Manipulation or Subversion: popular culture of the past

Resources to get you started

Using the Catalog to locate materials

INNOPAC is the libraries' catalog. It lists books, newspapers, journals, audio-visual materials, databases, internet resources, maps, and recordings which are available through the Grinnell College Libraries.

For information about how to search the catalog effectively see http://cat.lib.grinnell.edu/search/X#

Keyword and subject searching

Keyword searching allows you to select your own terms to describe your topic. Subject heading (controlled vocabulary) searching relies on assigned terms chosen by experts to describe your topic. Keyword and subject heading searches do not generate the same results and both are useful and often necessary to find the best information for your topic.

For more information about using keywords and subject headings, see http://www.lib.grinnell.edu/research/InstructionGuides/subjectkeywords.html

Boolean Searching

In order to perform searches well, you need to know how to do a Boolean Search. For a review of Boolean Searching, see http://www.lib.grinnell.edu/research/InstructionGuides/booleanmodule.html

In addition to Burling Library, many resources are available at the public library. Stewart Library is located next to the post office on Broad Street.  Their web site (http://www.grinnell.lib.ia.us/ ) includes a link to their catalog.

Advertisements:

Look in general interest magazines for advertisements.  Burling has a good collection of magazines from the nineteenth century to the current day.

19th Century > Harper's Weekly, New York Times

Mid-20th century > Life (Vault)

Mid-20th century to now> Time, Newsweek

Chronologies:

American Decades  (Ref. E169.12 .A419 1994) is a series of books chronicling each decade of the twentieth century. 

Clothing:

            Look for books on the history of costume in both Burling and Stewart Library.  Also, browse through any popular magazine or look at clothing store ads in newspapers.

Dance:

19th Century> http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/dihtml/dihome.html

Ballroom dance instruction manuals from the Library of Congress.

Stewart has a collection of books and videos on learning to dance. 

Dancetime! : 500 years of social dance. Listening Room Video. 

General interest magazines: 

            Time, Newsweek, Life, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, etc. all document popular culture.   Back issues of magazines are shelved on the third floor of Burling, in alphabetical order by the title of the magazine.

Music:

19th century > http://library.msstate.edu/ragtime/ Charles H. Templeton sheet music collection. 

Audio and video recordings are housed in the Listening Room in the basement of Burling.  Check the library catalog at http://cat.lib.grinnell.edu/search/X to find a particular work.  If you want to browse through some titles, try a subject search such as "popular music 1951".

Music, memories & milestones  is a video series that incorporates music and news footage from the 1930s through the 1960s.   It is available in the Listening Room.

Newspapers:

Newspapers are incredible sources of information about movies, games, toys, music, entertainment, books, etc.  Back issues of newspapers are available on microfilm in the microform room in the Basement of Burling.  Don't hesitate to ask a reference librarian to show you how to use the machines.

Des Moines Register

Grinnell Herald Register

New York Times

Toys and Games:

 http://www.grinnell.lib.ia.us/ Stewart Library is an excellent source of information about children's games and toys.  They also have books and reference materials on antiques and collectibles.  The children's collection in the basement of Stewart is wonderful.

Check auction sites such as Ebay or Amazon.com for toys and games.

Prepared by Catherine Rod (rod@grinnell.edu) September, 2005