Writing and Talking About History > Library Resources > Basic Steps in Library Research

Basic Steps in Library Research

Step 1: Use an encyclopedia, handbook, or other general work to provide background information on your topic.

Step 2: Locate appropriate Library of Congress subject headings for use in the VTLS catalog.

Step 3: Use subject heading or keyword searches in the VTLS catalog to find books on your topic.

Step 4: Find bibliographies in books on your topic.

Step 5: Use periodical and newspaper indexes to find articles related to your topic.