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Finding Vernacular Language Sources
Where to start? Is WorldCat the most complete search available for Czech materials? Maybe starting with Google is really the best bet? While these are all valid approaches in particular situations, no one of them will answer all needs. Not every title in a library will be searchable through WorldCat. The reason is technical and the problem may be corrected in the future. At present libraries with large collections such as the University of Illinois or the Library of Congress have a number of records that do no have full cataloging in a "machine-readable format". Those titles are not in WorldCat making it a very good source but a source with limitations. By extension, such titles will not be in Google's book search unless the title has been scanned.
It is also important to keep in mind that the titles available in the U.S. only represent a small portion of the total publishing output from the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The catalog records from most of the libraries of our region are not available at all in WorldCat. Those that are there are current publications.
Another facet of the online sources such as WorldCat, the access in such sources may not tell you what source will best answer your needs. That is, there is no annotation, you have not seen the whole range of published material you are choosing just what happens to be available here, not necessarily the best source for your research.
So where should you start? It can be helpful to start with a few questions about your research
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What type of information are you seeking?
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Will the historical or political circumstances of the region affect where you will find information?
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Will you find interdisciplinary or interregional resources useful?
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What medium will be most useful for your research?
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What technologies will be necessary to best accommodate your research?
General Published Guides
- Bibliographien zum Schrifttum aus und über Osteuropa : Katalog des Bibliographischen Lesesaales der Bibliothek des Osteuropa-Instituts Berlin byCall Number: F. 015.47 F882BThe catalog lists those materials available at the institute and is limited only by the contents of that institution's library. The catalog is organized by country and then subdivided into subject headings. Each regional section contains copies of the card catalog cards for specific bibliographies.
- Slavic studies : a guide to bibliographies, encyclopedias, and handbooks byCall Number: Q. 016.947 SL16ISBN: 0842023747Croucher's two volume work on Slavic studies is an excellent overall guide to resources in the Slavic field. He includes not only bibliographic titles, but reference resources of all types. While it is extremely thorough, listing thousands of sources, the subject headings are somewhat idiosyncratic. It is, however, well worth the effort!
- Bibliography of Islamic Central Asia byCall Number: 016.958 B746BISBN: 0933070357This is a tremendous resource for anyone interested in the Islamic culture and history of the region. It is certainly not limited to bibliography and includes citations to many of the major works on the area. There are three volumes, covering the following subjects: pt. I. History, religion, culture -- pt. 2. Descriptions and Travel, written sources for Central Asian history, ethnography, folklore, folk entertainments, physical anthropology -- pt. 3. Archeology, numismatics, architecture, visual arts, auxiliary historical disciplines, historical geography, historiography, bibliography, addenda, indexes.
Subject Guide
International and Area Studies Library
Room 317
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1408 West Gregory Drive
Urbana, Illinois 61801