Introduction
The following guide is intended to provide an overview of some of the resources available in the library and online for the study and research of Architecture. For further research assistance, please take advantage of the reference services available to you in the Geisel Library. Stop by the Reference Desk in person or online at Ask a Librarian.
Reserve Reading List
Introduction to Architecture / FAH 110
Resources for Background and Reference
Reference books are shelved by Library of Congress call number in the reference stacks near the reference desk. They may not be checked out, but photocopiers are available on the lower level of the Library. Online reference sources can be found in the library catalog, or listed on E-Reference Resources. Use reference resources to find background information on religion, social issues, historical periods, and themes being addressed in this course.
Online Resources
Oxford Art Online
This database provides access to the full contents of The Grove Dictionary of Art as well as several other resources in the fine arts. View thumbnail art images, conduct keyword searches, or browse the database by geographic area, time period, or art form.
Oxford Reference Online — Art & Architecture
This collection comprises over one million definitions, facts, figures, people, places, sayings, and dates from Oxford's subject reference books. Important titles for this class include The Oxford Companion to Western Art; The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists; and A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
Print Sources
AIA Guide to Boston
Ref NA735.B7 S68 1984
Dictionary of Architecture and Building
Ref NA31 .S84 (3 vols.)
Encyclopedia of 20th-century architecture
Ref NA680 .H3913 1986
Macmillian Encyclopedia of Architects
Ref NA40.M25 1982 (4 vols.)
Materials to assist with Writing the Research Paper
A Short Guide to Writing about Art
Ref N7476 .B37 2011
Online: Art History Writing Guide
Writing about Art
Ref N7476 .S29 2002
Finding Books/Secondary Sources
Subject Headings Suggestions for the online Catalog
Architects
Architecture
Architecture and Society
Architecture history
Architecture, Modern
Architecture philosophy
City planning
Design and construction
Name of the architect (last name, first name)
Keywords to consider when using the online Catalog. Consider combining keywords using the connector "and".
- Name of architect
- Name of period
- Type of building: cathedral, palace, etc.
- Geographic area: New York, China, etc.
- Building material: wood, stone, glass, etc.
If you are unable to locate materials in the Geisel Library Catalog, search libraries worldwide using WorldCat.
Find Journal Articles
Below are several databases that may yield useful journal articles for your research. Some focus on art and architecture criticism while others will provide historical, theological, and socio-cultural context for your area of study. Try searching on the same keywords that you used in the book catalog. Remember to use Boolean operators and wildcards (the asterisk symbol) to improve your search.
In the results screen, if there is no full-text link readily available, click on the WebBridge icon to determine whether the journal is available in the Geisel Library or in full-text via another electronic database. If the article isn't available, consider clicking on the Interlibrary Loan link to request a PDF copy of the article from another library. Articles requested via ILL will be delivered to your email inbox within about a week. Please read the WebBridge info carefully. If the book or article is already available at Saint Anselm College, you will not be able to obtain it through Interlibrary Loan.
Academic Search Premier
Gain access to full-text articles and citations from a wide range of journal titles, covering the arts and more.
America: History and Life
Provides abstracts to journal articles, books, and dissertations focusing on United States and Canadian history and culture from prehistoric times to the present.
Arts & Humanities Citation Index
Provides indexing to the world's leading arts and humanities journals and includes articles, bibliographies, editorials, letters, and reviews. (1980–present)
Historical Abstracts
Provides abstracts to journal articles, books, and dissertations covering world history from 1450 to the present (excluding North America). Journal List (PDF/59KB)
LexisNexis Academic
Find full-text newspaper articles from local, national and international papers. Gain access to full-text general reference information as well.
New York Times
"The New York Times (1851–2003) offers full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue."
Times of London
The digital archive of 200 years of London's leading newspaper(1785–1985). The collection includes full page images with fully searchable text.
JSTOR
A large collection of back issues of major journals in the humanities and social sciences, including the Arts and Asian Studies. Coverage is generally from the beginning of publication to within 5 years of the current issue.
Project MUSE
"Project MUSE provides online, worldwide, institutional subscription access to the full text of more than 200 scholarly journals in arts and humanities, social sciences, and mathematics." Journal List
Find Images
Connect to ARTstor to access a half -million images and related text. These images can be printed for use in your paper, or included in PowerPoint demonstrations. Ask a Reference Librarian if you require assistance using ARTstor.
Images are also available from VADS, JSTOR, Oxford Art Online, and Google Images.
Selected Websites
archINFORM: International Architecture Database
Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada Las Vegas
Boston History and Architecture
Digital Archive of American Architecture
Emphasis on Boston buildings
Glass, Steel and Stone: Global Architecture Encyclopedia
Historic American Buildings Survey
Drawings from some Manchester buildings available
International Archive of Women in Architecture
Manchester Historical Association
New Hampshire Architecture — an illustrated guide
VADS: Visual Arts Data Service
Citing Sources
Work cited in this class should use the formats as described in the The Chicago manual of style available at the Library's Reference Desk (Ready Ref. Z253 .U69 2010). See the library's Citing Sources guide, which provides online examples for Chicago/Turabian.
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