To find books through the Library catalog:

1. There are two ways to search the UIUC Library catalog. Both have the same content but the way of searching and the way the results are given varies.

a. Through the VU Find Catalog. This catalog requires you to register with a login and a password. It also lets you search books in I-Share. If you need help creating the account, head over to this page: Create a Library Account. 

b. Through the Classic Search. This interface lets you search only the catalog for the university. It does have the advantage of letting you search by subject headings.

2. If you don't find your item in the UIUC catalog, search the I-Share system, which has the resources of many statewide academic libraries available.

3. If you've searched both the UIUC catalog and the I-Share catalog and still haven't found the item you're looking for, then you can request the item through Interlibrary Loan.

Some useful subject headings/key words to use when looking for books: 

Queer theory

Gay and lesbian studies

Homosexuality in literature

Homosexuality and literature

Homosexuality and art 

Gays in/and literature 

Gays' writings - History and criticism

Lesbianism/Lesbians in literature

Using these phrases as key words works as well, but if you want more narrow results the subject headings are best. Searching through subject headings will give you materials that are specifically about that topic. Keep in mind that these headings are pre-selected, so using both broad and specific terms will help you discover different subjects you might want to search.

These are some of the fundamental texts that helped shape Queer theory to what it is today. 

Queer Interventions is a book series written with the purpose to publish theoretical work that intersects with other theories through the publication of monographs, collections of essays by scholars, and empirical work. It is a good introduction to the world of queer theory in relation to other theories and ideas.