Classical Studies reference sources
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Oxford Reference OnlineReference titles in many fields, including classics. Includes the Oxford Classical Dictionary, along with many other sources. Allows only 5 users at a time, so try again later if you get an error message.
Consult this short video below (1:40) to get tips on searching Oxford Reference Online.
Many thanks to Kelly Ng for developing this video.
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Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL)Collection of online encyclopedias in many subjects, including classical studies.
MIT Libraries catalog
For tips on using Barton when accessing it from the home page, consult this short (1:12) video.
Many thanks to Kelly Ng for developing these videos.
MIT's WorldCat
Use MIT's WorldCat to request books from other libraries through Borrow Direct.
COVID-19 Update: Borrow Direct is now back online, and you can request print books that will be shipped to an address in the U.S. For the latest information, consult our service updates.
Classical Studies e-books
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Loeb Classical Library [Digital Loeb Classical Library]Collection of Greek and Latin classical literature. Covers Epic and lyric poetry; tragedy and comedy; history, travel, philosophy, and oratory; medicine and mathematics. In English, Greek, and Latin. Most also available in print.
Other sources for e-books
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Expanded and Free Resources During COVID-19 ClosureSome publishers are temporarily making their e-books available during the pandemic. Check this page for details.
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Google BookSearchSearches the full text of books scanned from publisher and library partners. Full text is mostly only available for older books (pre-1922), but TOCs are usually available for all books.
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HathiTrustOffers reading access of content to the fullest extent allowable by U.S. copyright law. Due to COVID-19, some additional content may be temporarily available. In order to access this content, you must be logged in with your MIT account, and texts not out of copyright may only be available for an hour at a time and not downloadable.
- Consult the video (2:27 min) below to learn more about using HathiTrust to locate electronic versions of print books held by the MIT Libraries.
Many thanks to Chris Sherratt for developing this video.
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Internet ArchiveContains downloads to out-of-copyright books (published before 1932). Also allows access to some more recent volumes.
Scholarly articles
The databases listed below contain scholarship from many different disciplines, including Classical Studies. You can also consult our list of databases and other resources by subject. In general:
- Consult Project MUSE for more recent journal articles.
- Consult JSTOR for older articles (the name comes from "Journal Storage").
However, both sources now also contain e-books, with JSTOR including books published as recently as this year.
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Project MUSEA collection of major journals in the humanities and social sciences. Also includes some e-books. Coverage is roughly from 2000 to the present.
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JSTOR Scholarly Journal ArchiveA collection of scholarly journals in many fields. Includes deep historical coverage but current years are usually excluded. Also includes some e-books.
Research guides in other subjects
The links below will take you to resources in other subjects that might be useful.
Manage your references
Any of the these tools listed below can help you organize and cite your references. The Overview at the top of the list explains the strengths and weaknesses for each.
Citing your sources
Some of the tools listed in the "Manage Your References" include tools to help you create citations in your papers. For more help in understanding the mechanics behind the citations (and to verify that the tool in question has formatted everything properly), consult the following:
- Citation Style Guides - An overview of many of the more popular citation methods, including MLA (Modern Language Association).
- Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting - More detail about MLA, from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab.
Comparative Media Studies, Literature, Philosophy, and Theater Arts Librarian
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New books in classics
The RSS feed below lists the latest books in Classics that have been added to our collection.