UVM Libraries Research Guides: English & American Literature: Bibliographies: Primary & Secondary

Period Bibliographies : Primary Sources

American bibliography; a chronological dictionary of all books, pamphlets, and periodical publications printed in the United States of America from the genesis of printing in 1639 down to and including the year 1820 by Charles Evans
Call Number: ONLINE or PRINT: Howe Library Reference (1st Floor) ; Z1215 .E92 (14 vols)
Supplement to Charles Evans' American bibliography by Roger P. Bristol
Call Number: Howe Library Reference (1st Floor) ; Z1215 .E92334
A chronological list, 1646-1800, of "not-in-Evans" items.
Supplement to Charles Evans' American bibliography. Index. by Roger P. Bristol
Call Number: Howe Library Reference (1st Floor) ; Z1215 .E92334 Index
American bibliography : a preliminary checklist by Ralph R. Shaw (comp.) and Richard H. Shoemaker (comp.)
Call Number: Howe Library Reference (1st Floor): Z 1215 .S48 (23 vols)
Continuation of the Evans (and Bristol supplement) bibliography covering 1801-1819.
A Checklist of American imprints by Richard H. Shoemaker, et al (comp.)
Call Number: Howe Library Reference (1st Floor) ; Z1215 .C44
Continues the Evans bibliography and its subsequent titles. Covers 1820-1846.

Early American Imprints, Series I (1639-1800) This link opens in a new window
This resource contains primary source materials related to American history, literature, culture, and more. Items include digital images of books (hymnals, literature, travelogues, diaries, cookbooks, maps, textbooks, and more), broadsides, and pamphlets published in the United States between 1639 and 1800.
Early American Imprints, Series II (1801-1819) This link opens in a new window
This resource contains primary source materials related to American history, literature, culture, and more. Items include digital images of books (hymnals, literature, travelogues, diaries, cookbooks, maps, textbooks, and more), broadsides, and pamphlets published in the United States between 1801 and 1819.

Bibliography of American Literature by Jacob Blanck (comp.)
Call Number: REF Z 1225 .B55 (9 vols)
The BAL is a bibliography of works by 281 authors (from the Federal period to those who died before 1931) considered significant and who primarily published belles lettres (e.g., "artistic" literature). The bibliography is limited to separate publications (including books, broadsides, anthologies, and ephemera), emphasizing initial appearances (i.e., first editions).
Bibliography of American literature : a selective index by Michael Winship (comp.)
Call Number: REF Z 1225 .W73 1995
The is a selective index to the original nine volumes of BAL. It is divided into three sections: Title, Date, and Publisher, indexed by BAL entry number.
Epitome of Bibliography of American literature by Michael Winship (comp.)
Call Number: REF Z 1225 .W74 1995
This is a list of the most important works by each author in the BAL. Entries are recorded in a brief format, with a short title, and retain the BAL item number, so there is a cross-reference to the master work.
A short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640, 2d ed. rev. & enl. first compiled by A. W. Pollard & G. R. Redgrave
Call Number: REF Z 2002 .P77 (3 vols)
Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and British America, and of English books printed in other countries, 1641-1700, 2d ed., newly rev. and enl. first compiled by compiled by Donald Wing
Call Number: REF Z 2002 .W52 (3 vols)
A continuation of: A short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640, by A. W. Pollard and G. R. Redgrave.

English Short Title Catalog (ESTC)
This ongoing bibliography of English-language printing history lists over 480,000 items published between 1473 and 1800 (mainly, but not exclusively, in English), published mainly in the British Isles and North America, from the collections of the British Library and over 2,000 other libraries. Includes books, pamphlets, broadsides, advertisements, handbills, and other ephemeral materials.
This source comprises all titles in the two above titles (Pollard & Redgrave and Wing) as well as the Eighteenth Century Short Title Catalogue, which lists items printed in English-speaking countries, 1701-1800.

The Cambridge bibliography of English literature by F. W. Bateson (ed.)
Call Number: REF Z 2011 .B28 (5 vols)
I. 600-1660.--II. 1660-1800.--III. 1800-1900.--IV. Index.--V. Supplement: A. D. 600-1900.
It is a selective but extensive bibliography of works by (primary works) and about (secondary works) “literary authors native to or mainly resident in the British Isles” from the Old English period through those established by 1900. Coverage of scholarship is selective and excludes unpublished dissertations, ephemeral publications, encyclopedia articles, and book chapters.
The Cambridge bibliography of English literature (3rd ed.) by Joanne Shattock (ed.)
Call Number: REF Z 2011 .N45 1999 (vol 4: 1800-1900)
Cambridge UP has suspended publication; no other volumes will appear.
The New Cambridge bibliography of English literature by George Watson (ed.)
Call Number: REF Z 2011 .N45 (5 vols)
v.1 (600-1660)-v.4 (1900-1950) plus Index volume
This title is a revision of Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature, but extends coverage to 1950.
Index of English Literary Manuscripts
Call Number: REF Z 6611 .L7 I5
Library has: v. 1. 1450-1625 (2 v.).--v. 2. 1625-1700 (2 v.).--v. 3. 1700-1800 (4 v.)--v. 4. 1800-1900 (3 v.).
A descriptive catalog of extant literary manuscripts by about 300 British and Irish writers who flourished between 1450 and 1900. The emphasis is on literary manuscripts, including an author’s typescripts, corrected proof sheets, diaries, notebooks, and marginalia in printed books, but excluding letters.

Bibliographies : Secondary Sources

Oxford Bibliographies. American Literature This link opens in a new window
This resource is an authoritative guide to the current scholarship (in all formats) on American literature from the last 500 years, with original introductory and commentary text followed by an annotated list of cited works.
Oxford Bibliographies. British and Irish Literature This link opens in a new window
This resource is an authoritative guide to the current scholarship (in all formats) on British and Irish literature from the early and medieval period to the present, with original introductory and commentary text followed by an annotated list of cited works.

Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature
Call Number: REF Z 2011 .M6 Holdings: 1982-2012 / (LRA) Z 2011 .M6 Holdings:1930-1936. 1941-1981
International bibliography of scholarship covering monographs, dissertations, periodical articles, critical editions of literary works, book reviews and collections of essays published anywhere in the world about the English language, literatures in English (British, American, Canadian, Australian, African, Asian), folklore, theatre, film, television, and radio.

The following titles are also known as annual overviews of scholarly work in literary studies.

American Literary Scholarship
This annual publication selectively provides evaluative essays that survey important studies, editions, biographies, and reference works in American literature. This can be very helpful in identifying trends in critical discussion. Online coverage via Project Muse: 1998-. Print holdings (1963-2003) are in the Reference Collection. Howe Library Reference (1st Floor) ; Z1225 .A43

The Year's Work in English Studies
Call Number: Z 7001 .Y42 (Williston Annex) Holdings: 1919/20-1924, 1930, 1932-1933, 1943, 1946-1993, 1995-2004
This annual publication selectively provides evaluative essays that survey scholarship in scholarly books and articles on the English language; English and American literature; and new literatures written in English. Each volume includes a detailed overview from Old English to contemporary critical works for a given year. Coverage of American literature began in 1954; African, Caribbean, and Canadian literature in English began in 1982; Australian, New Zealand, and Indian literature began in 1983; South Pacific literature began in 2000. Indexed in MLA International Bibliography.