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ENG 598: Holocaust and Genocide in Literature

About This Guide

This guide is your library gateway to resources for the Holocaust and Genocide in Literature online course (ENG/WWS/HST 598). All the materials listed here are either accessible electronically via the ASU Library or are open access; some of them may be available at your public library (see instructions below).

For general instructions on how to access and use the ASU Library, see the ASU Online Library Guide. For information on how to borrow physical items, see the Borrowing and How it Works section of that guide.

For most of the resources listed in the current guide, there are searching strategies that can help you minimize and focus your results, and therefore cut your research process time. Here are some Library of Congress subject heading that may help you: 

  1. Use the Advanced Search whenever possible to better control your results list.
  2. Research literature materials about the Holocaust or genocide: set your search to Subject, and copy either of the following: "Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945), in literature" or "Genocide, in literature" (you don't need to use quotation marks in the search). Please note that in this context, "in literature" means research literature, not fiction.
  3. Fiction works: set your search to Subject, and type either "Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- fiction" or "Genocide -- fiction" (you don't need to use quotation marks in the search).
  4. Poetry: set your search to Subject, and type either "Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- poetry" or "Genocide -- poetry" (you don't need to use quotation marks in the search). 
  5. You can further limit your results by specific parameters (format, type, additional subjects, publication date), depending on the database you use. For specific examples, consult the different sections of this guide.

Sections of this guide

Find a Topic: Find background information before you start your research, consulting encyclopedia articles

Books, Films, Dissertations: Find books (print and electronic), streaming videos and DVDs, dissertations and theses, and special collection items. Library of Congress (LC) subject headings can help you navigate the ASU Catalog. 

Journal Articles: Find journal articles in relevant databases.

Primary Sources: Find documents, photos, historical footage produced by victims, perpetrators, or witnesses. This page includes links to databases with a variety of materials: documents, reports, recorded interviews, photos, videos, and more.

Personal Narratives and Testimonies: Find diaries and memoirs of victims or perpetrators. 

News Articles: Find current and historical newspapers, including the USHMM's History Unfolded project.

Archives and Museums: Find dedicated institutions that collect, preserve, and exhibit materials. The first two institutions (USHMM and Yad Vashem) have extensive collections with online access to some sections.

The ASU Library acknowledges the twenty-three Native Nations that have inhabited this land for centuries. Arizona State University's four campuses are located in the Salt River Valley on ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Indian Communities, whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today. ASU Library acknowledges the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students and patrons. We are advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary library practice. ASU Library welcomes members of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh, and all Native nations to the Library.