Beginning research

  • It is always good to touch base with a librarian at your school.  Check to see if there is an English or Literature specialist and ask for them.  Set up an appointment with him/her to go over access to the databases mentioned below and ask if they can suggest any other books or resources available in your library.

 

Books That May Be Helpful

  • Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book censorship in Schools and Public Libraries Ref  Z658 U5 F64 1994 (Ex. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn)
  • Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book censorship in Schools and Public Libraries – Ref  Z658 U5 F64 2002  (Ex.  The Chocolate War)
  • Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds – Ref Z658 U5 K57 2006 (Ex.:  The Grapes of Wrath)
  • Literature Suppressed on Social  Grounds – Ref Z658 U5 S69 2006 ( Ex.:  To Kill a Mockingbird)
  • Literature Suppressed on Sexual Grounds- REF PN56 E7 S68 2006 (EX. The Handmaid’s Tale)
  • Literature Suppressed on Religious Grounds – REF BL65 C45 B35 2006 (EX. Forever by Judy Blume)

Library of Congress Subject headings to use

    • Public Schools – Censorship – United States
    • Public Libraries – Censorship – United States
    • Censorship – United States

 

Searching through some Journals –

Databases to use

  • LexisNexis (now called Nexis Uni) – just newspaper articles.  Select:  All News (Ex. The Glass Castle) (include Walls)  
  • Newspaper Source  – The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time  
  • Literature Resource Center – great resource to find a lot of literary criticism of your work – focus on work – (Ex.  I Am the Cheese)
  • Academic Search Complete — will also show newspaper articles
  • Google search of your title (include keywords:  censor*, challenge*, banned) – narrow to News – (Be sure to enclose your title in quotes when you search, i.e. “I Am the Cheese” so that it will search that phrase and not the individual words.)

—Daisy Rearick, English and Linguistics Librarian, Truman State University