This research guide describes basic information on library and information resources related to theatre and dance, as provided by University Libraries and/or sites on the World Wide Web.

1. To Shelf-Browse for Books (using main Library of Congress Subject Divisions

Books on subjects associated with this field are shelved under the call number ranges listed below. Use TOPCAT to search for specific items in the collection, or more narrowly-defined subjects.

Theatre:   NA6820- NA6845, Theaters ------- PN1560- PN1590, Performing Arts ------- PN2000- PN3307, The theater ------- PN2068, Theatrical makeup ------- PN2091.S6, Theaters--Sound effects ------- PN2091.S8, Theaters--Stage setting and scenery ------- PN2205- PN2217, Actors ------- PN2205- PN2217, Actresses

Dance:  GV1580- GV1799.4, Dancing ------- GV1782, Dance--Production and direction ------- GV1787, Ballet ------- GV1783, Modern dance

2. To Find Journal and Magazine Articles (using indexing/abstracting/full-text services)

The following are recommended for courses for first-year students and non-majors:

• Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost): Covers 3,200 journals in social science, humanities, general science, etc. Many articles in full-text.
• MasterFILE Premier (EBSCOhost): Covers over 1,830 periodicals in nearly all subjects. Many articles in full-text.
• Google Scholar: A free Web-based Google service that restricts searches to the scholarly literature. Now features linking to full-text of articles held by WKU.
• Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature (call no. Ref.Per.Ind. AI3 .R48): Paper index covering articles on all subjects in magazines since 1904.

The following are recommended for use by advanced students and researchers:

• Art and Humanities Citation Index (AHSearch): FirstSearch database available to faculty and graduate students (and to undergraduate students by special permission) that indexes over 1,300 of the world's leading arts and humanities journals, 1980 to present.
• America: History and Life: Since 1964, the premiere database covering the history of the United States and Canada. Database indexes 2,000 journals published worldwide.
• Historical Abstracts: Since 1954, the premiere database covering history since 1450 (excluding Canada and the United States).
• Alt-Press Watch has full text of over 170 alternative and independent newspapers, magazines and journals.
• Alt-Press Index: FirstSearch database available to faculty and graduate students (and to undergraduate students by special permission). Indexes journals covering cultural, economic, political & social change.
• JSTOR: Provides the full text/full image web access of the complete archival collections of over 225 (and growing) core scholarly journals up to the most recent three to five years.
• Project Muse: Scholarly Journals Online: Full-text articles, mostly in the humanities.

Special resource:  TDNet Electronic Journal Finder [use to access Libraries' electronic journals, magazines, and newspapers, as well as some indexes and databases containing full-text articles; includes a comprehenisve A-Z listing of titles]
Special resource:  KenCat [A searchable catalog of the collections at the Kentucky Library & Museum. KenCat includes manuscripts, letters, sheet music, photographs, museum exhibits, images, journals, and books.]

3. Monographic Reference Works in Helm Library

The following are recommended for use:

• Cambridge Guide to American Theatre: Ref PN2220 .C35 1993
• Cambridge Paperback Guide to Theatre: Ref PN2035 .C27 1996
• Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television: Ref PN2012 .W5
• The Encyclopedia of the New York Stage, 1920-1930: Ref PN2277 .N5 L36 1985
• The Encyclopedia of the New York Stage, 1930-1940: Ref PN2277 .N5 L364 1989
• The Encyclopedia of the New York Stage, 1940-1950: Ref PN2277 .N5 L365 1992
• The Facts on File Dictionary of the Theatre: Ref PN2035 .F27 1988
• Famous Actors and Actresses on the American Stage: Ref PN2285. Y6 1975b
• The New York Times Theater Reviews: Ref PN1581 .N42X
• Notable Names in the American Theatre: Ref PN2285 .N6 1976
• Notable Women in the American Theatre: A Biographical Dictionary: Ref Z2285 .N65 1989
• Theatrical Directors: A Biographical Dictionary: Ref PN2035 .F27 1988
• Who's Who in the Theatre: Ref PN2012 .W5

4. Department of Theatre and Dance Faculty

Dept. of Theatre and Dance home page http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Academic/AHSS/Theatre/
Dept. of Theatre and Dance faculty http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Academic/AHSS/Theatre/

5. Related Professional Societies (for professional news, careers/jobs, memberships, etc.)

Theatre

• Actors' Equity Association http://www.actorsequity.org/home.html
• American Association of Community Theatre http://www.aact.org/index.htm
• American Federation of Television & Radio Artists http://www.aftra.org/aftra/aftra.htm
• Arts Kentucky http://www.artsky.org/
• Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) http://www.athe.org/
• Association of Theatre Movement Educators (ATME) http://www.asu.edu/cfa/atme/
• Educational Theatre Association http://www.edta.org/
• International Drama/Theater and Education Association (IDEA) http://educ.queensu.ca/~idea/
• National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) [amateur theatre in Great Britain] http://www.noda.org.uk/
• Theatre Communications Group http://www.tcg.org/
• Theatre Historical Society of America http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/welcome2.html

Dance

• Arts Kentucky http://www.artsky.org/
• Dance/USA http://www.danceusa.org/
• Folk Dance Association http://www.folkdancing.org/
• National Dance Association (NDA) http://www.infocusnet.com/imi/lists/nda.pdf
• National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) http://www.ndeo.org/

6. Web Sites Recommended by Dept. of Theatre and Dance Faculty

General

• ArtsEdNet http://www.getty.edu/artsednet/images/index.html
• Canadian Heritage Information Network http://www.chin.gc.ca/
  
• Fine Arts Library Internet Resources (Indiana University) http://www.indiana.edu/~libfinea/internet/internet.html
• International Arts Resources from Artslynx http://www.artslynx.org/
• Internet Resources for Music, Theater and Dance (Library of Congress) http://www.loc.gov/rr/perform/new.internet.resources.html
• Kentuckiana Digital Library (KYVL) http://kdl.kyvl.org/
• National Endowment for the Arts http://arts.endow.gov/
• National Network for Artist Placement [jobs] http://www.artistplacement.com/

Theatre

• Actors Theatre of Louisville http://www.actorstheatre.org/
• The ActorSource Homepage http://www.actorsource.com/
• The American Musical Theater Reference Library http://www.americanmusicals.com/
• American Theater Web [news & features] http://www.americantheaterweb.com/
• The Costume Page: Costuming Resources Online http://www.costumepage.org/tcpinfo4.html
• The Costumer's Manifesto: Costume.org http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/thrcostlinks.htm
• doollee.com [guide to playwrights & plays] http://www.doollee.com/
• Google Directory: Theatre Production http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Performing_Arts/Theatre/Production/Companies/
• Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) [Broadway theatre information & archive] http://www.ibdb.com/default.asp
• Justin's Drama and Theatre Links [theatre directory: playscripts, education, reference, etc.] http://www.theatrelinks.com/
• Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/
• Performing Arts Links: Theatre: Actors http://www.theatrelibrary.org/links/ActorsHistory.html
• Playbill [theatre news & features] http://www.playbill.com/index.php
• Playwrights on the Web http://www.stageplays.com/writers.htm
• StageDirect [small theater productions] http://www.stagedirect.com/index.shtml
• StagePro [portal for theatre; jobs, productions, etc.] http://www.stage-pro.com/
• TheatreHistory.com http://www.theatrehistory.com/
• Theatre History on the Web http://www.videoccasions-nw.com/history/jack.html
• Theatre History Sites on the WWW http://www.win.net/~kudzu/history.html
• Theatre Resources: Acting and Performance (Artslynx) http://www.artslynx.org/theatre/acting.htm
• Yahoo! Search Directory: Playwrights http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Authors/Playwrights/

Playscripts and Play Catalogs

• Baker's Plays [playscripts] http://bakersplays.com/store/
• Children's Theatre Plays.com http://www.childrenstheatreplays.com/
• Dramatists Play Service, Inc. [playscripts] http://www.dramatists.com/
• The Internet Theatre Bookshop [catalog of plays] http://www.stageplays.com/
• Playscripts Inc. http://www.playscripts.com/
• Stratford Playscripts http://reg_mitchell.tripod.com/
• WorldCat (FirstSearch database) [bibliographic database that will help identify published theatrical works, even obscure ones: enter through WKU Libraries databases page]

Dance

• ballet.co [news, interviews, etc.] http://www.ballet.co.uk/
• BUBL LINK Catalogue of Internet Resources: Dance http://bubl.ac.uk/link/d/dance.htm
• CyberDance: Ballet on the Net http://www.cyberdance.org/
• Dance: A Guide to Web Resources (Assoc. of College & Research Libraries) http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2002/december/dance.htm
• Dance History Research and Scholarship (Artslynx) http://www.artslynx.org/dance/history.htm
• The Dance Insider [news] http://www.danceinsider.com/
• Guide to Dance Resources (Univ. of Wisconsin) http://www.library.wisc.edu/guides/Dance/internet.htm
• The History of Dance (Centralhome.com) http://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/history.htm
• New York Public Library: Performing Arts: Internet Resources: Dance http://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/internet/lpa.cfm?trg=1&d1=142&d3=Dance
• Sapphire Swan Dance Directory http://www.sapphireswan.com/dance/
• Worldwide Internet Music Resources Dance and Ballet (Indiana University) http://www.music.indiana.edu/music_resources/dance.html
• Yahoo! Search Directory: Modern Dance http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Performing_Arts/Dance/Modern/

University Libraries Liaison: Terri Baker (x56119 / terri.baker@wku.edu) last updated 3/06/2007
page maintained by Charles H. Smith