MCC LIBRARY RESOURCES

ART

This guide has been prepared by the MCC reference librarians to assist you with research for your class. If you need further assistance, please stop by the reference desk to consult with a librarian.

Reference Sources

Reference Sources are a good place to start your research. They can give you a concise overview of your topic, background information, facts & statistics, plus help you define and spell words, and focus your topic. Reference Sources include both books located in the Reference Collection and databases accessible on the Library Web Site under the link Reference Databases.

Call Number Title
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

 
REF N31.D5 The Dictionary of Art
REF N31.E4 Encyclopedia of World Art
REF N33.M23 McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Art
REF N33.R49 Illustrated Dictionary of Art Terms: a Handbook for the Artist and Art Lover
REF N33.V56 A Visual Dictionary of Art
REF N40.M63

Modern Arts Criticism

REF N7300.C475 Dictionary of South and Southeast Asian Art
REF N7560.H34 Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art
REF N7740.H35 Illustrated Dictionary of Symbols in Eastern and Western Art
REF N7793.W65.A66 Dictionary of Women in Religious Art
REF ND1150.B66 The Book of Art
Biographical Sources  
REF N6489.W67 World Artists 1980-1990
REF N6505.R8 American Women Artists: from Early Indian Times to the Present
REF N6512.C854 Dictionary of Contemporary American Artists
REF N6538.H58.H46 Latin American Women Artists of the United States
REF N8354.A75.B32 Women Artists: an Historical, Contemporary, and Feminist Bibliography
REF N8354.C66 Contemporary Women Artists

Reference Databases:

Some reference sources are available not only in print, but also online through the library web site. These sources often combine a variety of information found in other sources. They are full-text, and most are available off-campus with passwords you may obtain from the Reference Desk. Some of the reference databases useful for this subject area are listed below:

Database Name

Vendor Name
CARLI Digital Art Images Collection CARLI

Oxford Art Online

Oxford University Press

Books & Media

The Stacks contain books and audiovisual items that may be borrowed or "checked out" of the library. These resources are useful when you need a more in-depth study of a topic than can be provided in reference sources alone. Use the Library's Online Catalog to determine what resources are available on your topic and the call number and location in the library. If our library does not own the necessary resources for your research needs, you may request additional items be ordered through interlibrary loan.

Possible search terms to use for your topic are:

Sample Keyword Searches

Sample Subject Headings

Chinese art OR Russian art, etc.

art, African OR art, French OR art, Medieval, etc.

Picasso

Cubism

painting and history

art criticism

Article Databases

Periodicals consist of popular magazines, newspapers, trade and scholarly journals. Magazine & newspaper articles can be good sources to use for very current information, to focus on specific topics or aspects of a topic, to find reviews, and for opinions. Trade journals are helpful to follow trends and career opportunities within a field, and to find practical tips and techniques to use "on the job". Scholarly journals give details of actual research studies that have been conducted and/or scholarly treatment of discipline specific topics. All of these resources can be located using the article databases located on the library web site.

Recommended Databases for Art

Database Name Vendor Name
Academic Search Premier EBSCO
Newspaper Source (art news, reviews, criticism, exhibitions) EBSCO
ERIC (relating art to education) EBSCO, or FirstSearch
ArticleFirst, ECO FirstSearch
JSTOR JSTOR
ProQuest ProQuest

Passwords to access the library databases from off-campus are available on the pink handout MCC Library Database Chart. If you have not received this handout, please ask for it at the Reference Desk.

Internet Resources

Recommended web sites for this subject are listed below. For additional web sites on this subject, refer to MCC Library's Web Sites by Subject link on the library web site.

Web Site Address
Artcyclopedia http://www.artcyclopedia.com/
Art History Resources on the Web http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHLinks.html
Artlex: Visual Arts Dictionary http://www.artlex.com/
ArtSource: Networked Resources on Art and Architecture http://www.ilpi.com/artsource/welcome.html
The History of Art Visual Library http://www.chart.ac.uk/vlib/


Remember to carefully evaluate information found on the Internet. Unlike most traditional print sources, Internet sources may not go through any review process before the information is made available to the public. Anyone can create and publish a web site. If you need help evaluating your sources, please ask at the Reference Desk for guidance. For critieria to use to evaluate your sources refer to our handout on Evaluating Sources. It is available at the Reference Desk.

http://www.mchenry.edu/library