Brandeis Library News - Research Guides at Brandeis University

Brandeis Library is currently participating in the ProQuest Evidence-Based Acquisition (EBA) program. Through an annual subscription fee, the EBA program provides access to a large number of primary source databases and, at the end of each fiscal year, the Library is able to select titles for perpetual access. Brandeis Library has purchased the following databases for perpetual access:

Rolling Stone Archive The backfile of Rolling Stone, from its launch in 1967 to the present. One of the most influential consumer magazines of the 20th-21st centuries, it initially sought to reflect the cultural, social, and political outlook of a generation of students and young adults. It has been a leading vehicle for rock and popular music journalism, as well as covering wider entertainment topics such as film and popular culture.
Black Thought and Culture Covers the non-fiction published works by major American Black leaders. Where possible, the complete published non-fiction works are included, as well as interviews, journal articles, speeches, essays, pamphlets, and letters.

In previous years, the Library purchased perpetual access to the Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive, Women's Magazine Archive‎ (1846-2005), Black Studies Center, African Diaspora (1860-Present), Mass Incarceration and Prison Studies, Atlanta Daily World, the Los Angeles Sentinel, The Vogue Archive, Women's Wear Daily Archive, LGBT Magazine Archive (Collection 1), Religious Magazine Archive, Pittsburgh Courier (1911–2010), and the News Policy and Politics Magazine Archive through the ProQuest EBA program.

The Library has also added the following databases to the EBA plan for the upcoming year. We will have access to these resources through at least May 31, 2025.

Engineering Case Studies Online Provides a single, comprehensive source for a wide range of video and text material focusing on engineering failures and successes. Includes documentaries, accident reports, experiments, visualizations, case studies, lectures and interviews from leading engineering institutions around the world.
Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive Collection 5: Video Gaming Consists of the backfiles of more than 40 gaming magazines from the 1980s through to 2020. These titles cover a wide variety of consoles/platforms and aspects of the industry.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1874-2003) (add to Databases A-Z)
Socialist and Radical Periodicals The backfiles of more than 25 periodicals reflecting the 20th/21st–century history of a variety of movements and ideologies on the political left. These titles include Marxist, socialist, communist, social democratic, and Fabianist publications, addressing key topics and events such as labour history / workers' rights, international socialism, anti-Nazi movements, Red Scares, class struggles, campaigns / legislation, and youth radicalism.
Trade and Globalization Studies Online Examines the history of trade, trade policies, financial crises, emerging markets and technological innovations that unite the world in an ever-changing system of trade. The collection gathers books, case studies, archival materials and documentaries to provide historical context and insights.

Please reach out to your subject librarian to discuss using these databases in your teaching and research.

Recent Posts

Join Us to Celebrate the Brandeis MakerLab's 10th Birthday!

We’re excited to mark a decade of innovation, creativity, and community at the Brandeis MakerLab! Come celebrate with us on Thursday, September 26th, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM on the Farber Library Mezzanine, just outside the MakerLab.Enjoy a fun afternoon filled with hands-on activities, inspiring projects, and a chance to connect with fellow makers and creators. There will be refreshments, special demonstrations, and a look back at our journey over the past ten years.Don't miss out on this milestone event—let’s make it a celebration to remember!Date: Thursday, September 26thTime: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PMLocation: Farber Library Mezzanine, Brandeis UniversitySee you there!...

BDI Empowering Young Innovators through 3D Technology

This summer, Brandeis Design & Innovation (BDI) was delighted to host a series of engaging 3D scanning and 3d printing workshops in partnership with the Genesis Program, Upward Bound, and Camp Harbor View. These programs brought together a diverse group of students, including Jewish pre-college participants from Genesis, and first-generation and students of color from Upward Bound and Camp Harbor View.Over the course of the workshops, students were introduced to the world of 3D scanning and printing. They had the opportunity to scan 3D models of themselves and then remix these models using TinkerCAD. Their final designs were brought to life through 3D printing, giving students a tangible reminder of their innovative work.This hands-on experience not only taught them about the technical aspects of 3D scanning and printing but also encouraged them to think creatively and critically about design and how technology can inform design choices. We are proud to have provided a platform where these talented innovators could explore cutting-edge technology and realize the possibilities it offers. Be sure to check out the impressive 3D prints created by our talented participants!...

Project Information Literacy Climate Change Study

Brandeis Library is excited to share the results of Project Information Literacy's (PIL) study, How Information Worlds Shape our Response to Climate Change, for which Brandeis Library served as a liaison. As part of this study, Brandeis students were invited to participate in a survey which included a cross-section of U.S. residents, as well as college students enrolled at 10 institutions in different parts of the country. The study examines the ways people living in the US encounter, engage with, and respond to news and information about climate change; how these interactions shape their perceptions of the worldwide climate emergency; and how these attitudes impact their willingness to take action, no matter how small it seems. Read more....

Brandeis Library Awards Research Excellence Prize Winners for 2024

Winners pictured, clockwise beginning with upper left: Dahlia Ramirez, Noa Emi, Danielle Wallner, Hannah Laffer, Yair Berzofsky, Adah Anderson, Gustavo Nascimento, and Irina Znamirowski. The Brandeis Library's Research Excellence Prize recognizes students who apply sophisticated information literacy skills to the selection, evaluation, and synthesis of sources for a research project. The 2024 winners were selected from a pool of outstanding student submissions in nine categories:Community-engaged research: Adah Anderson, Examining Reentry in Massachusetts: Perspectives from System-Impacted People and Those Working in Reentry“This project has taught me that sometimes when conducting research, you need to adapt and change your approach to the process. For me, this often took the form of finding new ways to speak to incarcerated people, a population I deemed to be integral to my work but also unfortunately, very controlled and hidden from the public. Throughout this research, I adapted to conversing with many from this community online and was happy to speak to a few over the phone, despite my initial aim being to meet with each person individually and in person. More than anything, this project showed me that sometimes the processes in place that limit your ability to conduct research are results in and of themselves, as my work demonstrated that Massachusetts DOC regulations for corresponding with those inside prison are made to seclude this population from those on the outside. Overall, the library resources helped me immensely throughout this research project and others I have completed in the past.” -Adah Anderson Research completed for an undergraduate senior thesis: Irina Znamirowski, Beyond the Character: An Examination of Dissimulation and Metatheatre in Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, and Hamlet“This was a philosophical-literary thesis, but Irina also used as primary source the Brandeis First Folio which helped her make a central argument about interaction between characters on the interestingly relevant basis of line layouts — e.g. whether lines seemed to be shared between two speakers or whether one speaker was completely done before the second speaker began.” -William Flesch, Professor of English Student research related to racism and anti-racism: Noa Emi, Exilic Intimacy: Scenes of Erotic Performance and the Metaphysics of Rape“noa's essay constitutes an extended and important discussion of incest and rape in two Caribbean novels. noa marshals sometimes quite difficult theoretical arguments to connect abuse in the present to past and ongoing implications of violent colonial patriarchy for constructions of masculinity and femininity for the descendants of African enslavement and South Asian indentureship: these are questions that persist into the present. noa both sifts through and constructs a convincing theoretical argument, and applies it carefully to well-selected portions of both novels.” -Faith Smith, Marta F. Kauffman Chair in African and African American Studies and Professor of English Climate change-related research: Hannah Laffer, Quantifying Climate Shifts Across Chilean Landscapes from the Andes to the Pacific and Atacama to Patagonia"Hannah put a huge amount of effort into her senior thesis about climate change in Chile over the past 4 decades. In particular, I was impressed with how she managed to wrangle a ton of climatic data from across the country, including temperature, precipitation, wind and sea surface temperature. Getting some of this data even required her to request it from the Chilean Navy! She then essentially taught herself how to code in R." -Sally Warner, Associate Professor of Climate Science Research completed in a University Writing Seminar (UWS): Dahlia Ramirez, How To Make Death Fun: Tyler Feder’s Genius In Dancing At The Pity Party"Dahlia's UWS paper represents research and writing at the highest level. Dahlia explores color theory and the psychology of grief through her original analysis of Dancing at the Pity Party, a powerful but understudied graphic memoir. Dahlia challenges conventional attitudes around ‘teenage’ and ‘adult’ literature, and persuasively argues that bright colors, simplistic compositions, and humor are appropriate elements for comics about 'serious' topics." -Rafael Abrahams, University Writing Seminar Instructor and PhD Student in History Research completed by an undergraduate student outside of UWS: Gustavo Nascimento, Gardens - A Vessel For Self-Fashioning"Undertaking this project has transformed my approach to research in several ways. I have developed a deeper appreciation for the role of library resources and services in supporting academic inquiry and scholarship. I have also learned to navigate complex information landscapes more effectively, utilizing advanced search techniques and evaluation criteria to locate and assess sources. Moreover, I have understood the value of free brainstorming and the use of a canvas that allows you to analyze your sources and personal ideas as if you were seeing them in a third-person view. Ultimately, I gained confidence in my ability to tackle research challenges and overcome obstacles in order to get a message across and, hopefully,inspire those who are reading it." -Gustavo Nascimento Research completed by a graduate student: Danielle Wallner, The Silent Women of the Future: A Comparative Case Study of Female Representation and Futurism in Early Science Fiction Films"She uncovered major silent film sources, some of which are shockingly provocative both for Russia and Italy. Her work is deep, digitally grounded, and highly original." - Alice A. Kelikian, Associate Professor of History Research that makes use of materials in the Brandeis University Archives & Special Collections: Abigail Roberts, Brandeis' First Folio: Ownership, Observation, and Opportunities"This was a wonderful use of Brandeis's resources--a senior essay about our First Folio, in which Abby took full advantage of the archive and its opportunities for her to understand something important about Shakespeare's publication history and reception. She studied the Folio and its digital copy very carefully, and brought new attention to this amazing resource." Ramie Targoff, Jehuda Reinharz Professor in the Humanities Digital research project: Yair Berzofsky, unfinished.wav"Yair is a master at digital photography, lighting, set design and music." -Alice A. Kelikian, Associate Professor of HistoryCongratulations to all of the winners! ...

New Library Resources, Including Digitized Primary Source Collections