University Libraries

Keywords

Perhaps the best way to start is to search the Library Search Catalog using a simple keyword. Try: 

• Slave trade
• Slavery
• Trans-Atlantic or Middle Passage

If you are searching for books on slavery or the Atlantic slave trade in relation to a specific region of the world or country, it may be helpful to add some geographic terms. For example: 

• Slavery and Brazil
• Slavery and United States
• Slavery and South America

Similarly, if the focus of your research is the institution of slavery and/or the slave trade within Africa itself, it would be wise to use the relevant geographic terms, such as:

• Slavery and Africa
• Slavery and West Africa

Finally, you may wish to explore the history of slavery within the context of a specific industry or the production of a particular commodity. For example:

• Slaves and plantation
• Slaves and Sugar
• Slaves and tobacco

Library of Congress Subject Headings

For a more advanced approach to searching the Library Search Catalog, you might try using subject headings. For instance:

• Slave Trade
• Slave Trade - Africa
• Slave Trade - Africa, West
• Slave Trade - Brazil - History
• Slave Trade - Great Britain
• Slave Trade - United States
• Slavery - America
• African Diaspora

Ohio University Libraries is excited to announce that it is one of the newest members of HathiTrust, a global collaborative of libraries that seeks to preserve the cultural record long into the future. HathiTrust is made up of over 200 member libraries that have created a repository of 17.4 million volumes in their digital library.