BOOKS & eBOOKS
Finding Books in the Library:
The MCC Library collections include a variety of books and reference works regarding culture and fashion. To locate books on your topic, click on the link below to search the Library Catalog:
Search tips:
- Try a variety of search terms but don't get too specific on what you are searching.
- For example: China and fashion
- If you are not finding what you need within the MCC Libraries, expand your search to include all libraries within the Maricopa Community Colleges - see below:
You can request books from other colleges and have them sent to MCC. Look for the blue "Place Hold" button within the book record!
Finding eBooks:
The MCC Libraries subscribe to multiple ebook resources. Ebooks are electronic books that are accessible online 24 hours a day so you don't even have to visit the library to access them! The following eBook resources are two great options for researching culture and fashion:
EBSCO eBook Collection - Over 100,000 books are available covering almost every topic/discipline with thousands of titles that focus on fashion, clothing, and culture.
Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) - GVRL is a great resource for gathering background information on a culture or geographic region. Available encyclopedias include specific works by culture, religion, and geographic regions. Included in GVRL is full-text access to the encyclopedia entitled: Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear Through the Ages.
Search tips:
- As with searching the library catalog for books, keep your search terms simple.
- For example: Islam and clothing
- Look for the citation tools within these eBook resources - a citation will automatically be generated for you which you can incorporate into your Bibliography!
eRESOURCES (Library Databases)
The following are suggested eResources (aka Library Databases) to help you specifically gather information regarding your Cultural Dress Project. To view all eResources available through the MCC Libraries, go directly to the Library eResources page using the link below:
Find Reports and Reference Works:
Culture Grams - Explore the 'World Edition' and view over 200 country reports. Within each country report you will find background information about the country or region, characteristics of the people (population, religion, appearance, etc.), customs and courtesies, lifestyle, and society. This source is great for collecting biographical data regarding a culture. You may also find relevant images, slideshows, and videos to use in your presentation.
Bloomsbury Fashion Central/Berg Fashion Library - this is your one-stop fashion resource! The Berg Fashion Library includes a variety of fashion resources including encyclopedias, books, images, ready reference and journal articles. There are multiple options for searching the Berg Fashion Library: perform a general search using the search box at the top of the page; Explore by Place; Explore by Time. As you research throughout this resource, you will find additional bibliographic references to content within the Berg Fashion Library or through the MCC Libraries.
Find Journal and Magazine articles:
Academic OneFile - access a variety of articles from magazines and journals regarding all areas of fashion, culture, and people.
Academic Search Premier - access a variety of articles from magazines and journals regarding all areas of fashion, culture and people.
National Geographic Magazine - access the current issue and entire archive of this popular magazine from 1888 to present day. All text and images are included. This is a great resource to explore cultures and geographic regions. Use the search box or try 'explore topics' and browse by people and cultures.
Find Videos:
Films on Demand - Films on Demand provides access to over 20,000 educational and documentary films in almost every discipline. You can view entire films or short segments of a few minutes or less. This is a great resource if you want to incorporate a brief segment into your presentation.
Find Images:
ArtStor - this image only database includes thousands of photographs, paintings, sculptures, etc. Browse images by geographic region through the 'Geography' option or use the search box to find specific images.
WGSN - search for images by selecting 'image & design library' in drop down menu on search box. Images included are current and recent fashion trends.
National Geographic Magazine - access thousands of beautiful images - look for 'image search' on the home page!
Bloomsbury Fashion Central/Berg Fashion Library - Find thousands of fashion related images - simply check the "images only" box next to the search box!
Google is a great resource for locating information and images regarding cultural influences on fashion. Two things to keep in mind when using Google:
1. Carefully evaluate the sources you encounter for credibility and authority.
2. The better your search strategy, the better results you'll retrieve! Choose your search terms wisely and make use of advanced search strategies.
For example: (Hijab or veil or headscarf) and Muslim women
CREATING A BIBLIOGRAPHY
One of the most important parts of the research process is to document where you got your information from by providing a bibliography of the sources you used. Always give credit to the originator whether it is a scholarly journal article you found in a library database or an image you found through a Google search.
Almost every library database will provide a citation for the resource you are using - look for the citation tool within the document record.
MLA Style is the preferred format to use in humanities, literature and the arts. Here are a few resources that will help you create a bibliography for your Cultural Dress Project:
In Print:
The library has multiple copies of the MLA Handbook at the second floor reference desk:
Online:
You can also use the following online resources for help: