In order to locate book reviews you need the author's name, the correct title and the publication date of the book that you are researching. If you have the book with you, look on the back of the title page. Usually a publication date is given there. You can also look in our online catalog, to confirm the details. You can also consult Contemporary Authors (Ref Z1224). Go to the Contemporary Authors Cumulative Index, and then go to the most recent entry for the author you are interested in. Basic information on the book that you are researching might also be located in Books in Print, an online research database.
If you can't find accurate publication information about the title you are interested in, please consult the Reference Librarian on duty.
Finding Citations to Book Reviews
Next look at an index that will tell you which publication reviewed the book, and on what date. Which index to use depends on when the book was originally published. Book reviews generally come out the same year of publication, or a year or two after. There may or may not be any current reviews for something recently reissued in paperback, for instance. The reviews were published when the original edition came out. Not all books are reviewed, so please ask for help if you have trouble with this step.
Periodical Indexes
Paper Indexes
These indexes may become very important in your research if you are looking for reviews on an older book. Begin with the indexes listed first.
- Book Review Index (1975-present) Ref Z1035.A1B6 Search (by author) the year that the book was published.
- Book Review Digest (1905-present) Ref Z1219.C96 Search (by author) the year that the book was published.
- Humanities Index (1974-) is a good source for reviews of older books.
- New York Times Index Look in the year the book was published.
- Books published 1994 to the present, search under Books and Literature. Entries are arranged by the title of the book.
- Books published 1949-1993, search under Book Reviews. Entries are arranged by the author of the book.
- Readers Guide to Periodical Literature Look in the year that the book was published. Since 1978 book reviews have been placed separately at the end or each volume. Entries are arranged by the author of the book.
Online General Indexes
These indexes can be useful for finding book reviews of recent books. Each of the links below will bring you to the list of Research Databases subscribed to by the Evelyn S. Field Library. From the list of Research Databases by Title select the ones named below.
Online Specialized Indexes
If you are using these databases from an offcampus location, you will be asked to identify yourself by logging in with your user id and password. These are the same as when you login on campus. They are available offcampus only to RVCC students, faculty and staff.
Finding the Actual Book Review
Having located the citation for a book review, the next step is to check our list of available periodicals. Check the RVCC Periodical Locater. This list will tell you whether the periodical is available on campus in print or microfilm or on a database to which we subscribe. If the periodical you are looking for is not on the list you may complete the New Jersey Interlibrary Loan System form to start the process of obtaining the article from another library.
Internet Resources
The reviews of some books may be available directly from these sources:
- The New York Times (books from 1980 on)
- New York Review of Books
For further information about this guide, please contact Robert Egan
Last Updated - October, 2003