Library - To Begin Research in Art History

Library Home

Services

Information Literacy

General Information
 

STEP 1: FINDING INFORMATION IN REFERENCE SOURCES

First it is important to have background information about the subject or artist you are studying. There are many dictionaries and directories in the 700s and 900s sections of the Reference Area which can give you short introductions and factual information that will help you in your research. The more or less specialized nature of your subject may mean that you will not always find enough books on your subject in the online catalog.

Some examples :

Reference Collection:

See also "Selected WWW Links" on Library Web page under "Arts"

STEP 2: FINDING BOOKS

Use the library’s online catalog to search for books in the library’s collection by author, title, subject terms or keyword.

Follow the help screens and directions in the catalog to facilitate your searching. Be sure to differentiate between a search by keyword and a search by specific topic (subject term). Full information about each book and its subject areas can be obtained by clicking on the "Bibliographic" information button.

Make a note of the location of the book, its status (charged or not charged, etc.) and its call number. Books are located in open stacks in call number order. See "How to Find and Evaluate a Book" for further details.

Finding Books in Other Libraries:

The library has a Document Delivery Service that can help you access most books which are not found in the University Library. However, the library cannot guarantee how long it will take to locate this material. Therefore, the following steps should be taken before submitting a document request.

Search carefully in the online catalog to confirm that the University Library does not own the item

Locate the section "Selected Paris Libraries" on the library’s Web page and check the online catalogs or Web sites of the:

Bibliothèque Publique d'Information (see "Libraries Covering All Topics")

BNF: Bibliothèque Nationale de France (see "...All Topics")

Bibliothèque Forney  (see "Specialized Libraries...Arts")

Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris (see "Specialized Libraries...French Studies")

Ask a Reference Librarian to suggest a library that specializes in the subject area you are researching

If the above attempts have not been successful, ask for a Document Delivery Request form at the Service Desk or click on the "request" button in the online catalog.

STEP 3: USING ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

You may need to complement the information found in books and reference works with current and critical information from periodical articles or other sources. 

Some of the most useful indexes for articles in Art History are:

EBSCO

WilsonSelectPlus

BHA: Bibliographie de l’histoire de l’art

RAA: Repertoire d’art et d’archéologie (Print edition available in the Research Room in the Library)

To find other electronic indexes, go to the category "Electronic Resources," click on "Indexes."  Select from the alphabetical list those most suited to your research.  Descriptions of each index can be found by clicking on More Info.

You may ask to see a Reference Librarian for further recommendations.

Finding your Articles

Keep in mind that while many periodical articles are available online in full text, many are not. If you have located citations or abstracts of interest, and wish to find the full text, do the following:

The Four Steps to Full Text

1. Try to locate the article in one of the Library's full-text indexes, (e.g., JSTOR, Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, Muse, EBSCO, or WilsonSelect Plus), or see chart on Electronic Resources - Indexes page.  Remember to search by publication title. 
2. If not found in a full-text index, search the Library's online catalog by the title of the magazine, newspaper or journal.  Verify that the desired issue is available. 
3. If not found in the AUP Library collection, check CCFR and Sudoc (university libraries) to locate the title in other Paris libraries (if unfamiliar with these tools, ask for help at the Service Desk).
4. If not found in the above indexes, go to the Service Desk and make a Document Delivery request.  The library cannot guarantee how long it will take to locate this material. 

Remember: before abandoning a search, speak to a Reference Librarian. If one is not available, please leave a written request at the Service Desk or submit a "Document Request" through the online catalog.