Even if you're a senior English major and you've done plenty of research before, it can still be difficult to find books in the library. Please don't hesitate to ask for help at the Library and IT Services desk! Sometimes books are misplaced or missing, and sometimes it's just hard to find them according to their call numbers.
Ask! We're here to help!
You can certainly browse online, but sometimes coming into the library and going up to the stacks can yield some surprises. Film books are generally found in the 791 section on the third floor. Once you're up there, you'll notice that the books are grouped together thematically, such as books about women and film, or books about masculinity and film. It's a good idea to browse the catalog first to get some ideas for books that interest you, and then look around next to them.
Citing your sources properly -- especially the films that you refer to and any images you include in your paper -- is important and required.
Purdue University's OWL Writing Lab Citation resources are the best ones out there on the web. Generally, Film Studies courses require that you use MLA style. Detailed information on MLA and other styles, such as Chicago, are available here.
Check out Berkeley's Guide to Citing Film, Video, and Online Media.
Diane can help with citations, too!
Use the Library Catalog to search for books on a particular Film Studies related topic, starting with a general "Keyword" search to see what you can find. Make sure to note which location the book is found in.
If you are not having much luck with the keyword search, you can use a "Subject" search by choosing that option from the drop down menu on the main search page to hone in on a specific topic. This can be tricky, but here are some examples of what you can use (the links will take you directly into the catalog with the search results for these subject terms). Note that you will also, in some cases, find actual DVDs and Videos that we have in the collection that are related to these terms:
To search by Time Period or Location, using the subject headings, try things like this:
For reviews and film criticism:
For filmmaking and filming techniques, try:
