Books are the most prestigious and significant form of publication in history. Articles are not just shorter; they are different in scope, more specialized and more specific in focus. Scholarly articles in history assume a level of expertise that books generally do not. Use the AHA Guide to Historical Literature (REF D20 A55 1995) to identify important books on your subject.
Databases in history can also be used to identify books: America:History and LIfe includes book reviews.
Our new library system, Primo, is a "discovery tool" that pulls up a lot of material for any search: books, articles, other materials, which may be available to you here (or through the library) or may simply exist elsewhere in the world.
To search for books at the Claire T. Carney Library, you must follow a few steps:
1) Choose Advanced Search.
2) On the next screen, click on the UMD Collections Only tab and select Books from the drop-down menu
If you identify a book you wish to use that is not in the UMass Dartmouth collection, you may request a copy on Interlibrary Loan. How long will this take? Usually a week or less, but the time depends on the lending library and we cannot promise a specific delivery speed. There is no emergency overnight interlibrary loan, so think ahead!
The library has recently expanded its collection of books about everyday life in ancient and medieval societies.
To search for them try searching the name of the civilization's geographical site and add the terms "social life and customs," for example,
Egypt Social LIfe and Customs
Rome Social Life and Customs, etc.
We have also added a few "travel guides" to ancient civilizations:
Ancient Athens on 5 Drachmas a Day by 
Ancient Egypt on 5 Deben a Day by 
Ancient Rome on 5 Denarii a Day by