United States History: Background info
Getting Started
Finding Background Info
Starting off with some reference sources that provide a broad overview of a topic can be a great way to get started. Gale Ebooks is a database that houses subject-specific encyclopedias, such as the "American Decades" series featured on this page.
There you can find info about different areas of life such as the arts, business and the economy, education, fashion, government and politics, law and justice, lifestyle and social trends, media, medicine, religion, science and technology, sports, and other important events.
In the Primary Documents series of "American Decades" you can also find primary source documents connected to these same larger areas of life - legal, governmental documents, for example, letters, images, and more.
Gale Ebooks
Using Gale Ebooks
Gale eBooks, formerly known as Gale Virtual Reference Library or GVRL, is a database that provides access to encyclopedias and subject dictionaries. It's a great place to start your research.
Use the link below to look for articles using Gale eBooks.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Digitized reference works, covering many disciplines. Very useful for background information on a topic.
Searching Tutorial for Gale Ebooks
- Gale EBooks Tutorial (2020)Click this link to play the video ( Previously called Gale Virtual Reference Library, GVRL)
- Quick Guide: Gale EBooksView or download this quick guide to learn more about what kinds of information this databases houses and how to access it. (Previously called Gale Virtual Reference Library, GVRL)
Step 1: Searching for an article
Consider the MAIN concept you are exploring, and use that as a keyword to search this database for relevant articles.
Step 2: Selecting an article
To read an article in Gale eBooks, click on the article title. Be sure to note the titles of the encyclopedias the articles come from. Finally, always read through more than one article to get multiple perspectives or views on an issue.
Click the article title to read the whole article.
Step 3: Saving and citing an article:
Once you click on an article title, look at the tools on the side for how to cite, send/email, download, etc., so you can take that article with you.
Featured ebooks - Click to learn more/access
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