Research Guides: Motown: Recommended Resources

Library Catalog Search

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Search Google Scholar for Articles, Books, etc.

Google Scholar
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites.
Google Magazines
Search Google's digital archive of LIFE magazine and others for images and news coverage.

Borrow from other libraries

If you are searching our Library Catalog, and see that we don't have an item, you'll be able to link to MELCAT (Michigan Electronic Library) to see if another library in Michigan has the item available.

You can also add to your borrowing power, by getting a MI Library sticker on your OneCard.
TIP: if you're not a resident of Detroit, one place you can use your MI Library card, is the Detroit Public Library.
They have rich Detroit resources, including the historical Burton Collection.

MI LIBRARY
Here's a link to information about this program:
https://library.wayne.edu/services/borrowing/milibrarycard.php

LINK TO OTHER LIBRARIES WITH DETROIT RESOURCES

Newspapers

Detroit Free Press (1999-Present) This link opens in a new window
Full text of the Detroit Free Press, 1999-present
Detroit Free Press Historical Full-Text (1831-1922) This link opens in a new window
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Detroit Free Press offers full page and article images with searchable full text. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue.

Detroit Free Press (Microfilm)
Available on microfilm in Purdy-Kresge Library (1858-). Fills in the gap 1923-1998. Ask for assistance at the Reference Desk.
Detroit News (Microfilm)
Available on microfilm in Purdy-Kresge Library (1873- ). Ask for assistance at the Reference Desk.
Detroit News Archive search (1999- )
Use the search to identify a specific article and then locate the article on microfilm at the Purdy/Kresge Library.
The Michigan Chronicle
Contains full-text and citations to articles from Michigan's African-American newspaper from the years 2006 to present. For earlier articles the Purdy-Kresge library has microfilm available.
Detroit News Michigan History
A collection of photos on various aspects of Michigan history including labor, buildings, auto industry.

Background, History & Biography

Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.

Recommended Databases

America: history and life This link opens in a new window
Online version of: America: history and life. Includes full-text of hundreds of journals originally published in paper.
African American Experience This link opens in a new window
An online collection on African American life, The African American Experience is an electronic research tool for African American history and culture. The two primary goals: to provide rock-solid information from authorities in the field, and to allow African Americans to speak for themselves through a wealth of primary sources. Designed under the guidance of leading librarians, this database gives voice to the black experience from its African origins to the present day.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Provides image and full-text online access to back issues of selected scholarly journals in history, economics, political science, demography, mathematics, and other fields of the humanities and social sciences. WSU has perpetual access to the Arts and Sciences I-XV, Hebrew Journals and Sustainability Collections.
Images of America This link opens in a new window
A resource cultivated from Arcadia Publishing's series of local history books. At completion, it will include over 1 million historical images and texts, celebrating the places and faces that give America its spirit and life. All of the images and texts have been indexed to provide an unprecedented level of access into the contents, enabling users to explore the depth of a town's history or to compare the histories of various towns, cultures, ethnic groups, architectural features, and more.

Images of America

Music Databases

Music index. This link opens in a new window
Index of 725 international music periodicals from over 40 countries and in 23 languages. Covers all styles and genres of classical and popular music, sorted by subject and geographic location.
RILM abstracts of music literature This link opens in a new window
Over 200,000 citations on international music corresponding to the printed RILM Abstracts of Music Literature. This file is produced by the Repertoire International de Litterature Musicale. It includes all data from the RILM printed year 1969 to the present.
Oxford Music Online / Grove Music This link opens in a new window
Includes the full text with ongoing updates of The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians, 2nd ed., The new Grove dictionary of opera, and The new Grove dictionary of jazz, 2nd ed. Access limited to three simultaneous users.

The Concert Database
This site is dedicated to documenting as much of Michigan's rich blues, jazz and rock history as possible. Included here are:
◦Concerts that have occurred in Michigan
◦Concerts that Michigan-related bands/musicians have played (worldwide)
◦Recording sessions that have taken place inside & outside Michigan (for MI bands/musicians).
Information can be sorted by Venue, Artist, Date, etc.
NOTE: IT ISN'T NECESSARY TO CREATE A USER LOGIN.

Motown Sound Recordings

Hitsville USA : the Motown singles collection 1959-1971
A boxed set of four CDs. All songs were previously released on the Motown, Tamla, Gordy, Soul, Rare Earth, V.I.P. and Anna labels.
Includes an accompanying booklet with
program notes, essays, and discography.
The Complete Motown Singles
Ten volumes of CD boxed sets. All of the published singles, sides A and B, covering the years 1959-1970 (with the exception of 1966).
They are located in Closed Stacks, but can be requested. They can be listened to in the library only.

MLA Citation Help

Get a quick guide to the MLA style.

MLA Citation Style Help
A guide of resources to help with MLA citation style.
MLA Citation Help from Purdue OWL
Help with other common citation formats for interviews, videos, movies, digital files, and more.

Other Collections & Resources

The Virtual Motor City Project
Find historical images of many Detroit sites. This collection of images from the DETROIT NEWS. Over 800,000 images most of which fall between 1900 and 1980.
Detroit City Poets Oral History Project
Documents the Detroit poetry scene and independent presses that proliferated primarily during the 1960s-1970s. Includes 20 interviews.
The CDs are available for checkout from the Undergraduate Library. The audio files are in the process of being digitized, and will be available online in 2013.

Streaming Video

Kanopy Streaming
Kanopy is an on-demand streaming video service for educational institutions that provides access to more than 15,000 films. Kanopy works directly with filmmakers and film distribution companies to offer award-winning collections including titles from PBS, BBC, Criterion Collection, Media Education Foundation and more.

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Motown: Recommended Resources

Library Catalog Search

QuickSearch

Search Google Scholar for Articles, Books, etc.

Borrow from other libraries

Newspapers

Background, History & Biography

Recommended Databases

Music Databases

Motown Sound Recordings

MLA Citation Help

Other Collections & Resources

Streaming Video

Related Library Research Guides

Resources

Services

Information

Help

Community

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Motown: Recommended Resources

Library Catalog Search

QuickSearch

Search Google Scholar for Articles, Books, etc.

Borrow from other libraries

Newspapers

Background, History & Biography

Recommended Databases

Music Databases

Motown Sound Recordings

MLA Citation Help

Other Collections & Resources

Streaming Video

Related Library Research Guides

Community

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