Librarians are frequently asked to pull citations to criticism of specific works of literature. Numerous bibliographies and checklists provide quick and easy access to such references. Using these sources effectively, however, requires a knowledge of the work's genre, the period in which it was written, and/or the nationality of the author, as well as the criteria (and quirks) of individual compilers, who may treat a novel as a short story, a story as a novel, a verse drama as a poem, etc. Authors of doubtful or dual nationality further complicate the search for critical material.
The Literary Criticism Index is designed to increase the convenience and effectiveness of these useful bibliographic tools. One hundred and forty-six works are indexed in this second edition. Arrangement is by author, with poets, playwrights, novelists, and short story writers appearing in a single alphabet. Newer entries have been incorporated with all entries from the first edition. Each entry contains a list of the author's works, alphabetically arranged, and symbols directing the researcher to appropriate volumes containing citations to critical material.