Representative Reference Sources for French

When doing a search for information on French language, literature, or culture, start by establishing a basic understanding of the terms and concepts in the field.  Reference works such as dictionaries, handbooks, manuals, and encyclopedias are great sources for this type of information.

 

Biographical Dictionary of French Political Leaders Since 1870                       R 944.08 B615

More than 400 brief biographies make this book as equally useful as a ready-reference work, a bibliographic aid, and a convenient one-volume source of biographical information.

 

Dictionary of Modern French Literature                                                                 R 840.3 D661d 1986

This book presents 300 alphabetically-arranged entries on French authors and their works, French Literature, and French Literary terms from the Age of Reason to the Age of Realism.

 

Encyclopedia Britannica                                                                                 Online

An online version of the popular print encyclopedia, it is a great source for basic information in multiple subject areas.

 

New Oxford Companion to Literature in French                                                 R 840.3 N532 1995

Approximately 3,000 alphabetically-arranged entries capture ten centuries of literature produced in France and in other French-speaking countries.

 

Oxford Hachette French Dictionary                                                                          R 443 O98 1994

This French/English lexicon contains over 350,000 words and phrases.

 

Statesmans Yearbook                                                                                                    R 310 S797

This annual provides statistical data, along with political, cultural, and economical information, on all of the countries of the world.

 

Oxford Reference Online                                                                                             Online

Electronic resource containing the full-texts of over 100 books of general reference, including a French/English, bilingual dictionary.

 

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Finding Books and Other Items in the Library

To find book and other resources on French and French Literature in our general collection start by going to the ALEX online catalog and searching by subject.  You can refine your search results by viewing the Related Subjects and associated subheadings.  A keyword search can also be helpful because broadens your search and retrieves more information.

 

Browse by call number: 

·         440-449 French language

·         840-849 French literature

·         940-949 History of France

 

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Resources for Finding Articles on French

For the latest information from authoritative sources, use scholarly journals. Some online library databases like Academic Search Complete are general databases that contain information from multiple disciplines. Other databases can be more specific in nature, containing information geared towards a specific discipline.

 

Dow Jones Factiva

This database covers newspapers and popular magazines and journals worldwide. Change the language option to French for best results.

 

JSTOR

This is a historical database with its newest content from 3-5 years ago. You can use the browse feature to view specific journals in the subject area of Language and Literature. Or, you can use the keyword or other advanced search options to find results. All articles are full-text.

 

Literary Resource Center

In addition to full text articles, LRC offers biographical and critical information about authors and their works. LRC also provides a portal to MLA. 

 

MLA International Bibliography

This is the most comprehensive index to scholarly periodicals in the field of Language and Literature. Use this to find scholarly citations on French-speaking authors and their works.

 

OMNIFILE/MEGA

OmniFile contains citations, abstracts and full text from thousands of scholarly journals and magazines. Choose the subject area of the Humanities to find articles on France, French Language, or French Literature.

 

Project Muse

Associated with JSTOR, this database contains nearly 250 scholarly journals in subjects covering most of the Humanities and Social Sciences, including French Studies.

  

Vente et Gestion

Full text coverage for French language business journals.

 

 

Journal Finder

If you are having trouble finding the full text of a journal, Journal Finder can help point you towards the right database. 

 

 

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Web Resources in French

There is a great variety of web sites that might be useful; the following sites are a few suggestions. For additional resources in this area, check out the library's delicious list of websites.

 

Bridgewater College Department of Foreign Languages

The site is the home page of the Foreign Languages Department at Bridgewater College.

 

Afrique Francophone

This site provides many links to sources related to French-speaking African nations.

 

ARTFL French/English Dictionary

This site offers a basic French English Dictionary containing about 75,000 terms.

 

Bibliotheque Nationale de France

This is the site of the National Library of France. Access to the library’s catalogs and news about the library’s exhibitions and events, along with virtual tours, are available.

 

European Library 2.0

Allows you to search over thirty national and major libraries of Europe. This includes their digital content. Most of the catalog's are not in English so require you to use search terms in multiple languages.

 

French Embassy in Washington, D.C.

This is the site for the French Embassy in Washington, D.C; it offers information on France, France/U.S. Relations, French dignitaries, and many online publications about France, its government, and culture.

 

Various French Search Engines

This site contains links to a myriad of French language search engines.

 

Yahoo! France

This is the Yahoo portal for France and Francophones.