Tuesday, June 17, 2008

New database: Literature Criticism Online

The News
We now have access to a new Gale database: Literature Criticism Online (LCO), a useful complement to Gale's Literature Resource Center (LRC), which we've long subscribed to.

What's Unique about LCO
Backfiles from ten essential literature reference series from Gale:
  • Contemporary Literary Criticism
  • Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism
  • Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism
  • Shakespeare Criticism
  • Literature Criticism 1400-1800
  • Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism
  • Poetry Criticism
  • Short Story Criticism
  • Drama Criticism
  • Children’s Literature Review
What's Not in LCO
A number of valuable Gale and St. James reference series are in LRC instead (such as Contemporary Authors).

When to Use LCO
If a student needs to find criticism of a specific work of literature, I'd start with Literature Resource Center (LRC) first, then move on to LCO, then finally to MLA International Bibliography.

If the student wants an overview of an author, then LRC first, LCO next, and don't bother at all with MLA International Bibliography.

LCO and Bearcat Search
LCO is not yet connected in Bearcat Search. I'll post a note here when it is. Speaking of federation, Gale promises that someday soon we'll be able to search LCO, LRC, and MLA International Bibliography from a single Gale search screen (as we can do with EBSCOhost databases); right now, if you go to LRC and run a search, it will automatically include MLA International Bibliography results too unless you unclick the checkbox at the bottom of the search screen.

1 comment:

Michael said...

Just to add to what Stephen posted: all current and future volumes are also included in LCO; they are seamlessly integrated as they come out. We are no longer getting getting them in print.