HISTORY 201: The Historian's Craft: History of the Suburb in USA (Spring 2024) : Find Books

Books often provide background and comprehensive information about a topic.  To find books and more on your topic, search the Library Catalog. 

A call number is like an address; it tells you where the book is located on the shelf. Each item in the library has its own unique call number which is attached to the book's spine.

The Library of Congress arranges materials by subject: 

• The first section of the call number represents the subject of the book.
• The second section often represents the author's name.
• The last section is the date of publication.

This graphic shows how to read a call number to help you locate a book on the shelf in the library. 

Memorial Library and the Wisconsin Historical Society Library are the two main libraries on the UW-Madison campus for library resources about history and historical documents.  Wisconsin Historical Society Library has materials related to North American history including the United States and Canada.  Memorial Library has materials about the rest of the world.  Another location with primary source materials is the Special Collections Department on the 9th floor of Memorial Library. 

1) In the library catalog, use search terms relevant to your topic 

2) Adjust search terms to find better sources based on what results you get

3) Limit to the library in which you want to find the resources or be prepared to request an item to be sent to another library. 

4) Check to make sure the item is available

5) Find and note the location information for the item (library, call number)

6) Use a stack guide if needed to find the item in the library

The Library Catalog has subject terms or headings. These are terms that describe the contents of books. They come from a standard list.  They are a bit like social media hashtags and can help you find sources on a similar topic. The subject headings can be a source of keywords or search terms.

A few subject terms or headings relevant to this course:

Suburbs -- United States

Suburbs -- United States -- History

Suburban life -- United States 

Suburbanites -- United States -- History -- 20th Century

Automobiles --United States -- History -- 20th Century

Automobiles -- Social aspects -- United States

Housing -- United States -- History

Suburban life in motion pictures

Surburban life on television

Discrimination in housing -- United States

Discrimination in housing -- United States -- History -- 20th century

Suburban African Americans 

Suburbs -- Political aspects