National History Day 2021: Communication in History: Books

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Books are excellent sources for information such as:

• in-depth coverage of a subject
• history and chronology       
• overview of a big topic
• background information
• bibliographies of additional sources. 

A book does not need to be read cover-to-cover to be used for research. To determine how appropriate and useful the book might be, look at its parts:

• Table of Contents - Tells you how the book is arranged (for example, chronologically or topically) and its general content.
• List of Illustrations - Gives a list of photographs, drawings, tables, or other types of illustrations used to support the contents of the book. 
• Preface, Forward, or Introduction - May provide the reader with ideas about the author's intention or purpose for writing the book. Gives an indication of the depth of research presented.
• Bibliography - The list may be sources that were used to create the work they accompany, or it may be a list of additional materials on the topic. Great way to locate more sources on your topic.  
• Index - Specific subjects in the book. This can tell you if the book covers aspects of your topic that interest you. 

Use Montgomery County Public Libraries to expand your access to authoritative information that can be used for your NHD project. With your Library Card Number and PIN (your 4-digit birth year), you can take advantage of numerous services:

• Find and checkout a book from one of  MCPL's branches by searching its catalog.
• Use Marina, the interlibrary loan system, to find articles/books that are not at Bullis or MCPL.
• Access databases not available at Bullis Library.