Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982

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Art Museum Image Gallery

For a one-time subscription fee, you can offer your patrons the most detailed and highly searchable account of U.S. culture and history available anywhere.

Over the past 100 years, Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature has become the ultimate index of subjects in the popular press, has earned the trust of researchers at all levels, and has been hailed by Library Journal as one of the “50 Best Reference Sources for the Millennium.”

The online version of this unmatched research tool, Readers’ Guide Retrospective, offers your library the full coverage of the original paper volumes combined with the functionality of WilsonWeb technology, including

All the information from 44 Readers’ Guide annuals in a single database that your patrons can search easily and precisely; save on valuable shelf space, and no need to replace damaged or worn-out books.
Access to over 3 million articles from approximately 375 leading magazines; many of the articles are peer reviewed.
Coverage from a wide range of journals (see our Journal Directory for a full list of the periodicals covered).
WilsonWeb functionality, which allows patrons to search for articles by keyword, subject heading, publication, dates, journal, author, article title, ISSN, article type, and more.
The complete text of Wilson Library Bulletin from 1914 on, including PDF page images. (See Sample Articles.)
Subject-heading matching, so that patrons can search historical subjects using modern terminology, but can still see the original subject headings for a revealing and historically valuable look at how issues of the day were framed. See Historic and Contemporary Subject Headings for more details.
Built in links to page images from the original Readers’ Guide volumes, showing the original “see” and “see also references” as well as the complete hierarchy of subject headings and subheadings.
Embedded links for easy acquisition of articles.
Library holdings indicator linked to your OPAC so that patrons can find out immediately if cited articles are available in your library.
WilsonLink SFX technology, which links citations with full text from any of your OpenURL-compatible databases, at no additional charge!

When combined with Readers’ Guide Full Text Mega Edition, this resource is ideal for libraries serving a broad spectrum of patron interests and needs. It contains both scholarly and general knowledge, and many of the periodicals covered are suitable for use by both junior and adult patrons.

Use Readers Guides Retrospective to find contemporaneous coverage of history-making events such as

James Earl Ray pleading guilty to killing Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The death of Mary Jo Kopechne at Chappaquiddick
Neil Armstrong walking on the Moon, and the Mars Viking landing
The Charles Manson killings
Leonard Bernstein’s farewell performance at the New York Philharmonic
The impeachment and resignation of Richard M. Nixon
The end of the Vietnam War
The Irish potato famine of the 19th century
The Three Mile Island nuclear plant disaster
The break-up of the Beatles, the concert for Bangladesh, and the killing of John Lennon
Movie phenomena, including Star Wars and The Godfather
The kidnapping of Patty Hearst
Early attempts to combat global warming, like the first Earth Day
Voting rights for 18-year-olds
Riots at Attica Prison
Fashion fads the first time round, like hot pants, miniskirts, and fluorescent socks
The disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa
The end of Franco’s dictatorship in Spain
Papal elections, including John Paul I and John Paul II
Panama Canal treaties
The Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the hostage crisis
Martial law in Poland and the Solidarity strikes
Bruce Springsteen’s career taking off

Authoritative coverage on

Antiques • Arts • Business • Computers • Crafts • Dance • Drama
Education • Entertainment • Fashion • Film & Television • Food Recipes & Cooking • Gardening • Health & Medicine • History
Home Improvement • Literature • News & Current Events
Photography • Popular & Classical Music • Politics • Popular Culture
Religion • Science • Sports & Fitness • Transportation • Travel
...and more!

Updated Plus Original Subject Headings—All Searchable

Historical Heading

Contemporary Heading

Abandoned towns

Ghost towns

Abyssinia

Ethiopia

Boers

Afrikaners

Bombs, Flying

Aerial bombing

Brontosaurus

Apatosaurus

Chemistry, Legal

Forensic chemistry

Drunkards; Drunkenness

Alcohol and alcoholism

European War, 1914-

World War I, 1914-1918

Feeble-minded

Mentally handicapped

Game protection

Wildlife conservation

Gases in warfare

Chemical and biological weapons

Glacial period

Ice age

Hashish

Marijuana

India-rubber

Rubber

Insane

Mentally ill

Lodging houses, Municipal

Flophouses

Ministers of the gospel

Clergy

Mohammedans

Muslims

Moros

Muslims/Philippines

Monitors

Turret ships

Negro-English dialects

Black English

Outdoor relief

Public welfare

Physiological chemistry

Biochemistry

Sportsmen

Hunters

Stock exchange/Crisis, October 1929

Business depression, 1929-1939

Trade unions

Labor unions

Wireless telegraphy

Radio telegraph

And many more . . .

Also Available

Readers’ Guide Full Text, Mega Edition
Dramatically expand your popular periodical resources with full text plus the trusted reliability of Readers’ Guide indexing! Readers’ Guide Full Text, Mega Edition offers the ultimate in current events coverage, curriculum support, and quality periodicals research for students, educators, and library patrons.

Searchable full text of articles from journals as far back as 1994.
In-depth abstracts of 50 to 150 words—written by professionals—plus high quality indexing of periodicals as far back as 1983
Daily updates on WilsonWeb.

Readers’ Guide Full Text, Select Edition
For libraries that want a 100% full-text database, the Select Edition of Readers’ Guide Full Text is the most popular choice. Your patrons get searchable full-text plus abstracting and indexing for a broad selection of the most-wanted popular periodicals.

Searchable full text as far back as 1994, plus professionally written abstracts and high-quality indexing.
Frequent updates—daily on WilsonWeb.

Readers’ Guide Abstracts
Informative abstracts of 50 to 150 words provided in this database can make finding the actual article cited unnecessary. And the new WilsonLink SFX-powered technology links citations to full text in any of your OpenURL compatible databases. What's more, on WilsonWeb citations feature links to websites mentioned in the articles for further information.

Indexing and abstracting of periodicals as far back as 1983.
Updated daily on WilsonWeb.

"The abstracts are excellent, allowing students to determine if the article is what they want while also giving them enough information to help them modify or further develop their topic." —Information Searcher

Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature®
In this database, you will find all the trusted, broad coverage of the printed Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature in the convenient online form patrons prefer. On WilsonWeb, take advantage of links, remote access, WilsonLink SFX-powered technology, and more.