Guides to Resources on Africa
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General Histories and Browsing Areas
- African Studies Series
• Location(s): Wilson 960 Af832
- NOTE:
Browsing in the 960 section of the Dewey Decimal materials (third floor) and in the
DT section of the Library of Congress books (basement) will turn up more (but not all) general histories.
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Chronologies
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Handbooks, Dictionaries, and Encyclopedias
- Historical Dictionaries, by Country
In addition to the dictionaries and encyclopedias above, the Africanist should be aware of an ongoing series,
called African Historical Dictionaries, published by Scarecrow Press. Over forty African historical dictionaries
have appeared so far. The most recent editions of these are found in the reference room in Wilson Library,
while older editions may be found in the Wilson Library book stacks. Volumes in this series are entitled
Historical Dictionary of...(name of country). Following is a list of current volumes in the series,
with their library call numbers.
- Other Historical Dictionaries
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Historical Atlases and Guides to Place Names
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Bibliographies
A note on locations --
Bibliographies may be found both in the book-stacks of Wilson Library and in the reference room.
Bibliographies with call numbers which begin with 016 are located on the second floor of Wilson Library.
Those which begin with Wilson Ref, Wilson Reference, or Wilson REF are located in the reference room.
Those which lack the Ref notation are located by call number in the regular book stacks, not in the reference room.
- Africa Since 1914: A Historical Bibliography
Selected from the ABC-Clio information database, this work cites publications from 1973-1982.
For publications since 1982 consult Africa section of ABC-Clio bibliography
Historical Abstracts Part A 1450-1914. (Wilson Reference quarto D299 .H51x) and Part B 1914- .
(Wilson Reference quarto D421 .H5x), also available on CD-ROM in Wilson Reference.
• Location(s): Wilson quarto DT351 .A365x 1985
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- New Series: African Special Bibliographic Series
- Black African Literature in English: A Guide to Information Sources
Lists 3,300 books, articles, and theses about black African literature in English. Genre and topical studies are followed by works on 400 individual authors. Does not list works of literature unless they include substantial critical introductions.
• Location(s): Wilson Reference PR9340 .L56x 1979,
Supplements available: Wilson Reference PR9340 .L56x 1979, 1989
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Guides to Published Source Material
- Semper ex Africa: A Bibliography of Primary Sources for Nineteenth-century Tropical Africa
as Recorded by Explorers, Missionaries, Traders, Travelers, Adventurers and Others
• Location(s): Wilson Reference quarto DT351 .H47x 1972
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Country and Regional Bibliographies
- General Bibliographies
ABC-Clio Information Services and Clio Press has a World Bibliographical Series with
publication plans to provide a bibliography of "annotated entries" for each country citing
"works dealing with its history, geography, economy," etc. The volumes published to date
for African nations are noted below in an alphabetical listing by country showing date of
publication, compiler(s) and call number.
- Die franzosische Afrikapolitik: Auswahlbibliographie =
La politique africaine de la France: bibliographie selectionnee =
French Policy in Africa: a Selected Bibliography
• Location(s): Wilson quarto DT33.7 .B78 1988
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Simbabwe: Geschichte, Politik, Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft: Auswahlbibliographie = Zimbabwe: History, Politics, Economics, Society: A Selected Bibliography, Country and Regional Bibliographies Zimbabwe
• Location(s): Wilson Reference quarto DT962 .B38x 1984
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
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News Summaries and News Magazines
*Indicates news summary or reporting service. Location is Periodical Room,
Wilson Library Basement, unless otherwise noted.
- Africa Contemporary Record
Published since 1968, includes essays by specialists on current issues and developments, country-by-country review of events, and reprints of important documents
• Location(s): WILSON Reference DT1 .L43
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Keesings Contemporary Archives
Provides details on political and economic events in countries of the world.
Discussion often includes maps, charts, etc.
• Location(s): Wilson Reference Quarto D410 .K4
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Daily Report: Middle East and North Africa
Includes translations and reprints of news articles, broadcasts,
speeches, and other current reports from Africa.
• Location(s): Wilson Library Gov Pub (Ref Indexes) Quarto DS41 .U54a
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Daily Report: Sub-Saharan Africa
Includes translations and reprints of news articles,
broadcasts, speeches, and other current reports from Africa.
• Location(s): Wilson Library Gov Pub (Ref Indexes) Quarto DT348 .D35
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
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Periodical Indexes
- General
In addition to the general indexes available through LUMINA, this selected group of general
social sciences and humanities indexes are useful for finding journal articles on African history.
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Selected Current Periodicals
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Guides to Book Reviews
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Theses and Dissertations
- Namibia in Theses and Dissertations: A Bibliography on all Aspects of Nambian Concern Including German Colonial Policy and International Law 1851- 1984
• Location(s): Wilson Reference DT703 .H54x 1985
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
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Microform Resources
- Access to the hidden library: Microform source materials
Many times researchers are not aware of the many historical sources available to them in a large general library,
such as Wilson Library. Often this is because these materials are found in a format other than the
familiar books and periodicals, are kept in a special area, or are not readily accessible through the library's catalog.
Yet microform collections, (microfilm, microfiche) make historical source material available which would otherwise
be inaccessible. They are a rich resource for the researcher in history. Individual items in microform collections
are often not listed in the library's catalogs; however, the collections themselves are often based
on bibliographies of historical sources.
It is wise to search for relevant microform projects in the early stages of planning for a
project in African history. Here are some resources to help in the process:
- Guides to Microform Collections
- Microform Collections for Historical Research in Twin Cities Libraries: An Annotated Guide
A guide to microform sets available in Wilson Library and elsewhere
• Location(s): Wilson Reference Gov Pub -- quarto Z1033 .M5 W35x 1989 ;
Wilson Reference Quarto D5 .W34x 1989
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Microform Research Collections: A Guide
A valuable guide to the major resources available in microform. Includes description of the scope of the collection, how it is indexed, the form in which it is likely to be entered in a library's catalog, etc.
• Location(s): Wilson Reference quarto Z1033 .M5D64 1984
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Handbook. The Center for Research Libraries
Includes sections listing its many microform collections. These are readily available through interlibrary loan.
Some of these collections are also available in the U. of M. Library. Additionally, the Center will purchase
some kinds of archival materials upon demand.
• Location(s): Wilson Library Quarto Z733 .C52345
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Microform Collections in Wilson Library include:
- CIA Research Reports, Africa, 1946-1976
Reports compiled in order to provide the President and his advisers with accurate information upon which to base strategic decisions
Guide: Lester, Robert. CIA research reports: Africa, 1946-1976. Frederick, Md., University Publications of America, 1983.
Location: Wilson Reference DT30. L47x 1983
• Location(s): Wilson Library Mfilm 3244 Non-Circulating
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
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Guides to Libraries, Archives, and Manuscript
- Subject collections : a guide to special book collections and subject emphases as reported by
university, college, public, and special libraries and museums in the United States and Canada
• Location(s): Wilson Reference Quarto Z731 .A78 1993
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Library Catalogs
The catalogs of special and unique library collections of materials are very useful
in any information search. Pamphlets and chapters of books in addition to books
and periodical articles are often listed in such catalogs.
- African history and literatures; classification schedule, classified listing by call number, chronological listing, author and title listing
• Location(s): Wilson Library Quarto DT20 .H37x 1971
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Handbook of American Resources for African Studies
Includes library and museum collections, church and missionary archives, manuscripts, and business archives.
• Location(s): Wilson Library DT3 .D85x 1967
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Strategies for Finding Guides to Archives and Libraries
Browsing in the folio section of the ReferenceRoom and in the CD sections of the reference room and
general book-stacks will turn up some published guides to archives and library catalogs.
- To search for these more formally look in LUMINA under the following subjects:
- Archives--(Place)
- Manuscripts--(Place)
- (Name of place)--Archival Resources
- (Subject)--Archives
- Oral History--Phonotape Catalogs
- (Subject)--Library Resources
Or, if you know the specific archive or library you are interested in, look under its name or location (as AUTHOR).
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Government Publications
For the Africanist, publications of government agencies are often a significant source of information about colonial and post-colonial history.
Many government publications of historical interest are located in the book stacks of Wilson Library. Part I, Section B of this guide describes how to use MNCAT to find these government publications. However, other government materials housed in or serviced by the Government Publications Library on the fourth floor of Wilson Library may not be listed in MNCAT. Access to these is via the catalogs and indexes located in the Government Publications Library or the Reference Room.
Catalogs and indexes of African government publications also aid in finding out about materials which may be available via interlibrary loan from libraries elsewhere.
- Guides to African Government Publications
- United States and Africa: Guide to U.S. Official Documents and Government-sponsored Publications on Africa, 1785-1975
• Location(s): Wilson Library Gov Pub (US Docs) LC 1.12/2:Af 8/2/785-975 and Wilson Reference DT3 .W5x 1978
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- United States and Sub-Saharan Africa: Guide to U.S. Official Documents and Government- sponsored Publications, 1976-1980
• Location(s): Wilson Reference DT3 .W59x 1984 and Wilson Library Gov Pub (US Docs) LC 41.12:Un 3
• Check MNCAT Record for Location and Availability
- Southern and Central Africa
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Center for Research Libraries
- Cooperative Africana Microform Project (CAMP)
The Cooperative Africana Microform project (CAMP) is a cooperative project administered by
the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) dedicated to increasing access to research materials
in support of the study of Africa. CAMP has two inter-related functions (1) to maintain a repository
of microforms of rarely held African materials, and (2) to carry on original microfilming of such materials.
- Borrowing:
The microfilms held at CRL may be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan Services
at the University of Minnesota Libraries.
A catalog of materials in the CAMP collection is in the Reference Collection:
- Other CRL Holdings
In addition to CAMP materials, the Center for Research Libraries also
collects many other items of potential interest to historians.
- These include:
- Newspapers
- Foreign dissertations
- Archival materials in microform
- Microform research collections
- Government documents
- For more information, consult the following:
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Internet Resources
- Discussion Group
H-Africa
- African History. A scholarly, moderated electronic discussion group.
To subscribe, send subscribe message to LISTSERV@uicvm.uic.edu
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