Summer is approaching and maybe you are asking yourself, what should I read for fun? If you are interested in French female authors from the 20th century, the APU/UAA Consortium library has you covered. Below are 3 prominent French Authors whose work can be found amongst our shelves. Summer is a great opportunity to discover their lives and work.


Simone de Beauvoir

If you are interested in philosophy and feminism, Simone de Beauvoir checks both boxes. Born January 9th, 1908, de Beauvoir is most known for her 2 volume masterpiece, The Second Sex (Britannica, Simone de Beauvoir, 2026), which is available to borrow from the UAA Consortium Library. Her work ranges from autobiographical, philosophical and fiction. The UAA Consortium Library has copies of her work in both English and French.

Colette

If you are interested in scandal and love, these are topics Colette is famous for. Collette, born Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette January 28, 1873, began her writing career writing about a fictitious school girl named Claudine. Colette’s first husband claimed credit for her work publishing her work under his name. Once they separated she started to claim ownership of her work and has since been known and remembered by the monotone Colette (Self, 2023).

Marguerite Duras

Marguerite Duras was born in Vietnam and moved to study at the Sorbonne in Paris when she was 17. Novelist, screenwriter, playwright and even a film director Duras has many accomplishments associated with her name. Her semi-autobiographical novel The Lover won the prestigious Prix Goncourt, a French literary award (Britannica, Marguerite Duras, 2026).

To find work written by these trailblazing 20th Century female French authors, visit our Catalog.

References

Britannica. (2026, February 18). Simone de Beauvoir. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Simone-de-Beauvoir
Britannica. (2026, March 31). Marguerite Duras. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marguerite-Duras
Self, J. (2023, January 25). Colette: The most beloved French writer of all time. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230125-colette-the-most-beloved-french-writer-of-all-time

Academic Video Online, AVON for short is a video subscription database that students and faculty have access to through the UAA Consortium Library’s Database webpage: 

Within AVON you can browse preselected channels or search using keywords by clicking on the magnifying glass icon found on the top of both the Homepage and the Channels page.

If you are familiar with Boolean Operators, you should review AVON’s General Platform Help page for Search Tips, because AVON does not follow typical Boolean Logic. 

If you would like to create personal playlists and clips, you must create a personal user account, click on the red account button located on the top right hand side of each AVON page. 

AVON is a great place to search for curated academic audiovisual content. While you are a student take advantage of this valuable and interesting resource. 

Google Scholar is one of APU/UAA Consortium Library’s “Featured” databases. Access to it can be found on our A-Z Databases page. Accessing Google Scholar this way allows for the results of your query to showcase what we as an institution have access to versus directing you to paywalls that are not part of the library’s collection.

If you are familiar with our QuickSearch option to research, and have experience using Boolean Operators to search, it is important to note that Google Scholar does not use all the Boolean operators the same as other databases would. Below is a chart that shows some of the differences and similarities.

As the Spring Semester is in full swing, you might be starting to research topics for upcoming assignments and papers. One of the first steps in the research process is choosing a topic, identifying keywords, and beginning to search for resources.

If you are having trouble choosing keywords, you can find useful Self-Guided Help Tutorials under the Research Help Tab on the Library website.

The following tutorials/LibGuides are a great starting point if you are new to research and the library:

• What to Put in a Search Box
• Using QuickSearch
• Internet Searching
• Using the Library Catalog

Navigating different information retrieval systems can be different. The tutorials above will guide you on how to search effectively, regardless of whether you are using our library website and catalog or an internet search engine.

If you are still having trouble after reviewing the above tutorials and need more help brainstorming topics and /or keywords, do not hesitate to reach out to a librarian; you can always Ask Us! or Schedule a one-on-one meeting with a Subject Librarian.

Be aware that if you need help editing your writing, the UAA Learning Commons, which is located on the first floor of the APU/UAA Consortium Library, is home to the Writing Center. There, you can connect with a tutor either in-person or online by appointment.

Good luck with all your research endeavors!

The UAA/APU Consortium library has a plethora of Maps available to students and public patrons a like.

Below are locations for where you can locate Maps physically in the library:

1st Floor ARLIS (The Alaska Resources Library & Information Services)

• ARLIS Maps Guide

2nd Floor Map Area Between the General Collection A-N.

2nd Floor Alaskana Collection located in the South East corner opposite the General collection P-Q. 

2nd Floor Government Documents located between the Alaskana Collection.

It is important to note that the maps can be catalogued either using Library of Congress Classification (LCC) numbers or Superintendent of Documents Classification (SuDocs) numbers. 

If performing a search in our Catalogue or Quick Search here are some keywords you can use in your search query:

• cartography AND (insert location)
• cartography AND (insert type of map)

Examples of types of maps: 

Climate Maps

Historic Maps

Physical Maps

Thematic Maps

Topographic Maps

• cartography AND visualization
• cartography AND visualization of spatial data
• geography
• maps
• nautical charts (maps charting waterways)

Interested in Journals that discuss Geography and Cartography, check out the Journals below:

Geography is available via  JSTOR.

Geography and Environment is available via ProQuest.

Geography, Environment, Sustainability is available via DOAJ.

The Consortium Library also has useful LibGuides at your disposal:

Maps at the Consortium Library

Geography LibGuide

Geography and Environmental Studies Archival Collections LibGuide

Mapping and Surveying Archival Collections LibGuide

Can’t find what you are looking for, don’t hesitate to ASK US!