently read a reference to lapidaires. What are they?
3. I need to identify three sources of information about American author, Susan Fenimore
Cooper.
4. I'm trying to locate a lengthy essay on Southern gothic literature with a list of representative
works.
5. I would like some articles in English on the influence of haiku on Ezra Pound.
6. What is macaronic poetry?
7. I would like to locate a map showing the distribution of the Algonquin languages.
8. I need a synopsis of the Irving novel, "A Prayer for Owen Meany." And, some citations for
further reading about this work.
9. I would like to locate an article on metaphors in the dreams of deaf people.
10. I need to identify three sources of information about author Keri Hulme.
11. I would like a list of Sherman Alexie's poems that have been published outside his own
separate books of poetry.
12. I need a list of contemporary Nigerian poets.
13. I need to locate a brief essay about Chukchi literature.
14. I need to locate three sources of information about playwright Sam Shepherd.
15. I need a few articles about Martin Amis's novel, "Money."
16. I've been told that I have a nasal twang. Can you give me a phoenetical definition of "nasal"?
17. I need to locate five sources that provide biographical and/or critical information about
Faulkner.
18. I need a few articles in English about American gangster films
19. I am writing a scholarly paper on early American children's book author, Kate Wiggin. What
libraries have copies of her early editions of "The Birds' Christmas Carol."
20. I am trying to understand Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Lottery." Can you help me find
some interpretations.
21. I'm writing a short story and need a word for a pile or heap of manure.
22. I need three resources about 18th century author, Phillis Wheatley.
23. I need some journal articles in English about The Simpsons and satire.
24. What's bob 'n wheel poetry?
25. I need to locate original reviews of Oscar Wilde's, "A House of Pomegranates."
26. I love to read science fiction. I am a fan of Frank Herbert's "Dune" series. What other
authors/titles might I enjoy?
27. I would like to read about language isolates, languages not related to others. Also, a map of
where these languages occur in the world.
28. I would like to locate articles about literacy programs for American Indians.
29. I need to find a facsimile photocopy of Daniel DeFoe's 18th century one page article about a
"nettle."
30. I need to locate five sources of biographical and /or critical information about Chekov.
31. I would like a list of children's book authors from New Zealand.
32. I need to find an essay on the dance language of honey bees.
33. What does the phrase, "eat crow" mean?
34. I need to locate four sources of biographical and/or critical information about British author,
Muriel Spark.
35. I would like to find journal articles on the gay characters in television.
36. I want to find an article that discusses proverbs in the "Hobbit."
37. I've heard that Hardy based the characters in his novel, "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" on real
people. Who was Angel Clare based on?
38. I recently attended a meeting of the NEMLA, the North East chapter of the Modern
Language Association. I heard a number of speakers use the word, discourse. What does it
mean?
39. I need to locate four sources of information about George Orwell.
40. I need articles about Tim O'Brien's book, " Lake of the Woods."
41. My grandmother says she knows a story about a dickety-boo. I'm afraid to ask! What is it?
42. I would like to identify some poems about ducks and/or lemmings. (These can be separate
poems!)
43. Eighteenth century colonial thinker Thomas Paine wrote under a pseudonym. What was it?
44. I would like to locate five sources of biographical and/or critical information about author,
Larry McMurtry.
45. I need some articles that discuss bisexuality in Shakespeare.
46. I would like to gather some information about the author of "Whale Rider," New
Zealand/Aotearoa author Witi Ihimaera.
47. I need to give a presentation on Marquez's novel, "Love in the Time of Cholera." How do I
pronounce the names of the characters in this book?
48. I want to locate some articles about Eudora Welty's short story, "Why I Live at the P.O."
49. For my "Literature of the Commonwealth" class I've been asked to find out who the Corn
Law Rhymer was.
50. I would like to find an online Shakespeare glossary.
51. I would like to locate five sources of biographical and/or critical information about author,
Amy Tan.
52. I need to compile a core list of journals in linguistics for a collection evaluation project.
Where can I start?
53. My grandfather says that when he went to school he wore laceaways and lacebacks. What
does this mean?
54. George Ancona wrote a picture book about powwows. I'd like know something about this
author. First, is he an American Indian?
55. I need some articles on reasoning in deaf children.
56. I'm trying to locate an anti-war poem by e.e. cummings that begins with a line like, "my
sweet young etc."
57. Where did the phrase, "blondes have more fun" come from?
58. I would like a list of the characters in Louise Erdrich's novel, "Love Medicine."
59. I would like to locate five sources of biographical and/or critical information about Emily
Dickinson.
60. I'm writing a paper on fiction related to the Korean War. I can use anything!
61. My community group is planning a fundraiser, featuring dogs as a theme. I would like to
locate some short stories featuring dogs.
62. I would like to locate five sources of biographical and/or critical information about poet,
Sylvia Plath.
63. I am going to introduce Pat Mora at a meeting and I need to know something about her. I'd
like a list of her books of poetry, children's books, and some quotes by her.
64. I need to locate some articles about truth in storytelling.
65. I have to write a paper on Coleridge's poetry and I need to understand the concept of
"organic unity."
66. I need to locate an article about the keres language, one of the indigenous languages of the
Southwest.
67. I would like to locate five sources of biographical and/or critical information about Mexican
author, Carlos Fuentes.
68. I need to locate some background information on Beat Poetry.
69. I would like to locate some articles about group-authored storytelling for children.
70. A patron would like to read a summary of the plot for the play, "Who's Afraid of Virginia
Woolf."
71. I need to locate three biographical and critical resources on Graham Greene.
72. I need to locate some articles on American Indian language immersion programs.
73. I need to locate three biographical and/or critical resources about Tom Wolfe.
74. I need to locate some articles on teasing and verbal aggression.
75. I need to locate four biographical and/or critical resources about Margaret Atwood.
Questions for all students:
76. Identify an actual reference request related to some aspect of this discipline. How would
you answer this question? What resource(s) would you use?
77. Locate an Internet source related to this discipline. This source may be an electronic
discussion list, electronic journal or newsletter, or Web page. Be prepared to describe, briefly,
the content of the source and indicate how you might use it in a reference situation. You may
want to demonstrate the site.