LibGuides: Researching Your Cultural Artifact: Getting Started

United Skates

As America's last standing roller rinks are threatened with closure, UNITED SKATES spotlights a community fighting in a racially charged environment to save the underground African-American subculture of roller skating.

Hoop Dreams

Two ordinary inner-city Chicago kids dare to reach for the impossible—professional basketball glory—in this epic chronicle of hope and faith.

15: A Quinceañera Story

A "quinceañera" is a coming-of-age celebration for a Latina girl’s 15th birthday, marking her transition from girl to woman. But for many American Latina teenagers, it is an event that means much more.

Reference Sources

Once you have chosen a topic for your paper, use general reference sources to get background information on your topic. Reference books such as the encyclopedias, dictionaries and handbooks, and the current issue titles are a good starting point for your research because they help you become better acquainted with your topic.

See the lists below for some selected reference sources available online and in print. Ask a librarian if you need help finding more resources.

Online reference resources require login for off-campus use. Enter your Cerritos College login when prompted. For more login information see the Database Login page.

Here are some of the library's online reference resources which can help you get some background information on your topic. These resources are available on and off campus.

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Provides access to more than 270 reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas This link opens in a new window
ABC-CLIO collection of information on popular culture in America, past and present.
Salem History This link opens in a new window
Provides access to various reference sets related to history, including full-text primary source documents with expert analysis and commentary from the Milestone Documents in American History; Great Events from History; Milestone Documents of American Leaders series, and more. NOTE: To search the contents of an individual title, navigate to the Search page and click on the desired title.
World Book Encyclopedia This link opens in a new window
Based on the World Book Encyclopedia, the suite includes more than 40,000 articles, 270,000 primary source documents, and 5000 e-books. It also includes a Spanish language encyclopedia, timelines, atlases, dictionaries, web and periodical links, as well as current events and Back in Time articles.
African American Experience This link opens in a new window
ABC-CLIO research tool for African American history and culture.
Latino American Experience This link opens in a new window
ABC-CLIO research tool for Latino American history and culture.
American Indian Experience This link opens in a new window
ABC-CLIO resource that provides historical accounts and cultural information about the indigenous peoples of North America.
Kanopy Streaming Video This link opens in a new window
On-demand streaming video for over 16,000 films including content from the BBC, PBS, and Critereon Collection. Public performance rights for educational use are included. Contact the library to request captioning.
How to Log In Off Campus.

Here are some reference books that are located in the library's Reference area. Although they cannot be checked out, students are able to photocopy pages.

American Pop by Bob Batchelor
Call Number: REF E169.1 A4475 2009
ISBN: 9780313364112
Artifacts from Modern America
Call Number: REF E161 .S46 2018
ISBN: 9781440846823
Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms
Call Number: REF E169.1 .B7825 2002
ISBN: 9780787656751
Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History by Mary Kupiec (Editor); Peter W. Williams (Editor); Mary K. Cayton (Editor)
Call Number: REF E169.1 .E624 2001
ISBN: 9780684805610
Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Culture
Call Number: REF E169.12 .E49 2001
ISBN: 9780415161619
The Great Depression in America: A Cultural Encyclopedia
Call Number: REF E169.1 .Y595 2007
ISBN: 9780313335204
Race in American Film: Voices and Visions that Shaped a Nation
Call Number: REF PN1995.9 .N4 R33 2017
ISBN: 9780313398391
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture by Tom Pendergast; Sara Pendergast
Call Number: REF E169.1 .S764 2000
ISBN: 9781558625297