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Dance History & Practice

Finding Books

Scout is a powerful search tool that can be used to find both print and electronic books. Scout simultaneously searches the library catalog, databases of scholarly work (e.g., JSTOR and RILM), electronic collections (e.g., HathiTrust), streaming media (e.g., Naxos and Alexander Street Press), and much more. Because Scout casts a wide net, many students like to use it as a starting point for their research. While Scout may be useful as you begin gathering resources, please note that you will probably need to search the appropriate subject databases to adequately covered your topic.

The Libraries' Catalog is a "traditional" library catalog of local holdings. The catalog may be used to find print books, sound recording, films, and scores, as well as some e-books and streaming media assets. When using the catalog, we recommend starting your search from the "Advanced Search" tab. 

Selected Books

Library of Congress Classification for Dance

GV1580-1799.4 Dance
GV1585 Dictionaries, encyclopedias
GV1588 Philosophy and theory
GV1589 Study and teaching
GV1597 Dancing as a profession
GV1600 Dance criticism, appreciation
GV1645-1728 Dance history (and historical dance)
GV1743 National Dances. Folk dances and dancing
GV1746-1771 Social dancing. Ballroom dancing
GV1781-1795 Theatrical dancing
GV1782.5 Choreography
GV1784 Jazz dance
GV1785 Biography
GV1785.8-1786 Dance groups or companies
GV1787 Ballet
ML3400-3465 Dance music
NX Arts in general
NX760-770 Administration of the arts. Show business
PN1560-1590 The performing arts. Show business.

Books at Other Libraries

WorldCat is a shared international library catalog documenting the holdings of libraries across the United States, as well as many international institutions. If you would like to expand your search for resources beyond the items available locally at the University of Alabama, WorldCat is an excellent resource. Just like our local library catalog, WorldCat can be searched by keyword, author, title, subject heading, and more. Items may be requested through ILLiad, our InterLibrary Loan system.

InterLibrary Loan (ILL)

If an item is not available at the University of Alabama libraries, you may request it through ILLiad, our InterLibrary Loan system. Visit the libraries' ILLiad page and login with your myBama username and password to make a request.