HIS 321 - American Race Relations

Books, both print and electronic, can be found by searching our WorldCat Discovery catalog, found on the library's website.

Here are a few tips to get better results:

• Start with keyword searching, then browse and search Subjects within the records for relevant books 
• Read the Contents and Summary, if available, to decide whether the book is relevant to your need
• Use the filters on the left side to narrower your search to books or another desired format

Locating print books in the Library

• Almost all books in the Library are located on the lower level. The call number system begins near the front stairwell (by the 24/7 lab).
• Make sure you have the entire call number on hand to find the book. Some call numbers can be long and complicated.
• If there 3 or more letters at the beginning of the call number, those indicate a special area of the Library:
  • REF - reference books; these are located on the main floor of the Library in the Learning Commons
  • JUV - juvenile books; these are located in the collapsible shelving in the southeast corner of the lower level
  • OVERSIZE - large-size books; these are locate in the collapsible shelving in the southeast corner of the lower level
  • SCRIPT - play scripts; these are located at the end of the regular - i.e., general - collection
  • SCORE - music scores; these are located in the southwest corner of the lower level

Accessing ebooks

• You can browse and read an ebook on your computer directly from the catalog. If you want to save a book to read later or download a portion you'll need to create an account in the database, which does not have to be your Doane ID and password.
• Depending on the database company you may be able to download or print a portion of an ebook, but most limit you to a small portion of the book.

What if the Library doesn't have what you need?

You can use the Library's free interlibrary loan service! 

• At the top of the filters select "Libraries Worldwide" and find a book or other material that you'd like to use.
• In the item's record click on "Request Item through Interlibrary Loan." You'll need to login with your Doane ID and password. Fill out the details and submit. See the Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery page for more information on this service. 

If you would like to browse print books on the subject of race and ethnicity in the United States, these call number ranges can get help. Books are located on the lower floor of the library.

E75 - E99:  Indians of North America

E184 - E185.98:  African Americans

E441 - E453:  Slavery in the United States; Anti-slavery movement

You might also look for books on a particular era, which could include information on race relations in that time period. For example, books on the Civil War (call numbers beginning E456 to E655) might be provide information about the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation on enslaved African Americans. Refer to the Library of Congress Classification, class E, for various time periods and historical events in United States history or class F for state historical information.

The Doane Library has a good collection of reference books to help put your research in context of a social movement, historical time period or event. Reference articles can also help describe the facets or aspects of a topic, which can help you narrow your own research.

• This Is Who We Were series (in Salem Online collection): This series has snapshots of many average people's lives throughout the decades from the 1880s to the 2010s. Find out what life was like for a new teacher in Dakota Sioux territory in 1888 or a woman who was born enslaved on a plantation during the Civil War and lived into the 1950s.
• History references in Gale Ebooks collection: This collection of history reference works covers a wide variety of topics in U.S. history. The articles are more authoritative than those found in Wikipedia, written by subject experts, and typically include a list of works for further reading.
• Other reference books in print may be found by searching the library catalog.