What does it do?
Primarily drawing from a variety of reference books and journals, the LRC provides full-text author biographies, bibliographies, critical and analytical essays, and other information pertaining to writers and literature.  

Finding Information
The LRC database offers several options for searching.  The default search setting is Name, but searching by Title, Keyword, or Author Type can be done by clicking on the appropriate word on the search page.  Also available are an Advanced Search function and a Literary-Historical Timeline, which is useful for placing an author within their historical context or locating their contemporaries.  Once you have chosen your search option:

• Enter your search terms into the appropriate text box(es) and made any other necessary selections, click on the “Search” icon.

• Search results are grouped into several categories—marked Biographies, Literary Criticism Articles & Work Overviews, Bibliographies, Additional Resources, and Literary-Historical Timeline—and are accessible through the set of tabs towards the top of the page.  Click on a tab to access the results for that category; in some cases, a green bar with sub-categories (literary criticism, articles, work overviews, etc.) will appear below the tab.  Once you have made your selections, the results in your chosen category will appear below.

• Click on the blue title of an entry to view the full-text version.  Some entries allow you to jump to specific sections of the document by clicking on links; some also include links to other entries.  Bibliographic citation information can be found at the bottom of the entry.

• To print a LRC database entry from your home or from the library, simply click on the Print icon at the upper left side of the page.  Similarly, you can click on the Email icon to send an email version of the document to yourself.

Help!
There are several features built into this database that can help streamline your research.  In the banner header of any LRC database screen you will see the following options: 

• Help: Discusses proper use of terms when searching and goes through a breakdown of all the various search options available using LRC.

• Research Guide: Includes articles on preparing citations, taking notes, identifying and evaluating information sources, formulating a thesis, and other useful information for students and writers.

• Gale Databases: Other Gale Databases subscribed to by the Stanislaus County Library.

If you need help, please see a librarian at the Reference Desk or call 558-7814.