LibGuides: UGS 303 Meet the Beatles (Rumrich): Background Information and Newspapers

Why Should I Start Here?

It can be tempting to just dive into your research with scholarly articles. However, you might gain a better understanding of your topic if you begin with these more accessible sources for background information.

Encyclopedias are wonderful sources for facts and general overviews. They should *not* be your only sources of information, but knowing the factual background of your topic will help you understand interpretations presented in academic materials.
A dictionary can be your best friend! Or maybe not really. But it can be a vital part of your research. Make good use of the OED!
Newspapers and magazines can provide cutting edge coverage of current events because they are published more quickly than academic articles. Over time, they transition into historical records of how different events were perceived by journalists and the general public. The newspapers and magazines in our databases represent a broad spectrum of political and cultural beliefs; read widely and critically.

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Gale eBooks
Most current edition. Unlimited users.
Updated regularly. A database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources. Fully searchable across all files.

For more information on ebooks see the Ebook Guide
Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
2nd ed. 1989. Unlimited users.
Updated quarterly. Covers words from across the English-speaking world and offers etymological analysis, listings of variant spellings, and phonetic pronunciation. Corresponds to the print Oxford English Dictionary published in 1989 and the three Additions volumes published 1993-1997.
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
4th ed. Unlimited users.
This encyclopedia's 30,000 entries cover all genres and periods of popular music from 1900 to the present day, including jazz, country, folk, rap, reggae, techno, musicals, and world music. The expanded Fourth Edition includes thousands of new entries on trends, styles, record labels, venues, and music festivals. Key dates, biographies, and further reading are provided for artists covered, along with complete discographies that include record labels, release dates, and a 5-star album rating system.
Garland Encyclopedia of World Music
Most current edition. Unlimited users.
Provides access to the complete online version of the 10-volume print set of the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music along with associated audio tracks, musical illustrations, photographs, drawings, song texts, score examples, charts, and maps.

Newspapers, Magazines, and Film

America's Historical Newspapers
1690 - 1990s. Unlimited users.

Updated regularly. Includes more than 1,000 U.S. historical newspapers published between 1690 and the 1990s, including titles from all 50 states. Search by dates/eras, article types (news & opinion, election returns, letters, poetry/songs, legislative, prices, advertisements, matrimony & death notices), region/state, and newspaper name.
Proquest Databases
Coverage varies. Unlimited.
Landing page for all Proquest databases with the exception of the History Vault.

Use Newsweek and all of the Proquest: Historical Newspapers databases. Make sure to select Page View so you can see what else was on the page!

Library Website
Use Newspapers Search!

Newspaper Source Plus
Dates of coverage vary. Unlimited
Newspaper Source Plus provides a full-text digital collection of the world's major news content. It includes millions of articles from newspapers, newswires and news magazines. In addition, it offers television and radio transcripts and ongoing daily updates from popular news sources.
Factiva
Dates of coverage vary. 9 users.
Updated daily. A global information resource, providing full-text access to top national and international newspapers (including full text of the Wall Street Journal), newswires, business journals, market research reports, analysts reports and web sites. Contains over 8000 publications with content from 118 countries in 22 languages.
This database was formerly called Dow Jones Interactive.
We have a limited number of users for this database. Please select the logout option before you leave your session. When the limit is reached, a username and password prompt will probably be displayed. If this happens, simply wait 15 minutes and then try the link again.
Nexis Uni
Dates of coverage vary. Unlimited users.
Updated continually. Nexis Uni™ features more than 15,000 news, business and legal sources from LexisNexis®—including U.S. Supreme Court decisions dating back to 1790—with an interface that offers discovery across all content types, personalization features such as Alerts and saved searches and a collaborative workspace with shared folders and annotated documents.
Kanopy
Dates of coverage vary. Unlimited users.
This streaming service has a catalog of over 30,000 titles covering various educational topics and feature films for some 800 producers including Criterion, Documentary Educational Resources, New Day Films, Media Education, California Newsreel, PBS and others.
Titles streamed by Kanopy are available either directly from the library catalog or from the UT Kanopy interface linked above. Some titles on the UT Kanopy interface are not immediately available to UT community for streaming. Those titles for which we do not hold streaming rights could be requested by filling in a request form. This form would appear on your screen and forwarded to a staff member for consideration. Given our limited funds, we emphasize study and research needs when making purchase decisions.

Individual Newspaper Archives (more may be available— consult Annah if you are interested in a different newspaper)

Houston Chronicle (Historical)
1901-1985. Additional coverage may be available for 1996-2017. Unlimited.
Research Houston history through the Houston Chronicle Historical Collection. Study trends, issues, events, advertisements, companies and more through historical and current full newspaper pages, full-text articles and content only published online. Available remotely 24/7 on any device. Includes full newspaper pages.
Houston Post (Historical)
1886–1995. Unlimited.
Research Houston history through the Houston Post Historical Collection with coverage from 1886 – 1995. Primary source information to examine events, issues and daily life in the context of the historical period, featuring archived full newspaper pages. Available remotely 24/7 on any device. Includes full newspaper pages.
Los Angeles Times (Historical)
1881 - 2001. Unlimited users.
Updated annually. Provides comprehensive coverage for Southern California's largest daily newspaper. Includes all the articles published since the first issue of the paper in 1881. Provides full text and full image articles with digital reproductions of every page, every article and every issue in PDF format. In addition to news stories, includes editorials, letters to the editor, obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, photos, and advertisements.
New York Times (Historical)
1851 - 2018. Unlimited users.
Updated annually. Includes all the articles published since the first issue of the paper in 1851. Provides full text and full image articles with digital reproductions of every page, every article and every issue in PDF format. In addition to news stories, includes editorials, letters to the editor, obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, photos, and advertisements.
More recent years are also available in other full text resources.
Austin American Statesman (Historical)
1871 - 1980. Unlimited users.
Provides full text and full image articles with digital reproductions of every page, every article and every issue in PDF format. As the leading newspaper in the capital of Texas, the Historical Austin American Statesman provides researchers with unique insights into the political, economic, cultural, and social life of this important state, as well as the southwest U.S. from the late 19th through the 20th century. The paper has strong central Texas coverage, especially for political reporting.
More recent issues are available in LexisNexis Academic, Factiva and Library PressDisplay.
Dallas Morning News (Historical)
1885 - 1984. Unlimited users.
Provides comprehensive coverage for one of the largest daily newspapers in Texas. Accessible by keyword and date searching. Documents major events in Texas, the United States, and the world, providing valuable primary source information. Includes classified and display advertising, photos and graphics.