As research sources, books are excellent means for identifying various areas of interest within a larger subject.
In short, books have:
Because they take more time to write than an article, they typically are the most thoroughly edited but not always the most timely. The average book is also 200-300 pages, some having many more, so it may not be the best if you're running behind in your research.
So unless you're coming up on a deadline or need the most recent information on your topic, books will always be an excellent resource for your research needs. The Fresno State Library provides print and digital editions of thousands of books; all you have to do is look!
The best way to locate books, in both electronic and print format, is by using our OneSearch tool, located prominently on the library's website. To learn more, visit the library's guide to using OneSearch.
...as long as you have the time! Browsing is not ideal if you're in a time crunch, but can help inspire students and other researchers who may be unsure where to start. Observing a collection in real-time can be a great way to see what's already been done and where we can go next.
Classifications denote the primary subject. An inherently multidisciplinary field, "Sociology" materials can overlap with other subjects. The following is a list of call number areas for browsing the library stacks as classified by the Library of Congress.
HM - Sociology (General)
HN - Social history and conditions; Social problems; Social reform
HQ - The family; Marriage; Woman; Sexuality
HS - Societies: secret, benevolent, etc.
HT - Communities; Classes; Races
HV - Social pathology; Social and public welfare; Criminology
HX - Socialism; Communism; Anarchism
Z5703 - Subject Bibliography: Criminology
Z161-7166 - Parts dealing with Subject bibliography: Political and Social Sciences
Closely Related
BJ - Ethics
BF - Psychology
GN - Anthropology
GT - Manners and Customs
HA -Statistics
HB - Demography
JF - Political institutions and public administration
JZ - International relations
P - Communication and linguistics, including sociolinguistics
Most of our general location is located on the Lower Level and organized by call number as seen in the picture on the right.
America Is the Prison by 
Capital by
From the Publisher: Capital, one of Marx's major and most influential works, was the product of thirty years close study of the capitalist mode of production in England, the most advanced industrial society of his day. The library has all three volumes (Note: cover image only conveys one volume cover).
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by
In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.
Feminist, Queer, Crip by
In Feminist, Queer, Crip Alison Kafer imagines a different future for disability and disabled bodies. Challenging the ways in which ideas about the future and time have been deployed in the service of compulsory able-bodiedness and able-mindedness, Kafer rejects the idea of disability as a pre-determined limit
I Am Woman by
From the author- "represents my personal struggle with womanhood, culture, traditional spiritual beliefs and political sovereignty, written during a time when that struggle was not over."
The Next American Revolution by
In this powerful, deeply humanistic book, Grace Lee Boggs, a legendary figure in the struggle for justice in America, shrewdly assesses the current crisis-political, economical, and environmental-and shows how to create the radical social change we need to confront new realities.
Off the Books by
Sudhir Venkatesh takes us into Maquis Park, a poor black neighborhood on Chicago's Southside, to explore the desperate, dangerous, and remarkable ways in which a community survives
Power/Knowledge by
These pieces, ranging over the entire spectrum of his concerns, enabled Foucault, in his most intimate and accessible voice, to interpret the conclusions of his research in each area and to demonstrate the contribution of each to the magnificent - and terrifying - portrait of society that he was patiently compiling.
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by
In The Protestant Ethic, Max Weber opposes the Marxist concept of dialectical materialism and relates the rise of the capitalist economy to the Calvinist belief in the moral value of hard work and the fulfillment of one's worldly duties. Based on the original 1905 edition, this volume includes, along with Weber's treatise, an illuminating introduction, a wealth of explanatory notes, and exemplary responses and remarks-both from Weber and his critics-sparked by publication of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
Racism Without Racists by
"...Eduardo Bonilla-Silva documented how beneath the rhetorical maze of contemporary racial discourse lies a full-blown arsenal of arguments, phrases, and stories that whites use to account for and ultimately justify racial inequities."
The Sources of Social Power (Volumes 1-4) by
Distinguishing four sources of power - ideological, economic, military, and political - this series traces their interrelations throughout human history. The library carries all four volumes of Mann's influential series. (Note: image cover only conveys single volume)
Toxic Truths by
Debates over science, facts, and values are pivotal in the struggle for environmental justice. For decades, environmental justice activists have campaigned against the misuse of science, engaging in community-led citizen science that champions knowledge produced by and for ordinary people living with environmental risks and hazards. However, post-truth politics have threatened science itself. Toxic truths examines the relationship between environmental justice and citizen science, focusing on enduring issues and new challenges in a post-truth age.
White Trash by
"A history of the class system in America from the colonial era to the present illuminates the crucial legacy of the underprivileged white demographic..."
The Library offers two options for requesting materials from other libraries: