UCB Libraries

Reference sources such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are a valuable tool for learning more about the work or the artist(s) you have chosen. These sources can provide basic information to place your topic in a larger historical, theoretical, or formal context.

Oxford Art Online

Provides access to the Grove Dictionary of Art, the most important reference work for art history. Individual entries are written by scholars in the field and typically include a bibliography of relevant resources.

The Art & Architecture Reference Collection contains a number of specialized dictionaries and encylopedias. Please feel free to browse the collection to see what is available. Examples of the kinds of works you will find include:

The Concise Focal encyclopedia of photography

Art & Arch REF TR9 .C65 2008

The Oxford dictionary of American art and artists

Art & Arch REF N6505 .M59 2007

The queer encyclopedia of the visual arts

Art & Arch REF N72.H64 Q44 2004

Encyclopedia of Latin American and Caribbean art

Art & Arch REF N6502 .E53 1999

An encyclopedia of women artists of the American West

Art & Arch REF N8214.5.U6 K68 1998

Choosing appropriate search terms is an important first step in the research process. Take a few moments to brainstorm a list of keywords that describe your topic. For contemporary artists, this list could include the artist's name or particular groups and movements the artist belongs to. Also pay close attention to art dealers, galleries, or exhibitions mentioned in a resource as these may provide additional clues to locating information on an artist.

For example, if you were interested in the work of Nikki S. Lee (Korean-born photographer and filmmaker, currently active in the US), some of your keywords could include:

Artist's Name: Nikki S. Lee

Other Names: Nikki Lee
Prominent Works: Projects; Parts; AKA Nikki S. Lee

Dealer or Gallery Representation: Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
Media: Photography, Film

Stylistic, Theoretical, or Conceptual Terms: feminism, gender, race, representation

When searching for books, articles, and other material, the artist's name will likely be the most useful search term. However, taking time to think about other aspects (media, conceptual or theoretical concepts, etc.) can be helpful for organizing potential ideas for your paper or project.

Chinook is the catalog for materials owned by the CU Libraries. You can do a title search for a specific book, or a keyword search if you are looking for books on a particular topic. You can also use MyChinook to manage your library account (including renewals, holds, recalls, saved searches, etc.)

Chinook Catalog

Keyword Title Author Subject --------------- LC Call Number Dewey Call Number Local Call Number SuDoc Number ISSN/ISBN Contract Number OCLC Number --------------- Reserves: Prof Reserves: Course

When searching Chinook, you can connect your keywords using terms like AND, OR, NOT. You can also used parentheses, quotation marks, and asterisks.

If you search Chinook and find that the CU Libraries do not have the item you are looking for (or if the item you are looking for is checked out), you can search Prospector, which is a combined library catalog of many libraries in Colorado and Wyoming.

Prospector is the FASTEST way to get a book if it is unavailable here at CU-Boulder.

WorldCat is an online catalog for over 9,000 libraries in the US and world wide, and it allows you to do a more thorough search than Chinook because you are not limited to only the items we already own. Instead, you are effectively searching the catalogs of most major libraries world wide.

For any books you find in WorldCat, you will be able to see if CU-Boulder owns that item. If you find something in WorldCat that we do not own, you should:

1. Search Prospector to see if the book is available. If it is, request it via Prospector. The book will typically arrive in a few days, and you'll receive an email when it is ready for pick up.
2. If the book isn't available via Prospector, you can request it via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Please be aware that items ordered via ILL can take up to several weeks to arrive. Obviously, if your assignment is due very soon, this will not be an option.

You will not find articles in Chinook. In order to find individual articles on your topic, you will need to use a database. The library provides access to hundreds of databases, and many of them focus on a particular discipline such art, art history, or film studies.

The Find Articles & More page provides access to all of these resources and arranges them by topic. To see databases for art, click on the plus sign next to "Art & Art History." To see databases for film, click on the plus sign next to "Film Studies."

Art Bibliographies Modern
ABM covers journal articles, books, essays, exhibition catalogs, PhD dissertations, and exhibition reviews on all forms of modern and contemporary art.

Art Full Text
An excellent general resource for art, art history, and related topics.  Covers a range of media in all periods, with publications going back to 1929.

Film and Television Literature Index
Covers the entire spectrum of television and film writing, including film & television theory, preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, and reviews.

JSTOR

Full text of articles from important scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences.

LexisNexis Academic

ARTstor

Over one million images of visual and material culture, covering all geographic areas and historical periods. VPN required for off-campus access.

Art & Art History Collection via CU Digital Library

Maintained by the Department of Art & Art History Visual Resources Collection. Provides access to a growing collection of high-quality digital images. VPN required for off-campus access.

AP Images

Search for images from the Associated Press. Useful for finding images from newspapers, magazines, wires, etc. Excellent source for contemporary photos of historical sites. VPN required for off-campus access.

Flickr & Flickr Commons

Useful source for images of architecture and historical sites. Note that user-contributed photos vary in quality. Flickr Commons contains images from photographic archives, museums, and libraries.

Google Image Search

Use the advanced search options to find larger, higher quality images.

For information about citing print and electronic sources in a range of styles, see “How to Cite a Source.”

Using MLA Style? See the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Using Chicago Style?  See the Chicago Style Quick Guide or the full version of the Chicago Manual of Style.

Writing a longer paper and need to keep track of citations? RefWorks is a web-based citation management tool that allows you to save citations and retrieve them later using "Find it at CU" buttons. Citations from most databases can be easily exported directly to RefWorks.

Wondering if you're citing something correctly? Or maybe you need help with structuring your paper? Take advantage of the CU Writing Center. Making an appointment with a consultant at the Writing Center allows you to receive one-on-one help with your writing.

Want to speak with a librarian right now? You can contact us in person, via the phone, or even over IM. Use the Ask Us page to chat with a librarian even if you're away from campus.