How do I find old history textbooks?
Answer
There are two tools that you can use to find old history textbooks: OneSearch and WorldCat.org. Each tool lets you limit search results by publication year. This will help you locate history textbooks that were published before or after a certain year (e.g., before 1985).
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OneSearch |
To check what is available at University Library, use the Library’s OneSearch tool. |
Step 1: Select BOOKS & MEDIA CPP in the OneSearch drop-down menu. Step 2: Try one of the suggested keyword combinations from the box below to conduct your Books search. Step 3: Limit your search results by CREATION DATE. |
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WorldCat |
To check what is available at Public Libraries, try WorldCat or visit your local library. |
Step 1: Select the Books tab at WorldCat.org, and try one of the suggested keyword combinations from the box below to conduct your Books search. Step 2: Refine your search results by Year. |
If you need textbooks that are general surveys which cover large nations, historical regions, or world history in a broad period of time, try one of these keyword combinations:
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American history since American history to American history survey Brazil history since France a history |
United States history since United States history to Western civilization since World civilization since World history since |
You can also try adding a keyword to help locate items published by an academic publisher.
On the other hand, you could leave out the publisher keyword and simply check for academic publishers among your search results. Examples of academic publishers include: Cambridge, Harcourt, Houghton, Macmillan, McGraw, Oxford, Prentice, St. Martin's, and University Press.
A few final tips:
- Please note that there is no automatic filter for history textbooks or intended audience, so you will often need to examine the actual item to see if it fits your assignment requirements.
- Remember to leave yourself enough time since you will need to look for the textbook, possibly obtain it from a different library, and examine the contents to see if the item will be useful to you.
- When you examine the item, check the book’s Preface, Introduction, Table of Contents and/or Acknowledgments. These parts of a book address the book’s purpose and intended audience.