Frequently Asked Questions: History, Humanities & Social Sciences

You can submit your question through our Ask a Librarian service (be sure to provide as much detail as you can) and we will do our best to help you identify the literary work you are looking for. We've included some examples below of the kinds of information you can provide that will help us search for the work you are seeking.

Identifying Novels and Short Stories

Content

If possible, share with us:

• the work’s intended audience (adults, young adults, or children)
• the work's genre (science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, etc.)
• any remembered elements of the book's plot, especially any "odd" or particularly memorable scenes or incidents that might help differentiate the book from others with a similar plot
• any characters’ names and unique words and phrases you recall from the book
• a description of the book's cover image and if there are any illustrations

Context

• In approximately what year or range of years did you read the book? For example, you can let us know you read it "sometime between 1970 and 1980." If you say you read it "as a child," that doesn't give us a specific timeframe to search within.
• Was the book recently published at the time you read it?
• Did you read the book as part of a school or work assignment, or for leisure?

Physical Format

• size and shape of book
• hardcover or paperback
• number of pages
• color of binding
• presence of dustjacket
• illustrations (color or black and white)

Identifying Poems

Content

If possible, share with us:

• the poem's target audience (adults or children)
• its form (sonnet, villanelle, free verse, etc.)
• its length (several lines, several stanzas, several pages, etc.)
• any details you can recall about what the poem is "about"
• any words or phrases from the poem that you can recall, especially particularly memorable or unique words or phrases that might help differentiate the poem from others with a similar theme or style
• whether the poem was published in a standalone collection, an anthology, a periodical, or on the Web

Context

• In approximately what year or range of years did you read the book? For example, you can let us know you read it "sometime between 1970 and 1980." If you say you read it "as a child," that doesn't give us a specific timeframe to search within.
• Was the poem recently published at the time you read it?
• Did you read the poem as part of a school or work assignment, or for leisure?

We also have a research guide about finding works when the authors and titles are not known. Lost Titles, Forgotten Rhymes: A Guide to Finding Novels, Stories, and Poems may help you in your search.