- St. Olaf Libraries
- Research Guides
- Music 346: Music, Gender, and Sexuality
- Reference: Places to Start
Music 346: Music, Gender, and Sexuality
LibKey Nomad
Research and Instruction Librarian for Music & Fine Arts
Karen Olson
she/her/hers
Why Use a Reference Source?
Reference sources are tertiary sources, including dictionaries and encyclopedias. They draw on primary and secondary sources to summarize the basic details of a topic.
Reference sources are a good place to start your research, especially if your topic is brand new to you.
- They provide introductions the topic and the major research points that other scholars have discussed.
- They provide quick definitions of important terms or concepts.
- They often include bibliographies of suggested sources that can help you build your own set of research sources.
Music Reference Sources
ONLINE
- Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new windowAKA, Grove Music Online. Full-text collection of reference works on music across genres and eras.
- Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Online This link opens in a new windowFull-text encyclopedia covering music around the world and throughout history. Includes regional overviews, information on musical genres and practices, and images (photographs, drawings, maps, and musical examples).
Reference materials are shelved along the north wall of the music library (the right side as you enter.)
- Norton-Grove Dictionary of Woman ComposersSt. Olaf Music Library Reference (ML105 .N38 1995)
- Women and Music in America since 1900St. Olaf Music Library Reference (ML82 .W625 2002)
Gender Studies Reference Sources
ONLINE
Rolvaag's reference section is on the southeast corner of the main floor (as far back and to the right as you can go from the main entrance).
- Greenwood Encyclopedia of LGBT Issues WorldwideRolvaag Reference HQ76 .G724 2010 (print only)
General Reference
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowOffers full-text access to over 500 highly-regarded titles from 70 publishers. Covers every major subject in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences from the world's best publishers of reference.
- Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new windowOxford Reference Online brings together language and subject reference works from one of the world's biggest and most trusted reference publishers into a single cross-searchable resource.