These Library items and helpful Internet sites provide assistance in researching Black History Month. These Internet sites are not connected with the Oak Park Public Library. More assistance in finding reference resources is available at the Information Services Desk on the Third Floor of the Main Library.

Online Tools
Use these online tools using subject or keyword searches to access articles on African Americans.

African-American History Online explores over 500 years of African American history, including the Harlem Renaissance, civil rights, affirmative action, Black Nationalism, Africa, sports, and more. Also available for use at the Oak Park Public Library.

African American Song offers 50,000 tracks documenting the history of African American music. Includes jazz, blues, gospel, and other forms of African American musical expression. Identify the music and performances you want to hear, then click to listen through speakers or headphones.

FirstSearch provides access to full-text articles, indexes, and abstracts in education, business, humanities, medicine, science, and more. Includes 10 different databases. Also available for use at the Oak Park Public Library.

ProQuest provides access full-text articles, indexes and abstracts in business and finance, humanities, medicine and health care, science, technology, general reference, and more. Coverage for some titles goes back to the early 1980's. Also available for use at the Oak Park Public Library.

Encyclopedias
Encyclopedia of Black America REF 973.0439 ENC
Encyclopedia of African and African American Society REF 305.896 ENC

Internet Sites
African-American Genealogy Ring
African-American History offers African American history resources, timeline of the America Civil Rights Movement and much more. By the New York Institute for Special Education
African-American Journal is supported by PBS. This site offers links on the Harlem
Renaissance, the Civil Rights movement, speeches, slavery, and other historical documents.
African-American Odyssey offer many links to the vast showcase of collections covering aspects of African-Americans. By the Library of Congress.
AFRO-American Almanac explores African-American history from the beginning of slave trade to the present. Text of many books, traditional folk tales, historical documents, and brief biographies are also included.
Black History Month celebrates Black History Month year round with many links. Updated regularly.
Black History Treasure Hunt offers an interactive treasure hunt from past to present.
Civil Rights Timeline
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is a nationally renowned research library with over 5,000,000 items on African-Americans.

Award Books For Children
The Caldecott Medal: Named after the 19th century English illustrator, Randolph Caldecott, this award is given annually by the Association for Library Services to Children, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book.

The Coretta Scott King Award. This award is also presented annually by a division of the American Library Association (the Coretta Scott King Task Force of ALA's Social Responsibilities Round Table). Recipients are authors/illustrators of African descent whose books promote appreciation and understanding of the "American Dream."

Finding Books
The Oak Park Library uses the Dewey Decimal Classification System. It has ten major categories. The following is a condensed listing of the system. Information on/about African-Americans can be found in each category. To find other subjects use the Library Catalog or consult a librarian.

000 Generalities
100 Philosophy & Psychology
200 Religion
300 Social Sciences
400 Language
500 Natural Sciences & Mathematics
600 Technology
700 The Arts
800 Literature & Rhetoric
900 Geography & History

Best Sellers Club
Join the Oak Park Public Library's Best Sellers Club and automatically be placed on the hold list for new releases of selected authors including Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Omar Tyree, and Terry McMillan to name a few.

Selected Bibliography of New and Recent Acquisitions

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