Lincoln's Cabinet: Library Handout

General Resources

Our library. We have purchased a number of books to assist you with this research paper, and have also located resources online; however, there are many, many more articles, books, and other items available. Just Dig!

Search OCLC worldcat, and peruse the suggested resources, some of which are listed here.

ILL (Inter Library Loan)

ILL forms for books and articles can be found on the library website. We need at least 7 days on average to obtain an article or book from a library outside the state of Florida.

If you want something that is not a book or article, let us know and we can try to get it.

Other Local Libraries

USF has a reciprocal borrowing agreement with Saint Leo. You will need to take your current SLU student ID with you. You can use their online databases (including JSTOR) while on campus in the reference area. You can also make copies of print articles (journals are on the 2^nd floor), and check out books, but you will need to return the books in person.  

Senior Seminar in Political Science: POL499

The Lincoln Administration & Cabinet 

 Your assignment – research your assigned cabinet member.

Locate and obtain:

1. Locate and read a high quality, recent secondary work on your political figure (such as a biography) 
2. Locate and use original sources (either by that person or by a contemporary
   assessing that person) in your term paper
3. Locate and critique 2-3 scholarly articles (juried/peer reviewed) devoted to the topic/thesis of your paper. 

AVOID general resources, unless o.k.’d by your professor.

A primary resource is something created by or about the person or item of interest.

·         Speeches

·         Orginal documents such as

·         Diaries & Letters

·         Manuscripts

·         Notes, memos and email

·         AutoBiographies

·         Proceedings/Minutes

·         Official Records (death certificate, marriage license, baptismal record, etc.)

·         Marginalia,etc

Secondary sources provide interpretation and analysis of primary sources.
Secondary sources are one step removed from the original event or "horse's mouth."

• Scholarly criticism or analysis
• magazine articles about events or people
• political commentary analyzing an election or politician
• books about the Person or event written by someone else

Example: Team of Rivals – “The book's originality lies in the focus on relationships among the men Lincoln chose for his cabinet and highest offices: three were his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination in 1860, and each considered himself the only worthy candidate.” Goodwin's use of primary-source materials is exhaustive (120 pages of notes and no bibliography)

A scholarly article is written by someone who is considered to be an “expert” in their field, someone who is contributing to the body of knowledge by adding new information or insight about the person or event.

EBSCO Academic Search Premier, ProQuest & Wilson Web are possibly your best resources in this area, although for people who were lawyers or judges, another sources would be Westlaw.  Article example: Law and Social Inquiry, Spring, 1997 Review Essay: SALMON P. CHASE AND CONSTITUTIONAL POLITICS

I went to New York Times Book Review and searched for Lincoln. The review by David Reynolds about the book by Eric Foner called The Fiery Trial looked interesting. After reading it, I wanted to know if SLU library has the book! So, I did a search in OCLC Worldcat for Foner, where I will learn if the library has it (and any of his other books) in print or as an ebook in NetLibrary. I also did a search in Ebrary (because right now the collection is separate from OCLC Worldcat). Although the library has books by Foner, The Fiery Trial did not come up! So, I will fill out the Interlibrary Loan Book Request and order the book from another Library!