Reference Sources for Canadian Literary Studies

Katrine Mallan is a health instructional librarian in the Health
Sciences Library at the University of Calgary.

This fine reference work provides scholars, graduate students, and
librarians with a meticulous overview of approximately 1,000 reference
sources available in the field of Canadian literary studies.

The book is organized according to the principles of classification.
The first level of division is reference genre (encyclopedias,
periodicals, bibliographies, etc.). The second level of division
includes literary genre (all forms, poetry, fiction and prose, and drama
and theatre) and levels of generality (specific, general Canadian,
general literary, and general). Within the subdivisions, entries are
usually arranged in reverse chronological order, implying a historical
approach. Annotations are detailed, succinct, and based on the
author’s direct examination of the source in question. Name, title,
subject, and chronological indexes are included in the book.

The scope of the guide is articulated in the introduction. Reference
works, the author states, offer “structure and distillation, with
information provided directly (e.g., dictionary, anthology, and literary
history) or only pointed to (e.g., bibliography, catalogue, and
index).” Jones makes no attempt to define “Canadian,” and although
his book focuses on Canadian literature in English, it also offers a
selection of sources related to Quebec, French literature in Canada, and
writing in languages other than French and English. Literature is
broadly defined as any kind of writing that may have interest as
writing; works of criticism are not included unless they have a
reference aspect.

Although Reference Sources for Canadian Literary Studies was published
in 2005, coverage ends in 2002 when the final revision and updating of
content took place.