The University of Pittsburgh Library System has many books that cover the various subjects within the field of English.

Which editions of a literary text are typically considered to be the standard scholarly edition?

• Check the author notes in the back of Norton anthologies
• Check the MLA Committee on Scholarly Editions (CSE) for your author

To find history of criticism use the Library of Congress Subject Heading 'Criticism -- History' (located under Search, choose the Subject Heading field). This heading can also be used in combination with a specific author (combine searches under Keyword Search).

We have approximately 150 titles in the Critical Heritage series. The Critical Heritage series collects together a large body of criticism on major figures in literature. Each volume presents the contemporary responses to a particular writer, enabling the student to follow the formation of critical attitudes to the writer's work and its place within a literary tradition. Search PittCat for the author's name and 'Critical Heritage series'.

Adding "critical edition" to PittCat searches may locate volumes in our collection that include both contemporaneous and current critical interpretations of a particular author or work.

The MLA Database can be useful for locating reception histories that identify reviews and reviewers. Try SA Primary Subject Author field or the SK Primary Subject Work field and add a keyword to focus the search, such as 'reception history' or 'treatment in criticism' or 'treatment in book review.'.

You can request material through PittCat using Get It, even for material that we do not own. You must be signed in and then click on the item you need. Options within the item:

If you have any questions about this, please contact us so we can work with you to try and get the material you need.