Encyclopedias - AFR 192 | HIST 192 : Modern African History - Library Guides at Penn State University

Online Encyclopedias

Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) This link opens in a new window
an interdisciplinary collection of reference sources. Use your keywords to find articles within encyclopedias and other reference works in the GVRL Collections.
A collection of over 2000 reference resources.
Oxford African-American Studies Center This link opens in a new window
Full-text reference sources for information about African American and African history and culture.
The African American Studies Center features the three-volume Encyclopedia of African American History 1619-1895, published by Oxford in 2006; the three-volume Black Women in America, Second Edition, edited by Darlene Clark Hine in 2005, the highly acclaimed five volume Africana: the encyclopedia of the African and African American experience. The Center also includes content from much-anticipated forthcoming print publications including the African American National Biography project (estimated at 8 volumes), edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., scheduled for publication in 2008; and the Encyclopedia of African American Art and Architecture, due for publication 2007. In addition to these major reference works, AASC offers other key resources from Oxford's reference program, including the Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature and selected articles from other reference works.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
search encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works published by Oxford University Press.
Oxford Reference Online consists of a wealth of facts, figures, definitions, and translations found in dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press.

Print Encyclopedias

Africana: the encyclopedia of the African and African American experience by Kwame Anthony Appiah (Editor); Henry Louis Gates (Editor)
Publication Date: 2005
"The most authoritative research and scholarly reference set on the African experience. Covers prominent individuals, events, trends, places, political movements, art forms, business, religion, ethnic groups, organizations and countries on both sides of the Atlantic."
Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara by John Middleton (Editor)
Publication Date: 1997
This 4-vol. set covers covers the peoples, cultures, and complex history of the Africa regions south of the Sahara. The articles describe such topics as archaeology family and kinship; government; politics and law; and African arts; cultures; and languages.
Africa South of the Sahara
Published annually, includes articles about current issues in Africa as well as country specific surveys including country's geography, recent history, economy, statistics, etc.; and a bibliography for further reading.
Africa contemporary record : annual survey and documents
Includes extensive essays on current topics: political affairs, defense and security, social affairs, foreign affairs, economic affairs and includes references.
African States and Rulers : an encyclopedia of native, colonial, and independent states and rulers past and present by John Stewart
Publication Date: 1989
French Colonial Africa : a guide to official sources by Gloria Westfall
Publication Date: 1992
A guide to finding and using official publications as sources of information on the political, economic, social, and cultural conditions in the former French colonies of tropical Africa. Surveys such material as overviews, research guides, bibliographies, archival sources in France and Africa.
African Historical Dictionary [series]
Contains entries for important names, places, and events in the history of individual African countries.