English and Comparative Literature

"The purpose of DLB is ... to place the figures in the larger perspective of literary history and to offer appraisals of their accomplishments by qualified scholars."

The award-winning Dictionary of Literary Biography Complete Online provides comprehensive access to the series dedicated to making literature and its creators better understood and more accessible to students and interested readers while simultaneously satisfying the standards of librarians, teachers, and scholars. The series provides reliable information on authors and their works in an easy to understand, engaging format, while placing writers in the larger perspective of literary history.

Content Highlights:

-Reference texts including Beacham’s Research Guide to Biography and Criticism (six volumes), The Oxford Illustrated History of English Literature, and all of MagillOnLiterature Plus
-Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
-Informational texts on numerous literary genres, themes and forms, as well as critical essays on specific works and authors
-Research Guide to Literary Research, Writing and Critical Reading
-Literary glossary featuring more than 1,700 terms
-Lesson plans to support classroom instruction
-Rich multimedia content to enhance curriculum delivery

The Oxford African American Studies Center provides students, scholars and librarians with more than 10,000 articles by top scholars in the field.

The core content includes:

Africana
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895
Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present
Black Women in America, Second Edition
African American National Biography
Dictionary of African Biography
The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Thought

In addition to the full-text of these works, the Center draws on other key resources from Oxford's reference program, including the Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature, the Oxford Companion to Black British History, and selected articles from other major reference titles. Over 2,500 images, more than 450 primary sources with specially written commentaries, and nearly 200 maps have been collected to enhance this reference content. More than 150 charts and tables offer information on everything from demographics to government and politics to business and labor to education and the arts.

A key feature of the Oxford African American Studies Center site is the ongoing editorial program. The site continues to grow with new and updated content added on a regular basis, including the latest biographies from the African American National Biography project and additional primary documents with commentary.

The Oxford African American Studies Center has been created with the latest in online technology to give users a robust and unique research experience. Precise search and browse capabilities allow users to refine their results by specific eras and subject categories. Users can choose to view biographies, subject entries, primary sources, images, maps, or charts and tables when searching or browsing. The site's thematic timelines and Learning Center resources also provide users with powerful tools for navigating the content. Context-sensitive Help pages are available throughout the site to guide users through the features and functionality.

Editor in Chief

Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard University
Read Dr. Gates's Letter from the Editor

On-Campus Link