This is an attempt to list all of the books related to contra and square dancing available within the St. Louis area. It is always under construction and was most recently revised on July 2, 1998. This list is compiled mostly from computer searches and should not necessarily be considered complete (and I offer no guarantees that any of these books are where they are supposed to be). Web links for libraries are at the end of the list.

An amazing online resource is An American Ballroom Companion: Dance Instruction Manuals ca.1490-1920 from the Library of Congress. It contains full text and illustrations for some two hundred books and pamphlets about social dancing published during that time period.

• Samuel Baron, Professor Baron's complete instructor in all the society dances of America, including all the figures of the german; and every new and fashionable waltz, round, or square dance known in Europe or America (New York: M. Young, 1881)
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Ed Butenhoff, Dance Parties for Beginners (Rochester NY: Lloyd Shaw Foundation, 1990)
  • Childgrove lending library

• P. Valleau Cartier, Cartier's practical illustrated waltz instructor, ball room guide, and call book. Giving ample directions for dancing every kind of square and round dances, together with cotillions - including the newest and most popular figures of "the german" (New York: DeWitt, 1882)
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Betty Casey, The Complete Book of Square Dancing (and Round Dancing) (New York: Doubleday, 1976)
  
  • Kirkwood Public Library
  • Richmond Heights Public Library
  • University City Public Library
  • Webster Groves Public Library

• Ann Hastings Chase, arr., The Singing Caller: a book on the square dance with calls and music (New York: Association Press, 1944)
  
  • St. Louis County Library
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Mary Dart McNab, Contra Dance Choreography: a reflection of social change (New York: Garland, 1995)
  • Childgrove lending library
  • Washington University, Olin Library

• Ed Durlacher, comp., Honor Your Partner: 81 American square, circle, and contra dances; with complete instructions for doing them (New York: Devin-Adair Co., 1949)
  • Fontbonne College
  • Kirkwood Public Library
  • Wasington University, Olin Library
  • Webster Groves Public Library

• Raoul-Auger Feuillet, (John Essex, trans.) For the Further Improvement of Dancing (Recueil de contredances mises en choreographie) (Facsimile reprint of 1710 edition)
  • Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

• Penn Fix, Contra Dances of the Great Northwest (Spokane WA: Self-published, 1991)
  • Childgrove lending library

• Charles D. Foster, Learn to Dance and Call Square Dances the Foster Way (Denver: Smith-Brooks Printing Co., 1942)
  • Washington University, Olin Library

• Gene Gowing, The Square Dancers' Guide (New York: Crown Publishers, 1957)
  • Kirkwood Public Library
  • Webster Groves Public Library

• Hank Greene, Square and Folk Dancing (New York: Harper & Row, 1984)
  • Kirkwood Public Library
  • Richmond Heights Public Library
  • Webster Groves Public Library
  • University City Public Library

• Margot Gunzenhauser, The Square Dance and Contra Dance Handbook: calls, dance movements, music, glossary, bibliography, discography, and directories (Jefferson NC: McFarland & Co., 1996)
  • Richmond Heights Public Library
  • University of Missouri - St. Louis

• J. Tillman Hall, Dance! a complete guide to social, folk & square dancing (New York: Books for Libraries, 1980)
  • Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
  • University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Jane A. Harris, Dance a While: handbook of folk, square, contra, and social dance (7th ed.) (New York: MacMillan, 1994)
  • Fontbonne College
  • Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
  • St. Louis County Library
  • St. Louis Public Library
  • University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Kathleen Hill, Dance for Physically Disabled Persons: a manual for teaching ballroom, square, and folk dances to users of wheelchairs and crutches (Washington: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, 1976)
  • Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
  • Washington University, Olin Library

• Alan Hines, Square Dance (New York: Perennial Library, 1984)
  • St. Louis County Library
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Ricky Holden, The Contra Dance Book; over 100 contra and progressive circle dances with variations and historical notes together with suggestions for calling and teaching them (Newark NJ: American Squares, 1956)
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Elias Howe, ed.,The musician's companion: containing 36 sets of cotillions arranged with figures, and a large number of marches, quick-steps, waltzes, hornpipes, contra dances, songs, &c ... for the flute, violin, clarionett, bass-viol, &c. (Boston: Howe & Tolman, 1843)
  • Washington University, Music Library Special Collections

• Elias Howe, ed., An improved edition of the Musician's omnibus: containing the whole camp duty, calls and signals used in the Army and Navy, forty setts of quadrilles, (including waltz, polka and schottische,) with calls, and an immense collection of polkas, schottisches, waltzes, marches, quicksteps, hornpipes, contra & fancy dances, songs, &c., for the violin, flute, cornet, clarionett &c., containing over 700 pieces of music (Boston: E. Howe, 1864)
  • Washington University, Music Library Special Collections

• Gene Hubert, Dizzy Dances II (self-published?)
  • Childgrove lending library

• Gene Hubert, Dizzy Dances III (self-published?)
  • Childgrove lending library

• Paul B. A. Hunt, Eight Yards of Calico: square dance fun for everyone (New York: Harper, 1952)
  • Washington University, Olin Library

• Larry Jennings, Zesty Contras (Cambridge MA: New England Folk Festival Association, 1983)
  • Childgrove lending library

• Clayne R. Jensen, Beginning Square Dance (Belmont CA: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1966)
  • Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

• Miriam H. Kirkell and Ira Schaffnit, Partners All - Places All! 44 enjoyable square and folk dances for everyone (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1949)
  • St. Louis Public Library
  • University City Public Library

• Richard G. Krauss, Square Dances of Today, and how to teach and call them (New York: Ronald Press Co., 1950)
  • Fontbonne College
  • St. Louis Public Library
  • Washington University, Olin Library
  • University City Public Library

• Fred Leifer, The Official Li'l Abner Square Dance Handbook: easy-to-learn steps, calls, games, profit-making ideas, music and illustrations (New York?: Toby Press, 1953)
  • Fontbonne College
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Zeke Manners, American Square Dances, with calls and music (New York: Robbins Music Corp., 1948)
  • Washington University, West Campus Facility

• Margot Mayo, The American Square Dance (revised and enlarged ed.) (New York: Oak Publications, 1964)
  • Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
  • St. Louis County Library
  • St. Louis Public Library
  • Washington University, Olin Library

• Ralph J. McNair, Western Square Dances (Denver: Oran V. Siler Co., 1941)
  • Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Richard Nevell, A Time to Dance: American country dancing from hornpipes to hot hash (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1977)
  • Kirkwood Public Library
  • Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
  • St. Louis County Library
  • St. Louis Public Library
  • St. Louis University
  • University City Public Library
  • Webster University

• Bob Osgood, ed., Five Years of Sets in Order: The calls and breaks compiled from 60 issues of Sets in Order since November 1948 (Los Angeles: Square Dance Publishers, 1954) [Photocopy]
  • Childgrove lending library

• Lee Owens, Advanced Square Dance Figures of the West and Southwest (Palo Alto CA: Pacific Books, 1950)
  • Fontbonne College
  • St. Louis County Library
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Ralph Page (See under Beth Tolman)

• Piute Pete, The Square Dance Party Book (New York: Village Recreation Service, 1950)
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Piute Pete, Piute Pete's Down-Home Square Dance Book (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1977)
  • Kirkwood Public Library

• Patricia A. Phillips, Contemporary Square Dance (Dubuque IA: W.C. Brown Co., 1968)
  • Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
  • Washington University, Olin Library

• Lynn Rohrbough, American Folk Dances (Delaware OH: Cooperative Recreation Service, 1939)
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Grace L. Ryan, Dances of Our Pioneers (New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1939)
  • Richmond Heights Public Library

• Ted Sannella, Balance and Swing: a collection of fifty-five squares, contras, and triplets in the New England tradition with music for each dance (New York: Country Dance and Song Society, 1982)
  • Childgrove lending library

• Ira Schaffnit (See under Miriam Kirkell)

• John M. Schell Prompting: How to do it (New York: Carl Fischer, 1948) (orig. published 1890)
  • St. Louis Public Library
  • Washington University, Olin Library

• Lloyd Shaw, Cowboy Dances: a collection of western square dances (Caldwell ID: Caxton Printers, 1949)
  • Kirkwood Public Library
  • St. Louis County Library
  • University City Public Library

• Louis Shomer, How to Dance: the latest and most complete instructions in ballroom dance steps; the ABC of modern dancing, dancing the latest steps from the square dances to the swing waltz (New York: Louellen Publishing Co., 1937)
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Charley Thomas 12 Home Made Square Dances (Woodbury NJ: American Squares, 1948)
  • Washington University, Olin Library

• Beth Tolman and Ralph Page, The Country Dance Book: the old fashioned square dance, its history, lore, variations & its callers, complete and joyful instructions (Guilford VT: The Countryman Press, 1937)
  • St. Louis Public Library
  • St. Louis County Library
  • Washington University, Olin Library
  • Webster Groves Public Library

• Beth Tolman, How to put on and make successful the country dance party (Weston VT: The Countryman Press, 1938)
  • St. Louis Public Library

• Ruth Marian Wilson, Folk and Square Dance Syllabus (Seattle: Univ. of Washington, 1954)
  • St. Louis County Library