Printer Friendly VersionDiaries
Table of Contents
Subject Headings
Bibliographies
General Sources
Databases and Article Indexes
The following list of Library of Congress subject headings provides examples of accepted terms to use when searching the online catalog for diary information. To find additional subject possibilities consult the Library of Congress Subject Headings volumes located adjacent to the online terminals.
Diaries
(Countries/Languages) - Diaries
example: American diaries
(Individual wars) - Diaries
example: United States -History-Civil War, 1861-1865 -Personal narratives
(Classes of persons) - Diaries
example: Women -United States-Diaries
(Ethnic groups) - Diaries
(Individual persons) - Diaries
Carrier Library has copies of the major bibliographies available today to locate published diary sources. The Arksay and Havlice titles are today's standard bibliographies chiefly because of their recent publication and because of their quality indexing. The Beers and Munden titles are examples of guides to highly specialized areas that contain information on diary location. Carrier Library will have other special subject guides that will provide diary information.
Arksay, Laura. American Diaries: An Annotated Bibliography of Published American Diaries and Journals. Detroit: Gale Research, 1983-1987. 2 vol.
(Ref CT 214 A73 1983)Comprehensive coverage of diaries from 1492-1980. An attempt is made to list and update Matthews bibliography (see below) and to cite more recent diaries than Matthews contained. Useful for its subject and geographic indexes.
Beers, Henry P. The Confederacy: A Guide to the Archives of the Government of the Confederate States of America. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1968, reprinted 1986.
(Ref CD 3047 B4 1986)
Bibliographic Index. New York: H. W. Wilson. 1937-
(Index/Abstract Table 5)Semi-annual, annual, and multi-year cumulations. Useful for its continual updating. Journal articles, in addition to books, are included listing diary locations.
Cline, Cheryl. Women's Diaries, Journals, and Letters: An Annotated Bibliography. New York: Garland, 1989.
(Ref CT 3230 C45 1989).International coverage of all time periods is provided in this bibliography of published diaries. Title, subject, geographic, and occupational indexes.
Davis, Gwenn. Personal Writings by Women to 1900: A Bibliography of American and British Writers. Norman, Okla.: Unversity of Oklahoma, 1989.
(Ref PS 147 D29 198)Comprehensive coverage of all types of personal writings for the time period (1475-1899). Chronological and subject indexed. Ca. 5,000 entries.
Goodfriend, Joyce D. The Published Diaries and Letters of American Women: An Annotated Bibliography. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1987.
(Ref CT 3260 G65 1987)Chronological arrangement. Coverage is 1669 to 1982. Author and subject indexes.
Havlice, Patricia P. And so to Bed: A Bibliography of Diaries Published in English . Metuchen, N. J. Scarecrow, 1987.
(CT 25 H38 1987)Comprehensive listing, by diary (beginning) date, of published diaries in books, periodicals, and dissertations. Coverage is from 838 A. D. to 1978. Indexes are to diarist, subject/author, and to Matthews bibliography (see below).
Matthews, William. American Diaries: An Annotated Bibliography of American Diaries Written Prior to the Year 1861. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California, 1945.
(Z 5305 U5 M3)Chronological arrangement. This has been generally been replaced by the Arksay and Havlice titles.
McKinstry, E. Richard, comp.Personal Accounts of Events, Travels, and Everyday Life in America: An Annotated Bibliography. [Winthur, Del.: Henry Francis du Pont Winthur Museum], 1997.
(Ref E 161 M25 1997)Annotated bibliograhy of manuscripts and travel accounts in the Winthur Museum.
Munden, Kenneth W., and Beers, Henry P. The Union: A Guide to Federal Archives Relating to the Civil War. Washington, D. C.: National Archives and Records Adminstration, 1962, reprinted 1986.
(Ref CD 3047 M8 1986)
Writings on American History. Washington, D. C.: American Historical Association, 1902-1961. annual. Not published 1904-1905 and 1941-1947.
(Ref Z1236 .L331)Diaries are listed in this comprehensive bibliography for the years covered. A cumulative index for the years 1902-1940 is available. Books and journal articles are listed. For more recent years use the abstracting service America: History and Life.
Several examples of diary information and critical analysis of diaries is contained in this section.
Dunaway, Philip, and Evans, Mel, eds. A Treasury of the World's Great Diaries. Garden City, N. Y. Doubleday, [1957].
(CT 105 D8)International coverage is provided in this volume of excerpted material from the great diarists.
Kagle, Steven E. American Diary Literature, 1620-1799. Boston: Twayne, 1979.
(PS 409 K3)Critical analysis of diaries. Arrangement is by type of writer, e.g. war diaries.
Mallon, Thomas. A Book of One's Own: People and Their Diaries. New York: Tichnor & Fields, 1984.
(PN 4390 M34 1984)A book on people and the diaries they keep. Arrangement is by type of diarist, e.g. travelers and chroniclers.
Below are links to a selection of electronic resources that are most useful for research in Diaries. Remember, however, that history encompasses many areas of endeavor (e.g., Education, Art, Economics), so you will wish to check all databases that cover your area and time period of interest. Click here for Research Resources Home, where you may browse for other useful resources.
America: History and Life. 1964-
Historical Abstracts. 1955-1966
Humanities Index. 1974-1982. (1983- as a database).
Nineteenth Century Reader's Guide. 1890-1899
Poole's Index to Periodical Literature. 1802-1906
Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. 1900- (1983- as a database).
Social Sciences and Humanities Index. 1976-
This page is maintained by: Patricia Hardesty
© James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
Last Reviewed: November 2002
