MONT 199C-F09: Realism & Contemporary Issues (Santos)

>> Click here to open the search worksheet. <<

The link will prompt you to make a copy of a Google Doc. You will need to be logged in to your Holy Cross Google account.

Background Information

Start by finding general information about the film, including:

• Year of release
• Country of production/release
• Director
• Writer
• Production company
• If it was based on anything
• Setting and time period of the film

Do some background research on the social issue or topic that connects with the film. 

• What time period is relevant?
• Are there any key events, leaders, or groups to be aware of?
• What issues does the film address?
• Who is affected by this issue?

Search Tips

• Put the name of the film in quotation marks (i.e., "The Florida Project" or "Crazy Rich Asians"). This prompts the database to search for the whole phrase, rather than individual words.
• Include the name of the director in your search. If you are not getting results for the specific film title, the director's name may show you more general sources about their work, style, or filmmaking.
• For film titles that are more generic (i.e., Her, Logan), connect them with the word film by using AND: logan AND film will search for results that have both the word Logan and the word film. You can also use AND to add in a director's name: logan AND james mangold.
• Scholarly sources take time to write and publish. If you are studying a film that was released in the last few years, you may not be able to find many academic sources about that specific film. In that case, you will want to search for sources related to the social issue addressed in the film.

Cross Search

CrossSearch is a one-stop search tool that lets you search most of the informational resources available through the library, including:

• Books, ebooks, archival materials, media and music scores owned by the Holy Cross Libraries.
• Research databases like Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, ARTstor and ProQuest Central.
• E-journal collections like JSTOR and ScienceDirect.
• The Holy Cross digital repository CrossWorks.
• Open Access collections such as HaithiTrust Digital Library

CrossSearch looks in many different places and for many different types of sources. In one search, you might find results for academic journal articles, books in the library’s collection, films, newspaper articles, and more. This can be a good place to start if you want to find a broad scope of the resources available on your topic. However, because CrossSearch includes so many types of resources, you might find you need to filter these results more than you would in a more specific database.

CrossSearch is best accessed through the library home page (www.holycross.edu/academics/libraries).

About Databases

A database is a collection of information that is arranged and tagged for easy searching and retrieval. Think of a database like an online storage container: It stores different publications, journals, books, magazines, and newspapers and makes it possible for you to access them. The library subscribes to over 300 databases that are available for Holy Cross students to use. Visit our A-Z Databases list to see what is available.

General Databases

General databases include information and journals that cover many subjects and academic fields. These can be a good place to start if you’re not sure what subject your topic falls under, if your topic is interdisciplinary and falls under multiple subject areas, if you want to see perspectives from different fields about your topic, or if you simply want to find general information.

To find general databases, go to the A-Z Database List. In the dropdown menu labeled "Subjects," select "_General" and click "Search." You will see a list of general databases, with some highlighted as "Best Bets." Some general databases are listed below.

Subject Databases

Subject databases include journals and publications from a specific academic field. They may include a number of different publications, but they are all within the same academic area. These can be helpful if you want to look at one specific subject or field.

To find subject databases, go to the A-Z Database List. In the dropdown menu labeled "Subjects," select your subject area and click "Search." Some English databases are listed below.

Use the Library Catalog to find print books, print journals, and ebooks in the library's collection. Access the Library Catalog search through the library home page (www.holycross.edu/academics/libraries). Above the search bar, select "Library Catalog." To use more advanced searching options, click on the "My Library Account" link below the search bar to go directly to the catalog, where you can search by keyword, title, subject, or call number. 

Books on the shelves are organized by call number. A call number is an address for a book that tells you where the book is located on the shelf. Call numbers identify different subject areas, so books with similar call numbers will cover similar subjects. This way, when you find a book on the shelf, you know the books around it are on similar topics.

When you look up a book in CrossSearch or the Library Catalog, the call number will be listed with the book details.

You can download a map of the Dinand Library stacks below.

Newspaper and Magazine Databases

The Library subscribes to over 300 databases to give you access to a variety of resources. Many of these databases include newspapers and magazines, from historical publications to current publications. To see a list of newspaper and magazine databases, visit the A-Z Database List. Click on the "Types" dropdown menu and select "Newspapers & Magazines," then click search. The list will filter to show all newspaper and magazine databases, with descriptions of their content and the time period they cover.

These vary from databases that include single publications (such as the Worcester Telegram & Gazette Current, which includes articles published in the Worcester T&G from 1989-present) and collections of multiple publications (such as U.S. Newsstream, which includes current and historic articles from a number of national newspapers).

News Subscriptions

Holy Cross students, faculty, and staff are provided with subscriptions to some news sources outside of library databases. These subscriptions allow you to create an account and access the regular site for that publication instead of going through a library database.

Newspaper Databases

Magazines

Holy Cross Libraries provide access to many current magazines and magazine archives through our databases. Use the links below to access, or search for a specific magazine using the Browse E-Journals feature.