History

While journal articles are great for specific arguments, books are the foundation of deep historical research. When you're working on a history project, turning to books offers unique advantages that you can't get anywhere else.

• Unmatched Depth and Context: A book gives an author the space to explore a topic comprehensively. You'll find detailed narratives, rich background context, and a thorough analysis that a 20-page article simply can't provide.

• Understanding the "Big Picture" (Historiography): History books often include a review of what other scholars have said on the topic. This helps you understand the major debates and scholarly conversations, which is crucial for framing your own argument.

• A Wealth of Evidence: Books have room to present and analyze a wide range of primary source evidence, showing you exactly how historians build their arguments from the ground up.

Strategies for Finding Books in the Discovery System 

Discovery System is your main tool for discovering books and eBooks. Here are a few effective strategies to get started.

1. Start with a Keyword Search

Begin with a broad search combining keywords relevant to your topic.

• Example: tenement housing Lower East Side or "Progressive Era" AND women

2. Use Filters to Narrow Your Results

After you search, the results page can be overwhelming. Use the click on "All Filter" filter under the search bar, then on the left click on "Source Types" and select "Books"& "ebooks", click Apply. This will instantly remove articles, videos, and other formats, allowing you to focus. You can choose to see physical books, e-books, or both.

3. Mine the Subject Headings for More Books

When you find one book that looks perfect, don't stop there! Open its record in the Discovery Search System and scroll down to the "Details" section.

• Look for the "Subject" headings. These are official tags assigned to the book.

• Click on a subject heading that matches your topic (e.g., "Immigrants -- New York (State) -- New York -- Social conditions").

• Discovery Search System will show you every other book in the system tagged with that same exact subject, leading you to a highly relevant list of sources.

Books on history have call numbers starting with D 1 and ending with F 3799: