Foreign Language Literatures
Start with the MLA International Bibliography
- The MLA International Bibliography is both international and multilingual, making it a great general tool for research in literary scholarship. You can use the drop-down list to specify a Subject Literature by nation or region (Scottish, North African, etc.).
- Since the MLA is based in the U.S., though, there's a natural bias toward anglophone literature and toward works by American scholars. To find databases and bibliographies specific to your subject literature, please ask me (Odile) for recommendations. You're also welcome to explore Harvard's Databases list.
Think in Terms of Language Families and Geographical Region
Use multiple kinds of search terms
Nouns and adjectives:
- Chinese OR China, Latin America OR Latin American
- Pro tip: also add adjectival forms for languages: Lusophone, Sinophone
Regions
- East Asian, Pacific, Iberian, Latin America
Dialects and cultures
- Hwanghae, Latino, Chicano
Language families
- Romance, Slavic, Nilo-Saharan.
Pro tip: learn the MARC codes for your languages of interest, for catalog searching (e.g. in HOLLIS Advanced Search)
Find the Language Filter
- Language: most search interfaces allow you to filter by language, and/or have a "language" option on the Advanced Search page
- Place of publication: it is also often possible to filter or search by place of publication
For Non-Roman Scripts, Use Transliterations AND Original
Cataloging practices and system capabilities have changed significantly over time - you will need to try multiple search methods. Expect some hiccups in your searching no matter what you do.
- Search in the original script: current best practice is for items to be cataloged by their original titles, in the original script, and HOLLIS accepts non-roman scripts in the search box.
- Search in transliteration: many older records have only transliterations, so it's important to try your search both in the original and in roman transliteration. Except for alif in Korean transliterations, HOLLIS ignores diacritical marks, but systems differ on this, so try searching both with and without diacritical marks.
- Best practice follows the Transliteration Tables for non-Roman Scripts, from the American Library Association.
Contact an Expert
- There is likely a Harvard librarian who specializes in the language families and geographical regions of interest to you. (Write to Ask a Librarian to find out who!) Our library experts are available via email or by in-person consultations. They can recommend top databases and help you navigate Harvard's collections. Many also maintain online research guides like the one you're reading right now. Please get in touch!
Explore Harvard's Collections
There is non-Anglophone material throughout Harvard's library collections, but several libraries specialize in a particular cultural tradition or geographic area. Many of the collections below rank among the world's best.
In Cambridge:
- Harvard-Yenching Library - East Asian
- Slavic Collections (Widener)
- Fung Library - 20th-century social-science collections on Eurasia, Japan, and China
- Middle Eastern Collection (Widener)
- Judaica Collection (Widener)
Beyond Massachusetts:
- Center for Hellenic Studies - Greek and Byzantine
- Biblioteca Berenson - Medieval Italian
Explore Beyond Harvard's Collections
Pro Tip: use InterLibrary Loan to request material from outside of Harvard's Collections
Union Catalogs
- WorldCat - a global union catalog that aggregates library catalogs from across the country and the world
- Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog - a union catalog for European libraries that includes many records not found in WorldCat
National Libraries
- National library catalogs are usually open to search, no log-in required
- If you don't find a national library, try to find what other institutions might have the biggest libraries in the country, such as a prominent university, museum, cultural heritage center, or branch of government
