Subject Guide for Deaf Culture and ASL

Contents:

See our Amercican Sign Language Databases page.

Journal Subscriptions

These journals are held in print in the St. Paul campus library. More journals are available through the on-line databases.

American Annals of the Deaf
Feb. 1978 - present, St. Paul campus.
ASHA: a Journal of the Speech-Language-Hearing Association (currently known as ASHA Leader)
1979 - 1999, St. Paul campus.
The Deaf American: Official Publication of the National Association of the Deaf
Jan. 1980 - July 1984, St. Paul campus.
Journal of Interpretation
1981-2004, St. Paul campus.
Journal of Speech and Hearing Research (JSHR)
1991 - 1996, St. Paul campus, now known as Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research (JSLHR), available online.
Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders (JSHD)
1973 - 1990, St. Paul campus, now known as Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research (JSLHR), available online.
Sign Language and Linguistics
1999-2000, 2003 to present , St. Paul campus.

Web Sites

ASL Language and Dictionaries

Sign Language Dictionaries Online
http://deafness.about.com/library/weekly/aa102599.htm
This site contains links to online sign language dictionaries and reference guides. It also has links to other pages with information on related topics.

American Sign Language Browser
http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm

Handspeak
http://www.handspeak.com/

Basic Guide to American Sign Language
http://www.masterstech-2Dhome.com/ASLDict.html

International Bibliography of Sign Language
http://www.sign-lang.uni-hamburg.de/BibWeb/
Cites over 30,000 academic books and articles on sign language research, Deaf Culture, sign language interpreting, and education of the deaf. About 10% of the citations include brief descriptions of the book's/article's content.

Interpreting

ASLInfo
http://www.aslinfo.com/

RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf)
http://www.rid.org/

Additional Resources

Deaf Linx
http://www.deaflinx.com/
Contains a wide range of information on Deaf Culture and issues regarding deafness. Among the many subjects covered are aspects of Deaf Culture from locations around the world, Deaf art, Deaf travel, assistive technology, legal issues, and deaf education. Also includes access to online discussion groups for Deaf Culture and ASL.

The Deaf Resources Library
http://www.deaflibrary.org/
An extensive directory of web sites relating to Deaf Culture. Exhaustive listings for many subjects, including educational resources, organizations, sign languages, interpreting, and technological innovations. Particular emphasis is given to resources for Deaf Culture in the United States and Japan.

Reference Books

Biographical

Deaf Persons in the Arts and Sciences: a Biographical Dictionary. REF HV2373 .L36 1995 (St. Paul )
Biographical essays on 150 deaf people who have been prominent contributors in the arts and sciences. The essays are followed by brief bibliographies. There is as well an appendix with brief biographical information on an additional 121 deaf individuals of prominence in the arts and sciences. A second appendix is a listing of the work's main entries according to each individual's field(s) of endeavor.

Great Deaf Americans. REF HV2534 .A3.M66 1996 (St. Paul campus)
Biographical essays on 77 deaf Americans from all walks of life, spanning the entirety of U.S. history. Includes a selective bibliography of books and articles by or about all entries.

ASL Dictionaries

American Sign Language: A Comprehensive Dictionary. Ref. HV2475 .S77 1981 (St. Paul)
Entries include pronunciation, parts of speech, verbal description of the sign and how it is formed, and description of how the sign serves as an image of the word's meaning. There are seven indexes that provide the French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portugese, Russian, and Spanish equivalents of the word entries. Also included is a bibliography for ASL related works.

American Sign Language Dictionary. REF HV2475 .S77 1987 & REF HV2475 .S78 1994 (St. Paul campus)
An abridged version of American Sign Language: A Comprehensive Dictionary (see above).

The American Sign Language Handshape Dictionary. REF HV2475 .T46 1998 (Both campuses, also available as an e-book)
A unique ASL reference source in that the order of signs is determined by dominant handshape rather than by alphabetical word order. The inclusion of the "Index of English Glosses," however, allows as well for the location of signs by first identifying alphabetically arranged words. All signs are illustrated, described in terms of handshape, orientation, location, movement and nonmanual signals, and are paired with extensive listings of English-word equivalents.

American Sign Language Phrase Book. HV2475 .F36 1988 Videocassettes with manual (both campuses)
An ASL reference source for everyday usage. Phrases are grouped by categories, such as family, getting acquainted, health, school, travel, and weather. Also included are a sign language alphabet and discussion of ASL grammar. Phrases are illustrated by black and white drawings. The videocassettes demonstrate the book's vocabulary and sentence examples.

ASL for Medical Terms

American Sign Language Medical Dictionary. HV2475 .C663 2000 (both campuses)
Over 1,100 signs essential to communication between Healthcare professionals and users of ASL. Includes definitions, descriptions of how to make the signs, and illustrations of the signs.

Medical Sign Language: Easily Understood Definitions of Commonly Used Medical, Dental, and First-Aid Terms. REF HV2475 .G37 1983 (Mpls. campus)
Succinct definitions of commonly used medical and dental terms, followed by descriptions of the terms' appropriate signs. Clear line drawings depict how to perform the signs. Includes a bibliography of other useful works related to medical sign language.

Bibliographies

An Annotated Bibliography on Interpretation. HV2402 .P37 1997 (St. Paul. campus -- circulating collection)
Cites and briefly describes nearly 1,300 journal articles, conference papers and books on interpreting and translating.

Deafness: an Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Basic Materials. REF HV2380 .D423 1992 (St. Paul campus)
Brief descriptions of books covering a wide range of topics related to deafness, including deaf education, sign language, audiology, and Deaf Culture. Includes Author and Title index

Additional Resources

Looking Back: a Reader on the History of Deaf Communities and their Sign Languages. REF HV2367 .L66 1993 (Mpls. campus)
Provides an international perspective on multiple facets of the history of Deaf Culture. The essays comprising the work are by scholars from around the world, and are representative of a variety of academic disciplines.

Finding Books and Videos

Use CLICnet to search for book, videos, and more from the St. Kate's Libaries.

• Use the Keyword search to perform general searches
• Limit searches to items at the College of St. Catherine (CSC)
• Use the Subject search to find subjects such as:
  • Interpreters for the deaf
  • American Sign Language
  • Deaf

Contact the Media Services Department for more information about obtaining and watching videos.