Welcome to the subject guide for Humanities! This guide is designed to walk you through all of the library services and resources that can help you with your research.
To get started, click on the resources page most suited to your topic needs in the main menu (example: General Resources, Humanities Resources, American Studies Resources, etc). There you will find relevant databases, websites, books, and other topic related resources.
Need more help? Contact your subject librarian, Lauren DeCelle at lauren.decelle@sjsu.edu
Most Useful Databases
Multidisciplinary full text, peer reviewed academic journals that support scholarly research in key areas of academic study.
Bibliographic and full text database covering scholarly research and information relating to all areas of education. Topics span every level of education—from early childhood through higher education—and encompass a wide range of specialties, including multilingual education, health education, and assessment. The database also covers curriculum and instruction, as well as key issues in administration, policy, funding, and related social issues.
Covers the culture, traditions, social treatment and lived experiences of different ethnic groups in America. Includes peer-reviewed journals, magazines, e-books, biographies and primary source documents. The subscription also includes access to the ebooks Diversity & Ethnic Studies collection covering diversity, equity and inclusion.
Encompasses all key fields of the humanities, covering topics including art, classical studies, dance, film, journalism, philosophy, religion and more. Content includes feature articles, interviews, obituaries and original works of fiction, drama, poetry and more.
The journals archive consists of older (at least 2-5 years) issues of core scholarly journals across a wide range of subjects including the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The eBook collections are DRM-free and allow for unlimited concurrent use and unlimited chapter downloads and printing.
Produced by the Modern Language Association (MLA), the electronic version of the bibliography dates back to the 1920s and contains over 2.3 million citations from more than 4,400 journals & series, and 1,000 book publishers. Also see MLA Directory of Periodicals
Also Useful
This database combines the premier indexing from ATLA Religion Database with access to ATLA's online full-text collection of major religion and theology journals.
Covers key areas of education and related fields of study, as well as educational specialties, administration, funding and more. The database indexes nearly 1,025 periodicals, with records dating back to 1983. It also offers extensive resources on special education, featuring over 50 dedicated journals that address this critical field in depth.
This resource provides an in-depth collection of full-text scholarly journals covering topics such as world religions, major denominations, biblical studies, religious history, epistemology, political philosophy, philosophy of language, moral philosophy and the history of philosophy.
Covers 1923 to the present. This weekly publication gives background information on current and controversial issues. Unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the economy.
e-Book Collections
Distributes online educational videos including documentaries, films, interviews plus a range of short video series. The videos are arranged by collections: Arts, Business, Communication/Media, Education (K-12), Health, Humanities, Science. Note: SJSU students, staff, and faculty: You will be asked to authenticate on and off campus. Kanopy uses copyright protection and DRM technology to block video streaming over platforms like Zoom. As a result, screen sharing is not permitted for restricted titles—viewers must watch individually, either outside of class or on their own devices during class. When screen sharing via Zoom, only the presenter is authenticated, so others will see a blank screen.
Traces the evolution of the English language over the last millennium and includes definitions, history, and pronunciation of over half a million English words, present and past. Also known as OED. Help Guide
This dictionary includes more than 75,000 definitions, pronunciation guides and word histories for English words.
The Brill Dictionary of Religion explicitly reflects the transformation that the academic study of religion has undergone within the last twenty years. This dictionary contains 500+ entries on the different theologies and doctrinal declarations of the official institutionalized religions as well as their role in daily life and public discourse. vol. 1. Aborigines - Dualism -- vol. 2. Eastern Mediterranean - Luther, Martin -- vol. 3. Machine - Rome -- vol. 4. Sabbath - Zoroastrianism. This subscription is supported by an NEH Challenge Grant: "Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this database do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities."
Provides critical overviews discussing the nature and historical development of Gnosticism and Hermetism to Astrology, Alchemy and Magic, Christian Theosophy, Freemasonry, and more. It also contains articles about the life and work of all the major personalities in the history of Gnosis and Western Esotericism, discussing their ideas, significance, and historical influence. This subscription is supported by an NEH Challenge Grant: "Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this database do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities."
To find an encyclopedia or other reference resource for a particular topic, search your topic in OneSearch (the library's catalog) and in the left hand menu of the search results list select "Reference Entries" from the "Resource Type" dropdown menu. This will pull chapters and sections from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and textbooks that mention your topic.
This is the major newspaper in Silicon Valley. The link above provides free access to some current articles. Subscription access is available from Newsbank Mercury News Historical and Current (1884 to present). Access is also available from ProQuest Newsstand (2010 to 2016) and ProQuest Newsstream (2016-2019)
