A Guide to Selected Library Resources on Art and Architecture

Bibliographies	Biographical Sources	Books
Databases	Dictionaries	Encyclopedias
Journal Articles	Reference Collection	Reviews

This Guide is selective; several more detailed guides are to be found in the reference collection. Six useful examples:

Key Guide to Electronic Resources: Art and Art History./Martin Raish, Editor. Medford, N.J.: Information Today, 1996. Ref. NX192 .K48 1996.
Jones, Lois Swan. Art Information and the Internet: How to Find It, How to Use It. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1999. Ref. N59 .J66 1999.
Jones, Lois Swan. Art Information: Research Methods and Resources. 3rd ed. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 1990. Ref. N85 .J64 1990.
Pollard, Elizabeth B. Visual Arts Research: A Handbook. N.Y.: Greenwood, 1986. Ref. N85 .P55 1986.

Van Keuren, Frances. Guide to Research in Classical Art and Mythology. Chicago,: American Library Association, 1991. Ref. N7760 .V3 1991.
Ehresman, Donald L. Architecture: A Bibliographic Guide to Basic Reference Works, Histories, and Handbooks. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1984. Ref. Z5941 .E38 1984.

Note also section Using Bibliographies.

General Advice

Ordinarily, you will start your search on the Main Floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library. Here you can locate books and exhibition catalogs, by using the Online Catalog; journal articles, by using an appropriate index and identifying whether this library (or another library, perhaps in the Five College Consortium) subscribes to the periodicals cited there; and newspaper articles (again, by using an appropriate index and then identifying local holdings.).

Classification

Library materials are arranged by subject according to Library of Congress classification, which uses 23 letters to denote major divisions of knowledge, and adds further letters and numbers to provide a call number for each book and periodical in the collection.

The general classification for the Fine Arts is represented by the letter N, to which may be added other letters in order to allow for further subdivisions.

Thus N Visual Arts

NA Architecture

NB Sculpture

ND Painting

NE Print Media

Z Bibliography

Z 5931-5961 Fine Arts Bibliography

Other subject areas which may include material of interest are CC (Archaeology, including crosses and tombs); CJ (numismatics, including medals and medallions); SB 469-479 (Landscape Gardening); TR (Photography).

REFERENCE COLLECTION --SELECTED MATERIALS (main floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois library)

Brief Information: Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Encyclopedias in the Reference Collection (main floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois library)

The Dictionary of Art / editor, Jane Turner. N.Y.: Grove Dictionaries, 1996. 34 vols. Ref. N31 .D5 1996.
Encyclopedia of World Art. N.Y.: McGraw-Hill, 1959-1987. 17 vols. Ref. N31 .E56 (and another set on the 9th floor).
Encyclopedia of Visual Art. Ed. Lawrence Gowing. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1983. 2 vols. Ref. N25 .N53 1983.

Biographical Dictionaries in the Reference Collection (main floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois library)

These may be general (see separate handout) or specialized. Some specialized examples:

Union List of Artist Names / James M. Bower, project manager; Murtha Baca, senionr editor. N.Y.: G.K. Hall, 1994. 4 vols. Ref. N40 .U54 1994
Who’s Who in American Art. lst ed., 1936/37- N.Y.: Bowker. Latest ed. Ref. N6536 .W2 (earlier editions in the general collection, same call number).
Who’s Who in Art. lst ed., 1927- London: Art Trade Press. Latest ed. Ref. N40 .W62.
Petteys, Chris. Dictionary of Women Artists: An International Dictionary of Women Artists Born Before 1900. Boston, MA: G.K. Hall, 1985. Ref. N43 .P47 1985.
Benezit, Emmanuel. Dictionnaire Critique et Documentaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs... Nouv ed. Paris, Grund, 1999. 14 vols. Ref. N40 .B46 1999.
Thieme, Ulrich. Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Kunstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart... Leipzig: Seeman, 1907-1950. 37 vols. Ref. N40 T43.

Dictionaries of Art/Architecture Terminology in the Reference Collection (main floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois library)

Mayer, Ralph. The HarperCollins Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques. Rev. and ed. by Steven Sheehan. 2nd ed. N.Y.: Harper Perennial, 1991. Ref. N33 .M37 1991.

To Find Reviews of Books

Book Review Index, 1965+ Ref. Z1219 .B79 (On Index Table).
Book Review Digest1905+ Ref. Z1219 .B72. Recent years on Index Table. Online Version att:

http://www.library.umass.edu/research/html/brd.html

Other sources exist; inquire at the Reference and Information Desks.

To Find Books

If you know the author or title of a book: At the Five College Online Catalog http://www.library.umass.edu/cgi-bin/aka/babel.cgi?dokma=http://umlibr.library.umass.edu, select either the author or the title option from the menu (make sure you are logged on and are in the UMass database). Call numbers appear in the lower middle of the screen.

Try a subject or keyword search if you do not have a specific author or title in mind. For a subject search: Use proper names (surname first) or select appropriate terms and phrases from the Library of Congress Subject Headings, a series of large red volumes near the catalog terminals. A keyword search allows you to combine words.

As you find suitable entries, note the other subject headings assigned to the book. You may wish to use the S command to search these.

To Find Journal Citations (Periodical Articles)and to Update Bibliographies

Expanded Academic Index, one of the InfoTrac databases available on the web. Coverage is limited in scope (popular magazines, selected scholarly journals) and in time (1980+ ). Online Version at: http://www.library.umass.edu/research/html/asap.html
Art Index v.1, 1929- Quarterly, cumulates annually. Ref. Z5937 .A78. Recent years on Index Table. Online Version at: http://www.library.umass.edu/research/html/arti.html
Bibliography of the History of Art: BHA = Bibliographie d’Histoire de l’Art: BHA. v.1, 1990- Ref. Z5937 .B53. Recent years on Index Table. Online Version at http://www.library.umass.edu/research/html/bibhistart.html

A quarterly publication with author and bilingual subject indexes, which cumulate annually. Combines the coverage earlier provided by RILA and RAA (see items below) -- "The current literature of European Art from Late Antiquity to the present and American art from the European discoveries to the present."

RILA: Repertoire International de la Litterature de l’Art. v.1-15(2), 1975-1989// Ref. Z5937.R5. Electronic version available via library home page
Repertoire d’Art et d’Archeologie: RAA v.1-67 (1910-1963) n.s. v.1-25, 1964-1989// Ref. Z5937 .R4. Electronic version available via library home page
Museum of Modern Art Library. Annual Bibliography of Modern Art, 1986- Ref. Z5935.5 .M8.
Avery Architectural Library. Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals. 2nd ed. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1973. 15 vols. Ref. Z5941 .C6 1973 (Index Backfile). Online Version at http://www.library.umass.edu/research/bytitletxt.html

Updated by Supplements #2 and #3 Microfilm A873; #4- Ref. Z5941. C61. (Recent years on Index Table).

Architectural Periodicals Index, v.1- , Aug. 1972- Quarterly, fourth issue cumulates the entire year. Ref. Z5941 .A7 (Recent years on Index Table).
The Architectural Index, v.1- ,.1950- Annual. Ref. Z5941 .A66. Recent years on Index Table.
Arts and Humanities Citation Index, v.1- , 1978- Ref. Z5937 .A795. Recent years on Index Table Online Version at http://www.library.umass.edu/research/html/webofs.html

Indexes in related fields provide coverage of history (world, American, medieval), the history of religions, the humanities. An interesting example is Index Islamicus, whose current quarterly issues -- Ref. Z7835 .M6I52 -- update a volume covering 1905-1955, its later supplements, and a recently published volume which covers 1665-1905.

Databases Available for Online Searching --Selected

Art Index v.1, 1929- Quarterly, cumulates annually. Ref. Z5937 .A78. Recent years on Index Table. Online Version at: http://www.library.umass.edu/research/html/arti.html

Arts and Humanities Citation Index, v.1- , 1978- Ref. Z5937 .A795. Recent years on Index Table Online Version at http://www.library.umass.edu/research/html/webofs.html

Avery Architectural Library. Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals. 2nd ed. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1973. 15 vols. Ref. Z5941 .C6 1973 (Index Backfile). Online Version at http://www.library.umass.edu/research/bytitletxt.html

Bibliography of the History of Art: BHA = Bibliographie d’Histoire de l’Art: BHA. v.1, 1990- Ref. Z5937 .B53. Recent years on Index Table. Online Version at http://www.library.umass.edu/research/html/bibhistart.html

Book Review Digest1905+ Ref. Z1219 .B72. Recent years on Index Table. Online Version at: http://www.library.umass.edu/research/html/brd.html

Expanded Academic Index, one of the InfoTrac databases available on the web. Coverage is limited in scope (popular magazines, selected scholarly journals) and in time (1980+ ). 50% of the journals are full text online. Online Version at: http://www.library.umass.edu/research/html/asap.html

Library Catalog at http://www.library.umass.edu/cgi-bin/aka/babel.cgi?dokma=http://umlibr.library.umass.edu For searching materials owned by the Five College Libraries.

Using Bibliographies- in the Reference Collection (main floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois library)

Before proceeding to look for books or periodical articles, you may find it wise to consult a bibliography..

You could identify such a bibliography by exploring the Z 5931 - 5961 section in the Reference collection; some examples.

Ehresmann, Donald L. Fine Arts: A Bibliographic Guide to Basic Reference Works, Histories, and Handbooks. 3rd ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1990.Ref. Z5931 .E47 1990.
Arntzen, Etta. Guide to the Literature of Art History. Chicago: American Library Association, 1980. Ref. Z5931 .A67.
Chamberlin, Mary W. Guide to Art Reference Books. Chicago: American Library Association, 1959. Ref. Z5931 .C44.
Arts in America: A Bibliography. Edited by Bernard Karpel. 4 volumes. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1979. Ref. Z5961 .U5 A77.
Ehresmann, Donald L. Applied and Decorative Arts: a Bibliographic Guide. 2nd ed., Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1993. Ref. Z5956 .A68 E47 1993.
Hitchcock, Henry Russell. American Architectural Books... Published ... Before 1885. New Ed., N.Y.: DaCapo, 1876. Ref. Z5941 .H57 1975.
Igoe, Lynn, 250 Years of Afro-American Art: An Annotated Bibliography. N.Y.: Bowker, 1981. Ref. Z5956 .A47 I38.

You could similarly explore the Z 5931 - 5961 section in the general collection; for example:

Rosenberg, Charles M. Fifteenth-Century North Italian Painting and Drawing: An Annotated Bibliography. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1986. Z5961 .I8 R67 1986.

Do not hesitate to ask for assistance at the Reference Desk in locating these and other materials. Some Reference librarians are specialists in searching electronic databases and in using the Internet/World Wide Web (W W W).

Remember that you may request through Interlibrary Loan materials not owned by the University Library.

If you wish to consult materials at a library other than those in the Five College Consortium you may obtain a letter of introduction (24-hours notice, please) from the Reference Department.

Paula F. Mark and Jeffrey M. Tenenbaum, Reference Department, W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts, 1992 revised 2000 Converted to web and revised by Lori Mestre 7/01.