Comparative Literature
This guide provides a general introduction to Library resources relating to Comparative Literature.
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The web link below takes you to the up-to-date information about access to the Library collections, facilities and services, and how to get further help.
About this guide
This guide serves as a starting point to find Library and information resources for the study of Comparative Literature in Edinburgh.
Table of Contents:
Related subject guides
Subject Guides from other disciplines may offer useful information, depending on the area of your research interest.
Non-discipline specific guides:
See also :
Overview
Edinburgh University Library has rich collections of primary and secondary sources in various physical and electronic formats to support the teaching, learning and research in Comparative Literature. The Library is pround to have supported the learning, teaching and research of the oldest department of English Literature in the world for nearly 250 years. We also have tens of thousands of literary works created in major European, East Asian and Middle Eastern languages which are supplemented a significant amount of secondary resources such as reference works, bibliographies, dissertations, newspapers, audio-visual materials, as well as literary translations.
Most of these physical collections are located in the Main Library, George Square. Electronic resources can be accessed by University staff and students at any time on and off campus.
The cross-national and interdisciplinary nature of Comparative Literature means that you may also want to visit other library subject guides suggested in the Related Subject Guides section.
Top resources for Comparative Literature
- Companion to comparative literature, world literature, and comparative cultural studies This link opens in a new windowThe collected volume Companion to Comparative Literature, World Literatures, and Comparative Cultural Studies - edited by Steven Tötösy de Zepetnek (Purdue University) and Tutun Mukherjee (University of Hyderabad) - is intended to address the current situation of scholarship in the discipline of comparative literature and the fields of world literature and comparative cultural studies in a global context.
- Contemporary literary and cultural theory : the Johns Hopkins guide This link opens in a new windowThis work offers a clear, accessible, and detailed overview of the most important thinkers and topics in the field. Materials include newly commissioned articles along with essays drawn from The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism, known as the definitive resource for students and scholars of literary theory and for philosophical reflection on literature and culture.
- Gale Literature This link opens in a new windowGale Literature searches criticisms, biographies, and/or original literary works, along with overviews on works, authors, and literary topics, primarily in literatures in English.
- MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new windowThe MLA Bibliography indexes materials on literature, languages, linguistics, film and folklore, excluding book reviews. Access to citations from journals and series published worldwide, as well as books, essay collections, and dissertations.
- ProQuest One Literature This link opens in a new windowProQuest One Literature contains the full text of thousands of literary works by writers from around the world, literary criticism and reference works.
How to find items in your reading list
Use DiscoverEd to search for books, journals, journal articles, DVDs and other physical and electronic items. Use your University Login to sign into your account and manage loans and requests.
Use Resource Lists to find your course reading lists. Lookup reading lists by list title, course title, course code, course instructors. Use the 'Subject' dropdown selection list to browse all the Resource Lists in your subject area such as 'English Literature' (displaying only the first 100 matching lists).
Please note that not all the courses at the University use Resource Lists.
Accessing material beyond the Library collections
If the library does not have what you want then there are several ways of getting access to the material:
The National Library of Scotland
Conveniently located within ten minutes' walk of the University's Main Library, the National Library of Scotland (NLS) holds huge collections of primary and secondary source matierials relating to literature.
The Inter-Library Loan (ILL) Service
This allows you to request material either held at distant university library sites including the University Collections Facility, or material not held by the university.
Book Recommendations
If you are unable to find the book that you need for your studies then use the Student Request a Book (RaB) service to recommend a purchase.
Visit another library
It may be possible (and sometimes quicker) to visit another library in the UK to get access to the item you require. Some reciprocal schemes and agreements allow our staff and students access to some other libraries.
See also:
Librarian
Highlights of Library collections on English Literature
Mr William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories and Tragedies, 1632
Special Collections JY 440
Romeo and Juliet. Second quarto, 1599
published during Shakespeare's lifetime - which was presented to the University by the poet William Drummond in 1626. Special Collections De.3.73*