Research Guides: HIS 121 & 122: World Civilizations: Getting Started

Finding Books

The NECC Libraries have over 46,000 books and films. We also have a collection of 20,000 e-books which are in our library catalog. If you want to see what the other libraries in our network own, change the scope to All HELM or View Entire Collection. You can request books and movies using your NECC Library card and PIN number.

Remember, if you can't find any material on your topic, ask an NECC librarian for assistance.

Books in the Collection

Cover for Encyclopedia of Caribbean archaeology

Cover for El Norte : the epic and forgotten story of Hispanic North America

Sources

Your instructor may have assigned you to research a topic. Within the range of topics, this case includes a civilization, diaspora movement, ancient artifact, or person. Finding sources of any historical topic or subject can be challenging and daunting. Luckily, the NECC Libraries can access various sources to aid you in your assignments. Your initial search might occur in person (at the library) or online.

Catalog Search:

The NECC Library Catalog (HELM) contains printed books, eBooks, movies, and periodicals. You can search the catalog by:

writing a keyword related to your topic of interest
title of the work that you wish to borrow
name of the author of the book
subject related to the topic.

For more detailed instructions on searching the NECC Libray Catalog, go to the "Finding Books" tab on this guide.

Database Search:

The NECC Library is subscribed to 80 databases. You can access these through the NECC website. Database searches can use keywords, subject headings, or article titles. If you're searching for an article on ancient Caribbean art or artifacts, you may choose the following terms:

"Precolumbian Caribbean"
"Ancient Civilizations"
"Mesoamerica"

In some instances, your keyword might include others. In these instances, you will want to use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT). Including these in your search will define your search.

"Tainos" AND "Caribbean"

Encyclopedias:

NECC Libraries are also subscribed to online encyclopedias. These can be found within our list of databases or by clicking the "Facts" tab on our main library website. Similar to the library catalog and the databases, searching on encyclopedias requires using keywords.

Using the Library
by Reference Account Last Updated Apr 16, 2024 349 views this year

Searching in the Databases
by Reference Account Last Updated Apr 16, 2024 202 views this year

Artstor This link opens in a new window
Images from some of the world’s leading museums, photo archives, scholars, and artists.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR for community colleges provides access to all to all archival journals and primary sources available for license on JSTOR.
Project Muse This link opens in a new window
Full-text journal articles focused on the humanities and social sciences.
Religion and Philosophy Collection This link opens in a new window
Covers topics such as world religions, religious history, philosophy & the history of philosophy. Hundreds of full-text, peer reviewed journals.
World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras [before 1500 AD] This link opens in a new window
Covers human history from prehistoric times to the beginnings of the Renaissance.
World History: The Modern Era [after 1500 AD] This link opens in a new window
Coverage is historical events and people after 1500 AD.
World History in Context This link opens in a new window
Information on the most significant people, events and topics in World History with authoritative reference content from full-text magazines, academic journals and news articles.

Museum websites:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)
"The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online."
Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
"The Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art is an art museum dedicated to the study and display of pre-Columbian artworks and artifacts from Central and South America. The museum is located in the city centre of Santiago, the capital of Chile."
Museo de Arte Precolombino Cusco
"MAP Cusco was born as an initiative of the BBVA Peru Foundation and the Larco Museum in Lima to house and exhibit objects created by the people who have lived in these lands for three thousand years. Artifacts designed and made by men and women from various communities living in the territory that is now Peru, and which surprise us for their high esthetic and artistic value."
Museo Nacional de Antropología
"The National Museum of Anthropology current site was inaugurated on September 17th 1964, and has, for over more than five decades, fulfilled its mission to research, preserve, exhibit and disseminate the country’s most important archeological and ethnographical collections."
Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA Boston)
"Showcasing ancient artistry and modern masterpieces, local legends and global visionaries, our renowned collection of nearly 500,000 works tells the story of the human experience—a story that holds unique meaning for everyone. We welcome diverse perspectives, both within the artwork and among our visitors."

Academic and Project Websites

Global Boston
"Global Boston is a digital project based at Boston College that chronicles the history of immigration to greater Boston since the early nineteenth century. Examining different time periods, ethnic groups, and places of settlement, the site features capsule histories, photographs, maps, documents, videos, and oral histories documenting the history of a city and metro area where immigrants have long been a vital force in shaping urban life."

The United States Returns Stolen Cambodian Artifacts.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art to return more than a dozen ancient artworks following alleged links to looted art
"(CNN) - The Metropolitan Museum of Art will return more than a dozen Southeast Asian sculptures after they were linked to a late art dealer accused of trafficking artifacts looted from the region, according to the museum and the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York."
US returns to Cambodia dozens of antiquities looted from historic sites
"The United States will return to Cambodia 30 looted antiquities, including bronze and stone statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities carved more than 1,000 years ago, US officials have said."
U.S. Attorney Announces Return Of Collection Of Antiquities From The Metropolitan Museum Of Art To Cambodia
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “All of the pieces being returned today were tied directly to illicit trafficking, and specifically to a man named Douglas Latchford – a collector and dealer that my Office charged in 2019 for running a vast antiquities trafficking network out of Southeast Asia. I want to thank the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where these pieces were previously housed, for their decision to cooperate and work with my Office to facilitate the return of these pieces to the Kingdom of Cambodia. We look forward to our continued dialogue with the Met on these important issues. My Office will continue to vigorously investigate the illegal trade in stolen antiquities. We urge those in this space, including cultural institutions, to be vigilant. And if you work at one of these institutions or for a private collection and have concerns that certain pieces may be tied to illicit trafficking, do the right thing: come forward and work with us on a voluntary basis to facilitate the return to the rightful owners. That is a far better outcome for you and your institution than if our investigation leads to a knock on your door. In other words, come see us before we come see you.”

The British Museum

Announcement regarding missing, stolen and damaged items
Press Release from August 16, 2023.

HIS 121 & 122: World Civilizations

Library Information

Ask the Librarians

Finding Books

Books in the Collection

Sources