Finding Sources - Pre-Colonial African History: 129:163:001 - LibGuides at University of Iowa Libraries

Introduction

The University of Iowa Libraries homepage is your gateway to library resources including the InfoHawk Catalog, journal article databases, electronic journals and books, reference materials, and many more web-based resources.

Smart Search (see widget below) is a tool for conveniently searching the InfoHawk Catalog (for books and videos) and a number of other digital resources. Note: Physically browsing in either Reference or the Main Stacks, such as in the DTs (African history) is another great search strategy. To see other call number ranges relevant to African Studies, see the Library of Congress Classification Outline.

Use the InfoHawk Catalog or Smart Search to look for travel narratives in the Main Library. You can also find electronic full-text of travel narratives published before 1923 using the Google Books advanced search screen.

To locate secondary literature on African societies, do keyword searches in the InfoHawk Catalog AND the recommended databases listed under the "Databases -- Finding Articles" tab above.

Getting Started: Key Print Resources

Literature of travel and exploration : an encyclopedia - Jennifer Speake, ed. 3 vols. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2003.

Call Number: Main Reference Collection. Folio G465 .L565 2003

ISBN: 1579582478

“More than 600 alphabetically arranged entries—ranging in length from 1,000 to 5,000 words—each include an essay analyzing current thinking about a particular subject, as well as a thorough bibliography of source material that gives students and researchers a starting point for further study”.

African historical dictionaries. - Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Very useful resources for locating specific information about people, places and events. Most are located in the Reference Room in the DTs, but some will be found in the circulating collection.

The journal of African travel writing. - Chapel Hill, N.C.: 1996-

Nos. 2, 5-9 are available in print in the Periodicals Reading Room.