These are some examples of subject headings in the VCL catalog.  The same subject headings are used in ConnectNY and WorldCat. 

Examples of subject headings:

• English Drama -- 17th century -- History and Criticism
• English Drama -- Early Modern and Elizabethan -- History and Criticism
• Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of, 1624?-1674 -- Criticism and Interpretation

One way to find subject headings leading to material related to your topic in a catalog or database is to start with a keyword search and then follow the linked subject headings in the records that come up.

One way to get started in researching a playwright, staging, social and historical context, etc., is to find relevant handbooks and companion volumes, such as the Cambridge Companions, the Oxford Handbooks,  and the Blackwell Companion series.

Essays in these volumes provide overviews of topics within the larger subject area, and are by authoratative scholars.  In addition to providing you with background and vocabulary for further inquiry, the bibliographies included are rich resources for further reading.

Here are some examples:

The Oxford Handbook of Early Modern Theatre

The Cambridge Companion to Women's Writing in Britain, 1660-1789

The Cambridge Companion to English Renaissance Drama

Companion to Renaissance Drama (Blackwell)

Search for books, journal titles, DVDs and other material in the Vassar Online Catalog.

To search for a director as subject, change the drop-down to subject and enter the name first last (eg Sturges Preston).

 Find Books in Other Libraries

Use ConnectNY and WorldCat to find books in other libraries.

These databases use the same set of subject headings we use in our online catalog.  See the box on the left for suggested subject headings for your topics.  If you don't know what subject heading to use, try a keyword search first and follow subject headings for relevant books to find others on the same topic.

To get books you find in WorldCat that are not at Vassar or in ConnectNY, use ILLiad.