Reference Sources
- A History of Modern Computing byFrom the first digital computer to the dot-com crash a story of individuals, institutions, and the forces that led to a series of dramatic transformations.
- A History of Information Storage and Retrieval byThis history traces the development of knowledge-collecting from tribal members, whose minds served as repositories of culture and lore, through the first libraries and encyclopedias, to the advances of the 20th century.
- Computer: A History of the Information Machine byTraces the history of the computer and shows how business and government were the first to explore its unlimited, information-processing potential. This third edition provides updated analysis on software and computer networking, including new material on the programming profession, social networking, and mobile computing. It expands its focus on the IT industry with fresh discussion on the rise of Google and Facebook as well as how powerful applications are changing the way we work, consume, learn, and socialize.
- Credo ReferenceProvides access to a collection of aggregated and integrated reference books from high-quality publishers.
- Encyclopedia of Artificial Intelligence byWritten by 350 specialists in academia, industry and government and covering all fields encompassed by artificial intelligence, this encyclopaedia has been updated and expanded to include developments in the fields of neural networks, fuzzy logic, vision and languages.
- The McGraw-Hill Illustrated Encyclopedia of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence byA reference on robotics and artificial intelligence which contains 500 articles, each of which represents a topic such as: robots and automation; robots and AI in medicine; military use of robots; robotics and safety; robotics and security; robotic space probes and reliability factors.
- Software Studies - A Lexicon byA cultural field guide to software: artists, computer scientists, designers, cultural theorists, programmers, and others define a new field of study and practice.
Books, Dissertations & Media
To find books on your topic, use the "Advanced Search" option from the library's main page (above the search bar), select "Search for Books & Media" on the side of the pop-up window that appears, then click the checkbox next to "Books"
It might also be useful to search for dissertations about your topic, which will offer the same mixture of introductory summary and specific research findings that you get with books. Those can be found in
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses GlobalProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) Global is the world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, offering millions of works from thousands of universities. Each year hundreds of thousands of works are added. Full-text coverage spans from 1743 to the present, with citation coverage dating back to 1637.
Lastly, there may be important documentaries or films about your topic, especially if it's related to the 20th or 21st century. You can find those in any of our 4 film platforms below
- Alexander Street Press VideosSearch audio and videos from UIC's Alexander Street Press collection. Includes audio descriptions for some videos and captions and transcripts for all videos.
- Docuseek2Docuseek 2 is a platform for independent, documentary, educational and social issue video and films. It provides access to over 750 documentaries covering a wide variety of subjects including social issues, sustainability, the environment, and many more. Includes captions.
- KanopyKanopy is an on-demand streaming video service for educational institutions that provides students and faculty access to more than 26,000 films. Kanopy provides students access to one of the largest collections of films in the world – including award-winning documentaries, training films and theatrical releases – on every topic imaginable. If you are a faculty member who needs a film activated for a class, please use the request form in Kanopy. Please include the class name and number, and the date the film is needed.
