Welcome to the Dance
Subject Guide!
This
subject guide is intended to be a starting point for your
research on dance topics. Recommended databases, journals,
reference tools, and websites are listed (and linked when
it is an electronic resource) from the menu above.
This Subject Guide was compiled by the library liaison to the
Dance Department,
Krista Knapp.
If you have questions, please use the information below to
contact Krista.
This page was last updated on 4/14/2009.
Jump
to: Books in
Blackwell Library
Subject
Searching
Books from Other USMAI Libraries
Interlibrary Loan Books/Worldcat
Books in Blackwell Library
Search the online
Library Catalog for books in Blackwell Library. You can
search by Title, Author, Subject or Keyword, or you can do a
browse search. The books you can check out say "Stacks" before
the call number and are located on the second floor of the
library. If you feel like browsing, here is a website that
explains Library
of Congress Classification, which is how books are organized
in our library.
These are call number ranges
you might want to browse:
Search Tips
Keyword Searching
It's very important to
remember that our catalog and databases do not search like
Google searches! It will not work to type in a long phrase
with lots of articles and prepositions. So,
here are some helpful keyword hints:
-
Identify simple one or
two-word concepts in your topic.
Example Topic: How are race relations impacted by
rap or hip hop music?
Simple concepts: race, relations, rap, hip hop, music
-
Search your simple
concepts with the word AND. Example: Race AND rap music,
race
AND hip hop. It's often best to start
simply and see the results!
-
Think of synonyms for
your concepts. Example: Instead of race relations, you
might try
racism, minorities, African Americans, social
aspects.
-
Try lots of different
combinations of your search terms! You are unlikely to find
exactly
what you want just by doing one search!
-
Come to the Research
Services desk for help if you get stuck!
Subject Searching
Why would you want to do a
subject search? Well, let's say you were interested in finding
all the books in the library about cats. You might find books
about cats under "Cats," "Kittens," Felines," or a variety of
other keywords. When you search by subject, then all of the
synonyms are accounted for, so "Cats" as a subject would include
all the books about "Kittens" and "Felines" as well. Subjects
can also serve to narrow your search. A keyword search of
"cats" would retrieve all the books that just have a few pages
about cats, whereas a search of the subject "Cats" would
retrieve books where the main focus were those cute, furry
creatures! This
website from MIT might do a better job of explaining it than
I did!
Come on, get creative! You can combine subjects or subjects and
keywords. Remember, joining terms with "OR" will get you "MORE"
results and joining terms with "AND" will narrow your results.
Savvy researchers try lots of different combinations of terms
and discover what yields the best results. Happy searching!
Here are some subjects
related to Dance you might want to try in your searches. This list
might also be helpful if you are stumped with a broad topic and
need to focus it a bit. Copy the term or phrase into a search
box in the
Library Catalog and select "subject" in the left-hand box.
| Ballet |
Ballet -- history |
Ballet dancing |
| Ballet dancers |
Belly dancing |
Ballroom dancing |
| Choreography |
Choreographers |
Dancers |
| Dance -- study and
teaching |
Dance -- history |
Dancing injuries |
| Dancers -- United
States -- Biography |
Dance therapy |
Dance notation |
| Dance --
physiological aspects |
Modern dance |
|
Books
from Other USMAI Libraries
If you are a student,
faculty, or staff member of Salisbury University, you have
access to the library collections of all of the University of
Maryland affiliated universities through our shared library
catalog. To borrow a book from another campus, follow these
steps:
-
Select "Choose Campus"
from the menu at the top
-
Choose a campus or USMAI
for all the campuses
-
Perform the search
-
When you find a book you
want that is not at SU, click on the location link
-
Click the request button
if the item is available
-
Log in with the
information from your Gull Card and complete the request
-
The book will be
available for you to pick up in Blackwell in 3-5 business
days
View
a
short tutorial that shows this process in action!
Books
from Interlibrary Loan/Worldcat
Interlibrary Loan is a great tool that
allows you to borrow a book from libraries outside the USMAI
system. Before you submit a request, make sure that we don't
own the book here at SU or at one of the other USMAI
institutions. If not, you can submit a request through
ILL
Express.
You can also search
Worldcat, which is a huge catalog of materials from
libraries all over the world. If the book you want is in a
library, chances are pretty good you will find it in Worldcat!
If you find the book you want and you know it is not available
at SU or any USMAI campus, then you can click the Find It button
and then request the book through Interlibrary Loan. The
advantage of doing it this way is that you don't have to fill in
all the information about the book!
Click here to go to the
Interlibrary Loan webpage.
For more information, view a
short tutorial about Interlibrary Loan.
Databases
These are databases in which you will find
articles relating to dance. These links will only work
from on campus. For off-campus access, please use
Research Port.
This
short tutorial explains how.
Some of these databases contain full-text
articles, which means that the entire article is available
electronically right there in the database. When full-text
is not available, you should see little gold buttons that say
"Find It". Always click the Find It button to see how to
access non-fulltext articles. See below for more
information about the Find It button.
WHAT DOES THAT CUTE
LITTLE FIND IT BUTTON DO, ANYWAY?
It's a bit like magic,
really. The Find It button does three things:
-
Looks in all of our
databases to see if the document you want is available
full-text in another of our databases. If so, it links you
to it!
-
Links you to the library
catalog when we have the item you want in print or
microform.
-
Links you to ILLiad
(interlibrary loan) so you can borrow the item from another
library if we don't have access electronically or in print.
The Find It button is YOUR
FRIEND!!! Click
here to see the Find It button starring in a short tutorial!
Dance
Journals
This is a list of journals relevant
to Dance that are available in print in the library or
electronically through one of our databases. Please be advised
that this is not a
comprehensive list of journal titles.
For complete records of all the journal holdings, search
catalogUSMAI
or the Periodical Holdings List in
Blackwell Library Reference.
Because holdings
and subscriptions change from time to time, this list may not be
entirely current, but I will do my best to keep it updated. If
you have any questions or problems accessing the journals,
please call or email your friendly Dance Liaison,
Krista Knapp,
or stop by the Reference Desk.
Note:
The links to full text will only work from on campus.
|
Journal Title |
Dates |
|
Dance Magazine |
Print/Microfiche
available in Blackwell Library
Full text available in
Academic Search Complete
|
1959+
1984+ |
|
Dance
Spirit |
Full text available from
Academic Search Complete
|
2001+ |
|
Dance Teacher |
Print
available in Blackwell Library
|
1999+ |
|
Journal of
Physical Recreation, Recreation & Dance |
Print/microform available in Blackwell Library
Full text available from
Proquest Nursing Journals |
1981+
1988+ |
What is a reference tool?
- A reference tool is a resource that
is used to uncover a specific fact or piece of information.
Reference tools are generally not intended to be read
sequentially or cover-to-cover.
- Reference tools contain
specific facts, definitions, overviews, background
information and citations to other
relevant resources.
- Reference tools are helpful
in narrowing a topic.
- Reference tools provide
definitions of concepts.
- Reference tools
include encylopedias, dictionaries,
biographies, bibliographies, handbooks, atlases, maps, and
thesauri.
- Reference tools are a great place to
start research!
- Reference books in Blackwell Library
are located on the main floor and have call numbers that
start with the letters REF.
Reference books are located on the main
floor of Blackwell Library. You can't check them out, but
you can use them in the building or make photocopies. Here
is a list of recommended reference books for Dance:
-
The Encyclopedia of
Dance &
Ballet
REF GV1585 .E53 1977b
-
International Encyclopedia
of Dance
REF GV1585 .I586 2004
-
The Concise Oxford
Dictionary of
Ballet
REF GV1585 .C6 1977
-
The Complete
Guide to Modern
Dance
REF GV1783 .M26
-
Ballet
Plot Index
: a Guide to Locating
Plots and Descriptions
of Ballets and
Associated Material
REF GV1790.A1 S77 1987
-
Biographical Dictionary
of Dance
REF GV1785.A1 C58 1982
-
Technical Manual
and Dictionary of
Classical
Ballet
REF GV1787 .G68 1982
-
History of
Ballet and
Modern
Dance
REF GV1787 .S8
-
The
Ballet Goer’s
Guide
REF GV1787 .C563 1981
-
Dance
Film Directory
: an Annotated and
Evaluative Guide
to Films on
Ballet and
Modern
Dance REF
GV1595 .M89
-
Guide to
Dance in
Film : a Catalog of U.S.
Productions Including
Dance
Sequences, With
Names of Dancers,
Choreographers,
Directors, and Other
Details
REF GV1779 .P37
-
Ballet
Guide : Background,
Listings, Credits,
and Descriptions of
More Than
Five Hundred
of the World’s
Major Ballets
REF GV1790.A1 T47
