REES 110/177/220: Guide to Research about Russia, Eastern Europe & Central Asia: Books

Student guide to doing research for REES 110 (Introduction to Russia and Eastern Europe) and REES 220 (Societies and Culture of Eurasia).

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Books: Finding, Borrowing, and Using Books at KU Libraries

KULibrary Catalog

Library Catalog Search Tips

Library Catalog Search Tips

Keyword

  • Enter words in any order
  • Use quotes to search phrases: "central asia"
  • Use ? to truncate: ukrain?

AND, OR, NOT (Boolean operators)

  • Combine terms: puskhkin AND lermontov 
  • Use NOT judiciously so you don't exclude relevant content
  • Use parentheses: (poland or polish) AND cinema

Author

  • Last name first: platonov, andrei 
  • Spaces in initials: turgenev, i s
  • Include periods in acronyms:  U.S.S.R

Title, Journal Title 

  • Omit initial articles (a, an, the...)

Subject Headings 

  • Omit punctuation
  • Search Limits do NOT apply 

Google Books

Search Strategies

Search Strategies

Use the KU Library Catalog to find books on your topic. 

Identify Keywords: Before searching the Library Catalog or other databases, choosing the right keywords is essential.  Take a few minutes to write down all the words that describe your topic. For more help go to Search Strategy Worksheet (WCSU Libraries).

Follow the Bibliographic Trail: One proven method for gathering reliable information efficiently is to follow the citations or references from one source to another.  The footnotes and/or references in a bibliography can lead you to other sources on the topic. 

Browse Topics in the KU online catalog: Search for terms in the "Subjects" field. Then, click on the "Subjects" link to see other books about related topics.  Examples are given below:

DiplomacyHuman geographyInternational cooperationNationalism.

Can't Find It at KU?

Can't find it at KU? Search WorldCat, then borrow via Interlibrary Loan.

E-Books and Ebrary (Examples)

E-Books

ebrary

Use Ebrary to search for e-books about Slavic cultures, languages, linguistics, literatures, and more.

 

Interlibrary Loan - Tutorial

Interlibrary Loan

How to Find a Book Using the Call Number

Find Books with Call Numbers