Basics | Finding Facts | Finding Books | Finding Primary Sources | Finding Articles | Finding Dissertations and Theses | Finding Provenance Information | Finding Images
Library session web page, http://marquand.princeton.edu/juniorseminar.php
Princeton University Library web page, http://libweb.princeton.edu/
Library online catalog, http://catalog.princeton.edu/
Find Articles and Databases, http://library.princeton.edu/catalogs/articles.php
TIP #1: Facts can be found in both print and electronic sources. Web searching is fine, but remember that the library pays for a large number of subscription databases, whose information is not available on the free Web. Don't forget about print reference sources, located in Marquand's reference room. While the majority of these titles are not yet online, Oxford Reference Online contains a good number of reference titles useful for art research.
Grove Dictionary of Art A good starting point, it includes biographies of both Western and non-Western artists, architects, patrons, critics, and collectors in addition to entries on art styles, subjects, and media, all of which contain short bibliographies for further information.
TIP #1: You will not find articles in the online catalog, only journal titles. For articles, look in databases like the Art Index or the Bibliography of the History of Art.
TIP #2: If Princeton doesn't have everything you need, search in WorldCat to find citations for further material. You can request items to borrow through the Borrow Direct service or interlibrary loan.
Princeton Library Catalog Contains the holdings of 15+ Princeton libraries, plus two off-site facilities. Don't underestimate the searching capabilities of the catalog, which go beyond keyword searching. Consult the Search Tips on the home page of the catalog, plus see Help for more in-depth information. A few key tips:
1. Don't be intimidated by the Subject Heading search. Formulating Library of Congress subject headings just takes a bit of practice, but can be quite useful when tracking down books on a specific topic. You can always start with a Keyword search, find a record that's useful, then hyperlink via its subject headings to find more titles (make sure you're in Long View or More Like This mode).
2. Always start with the catalog--unless you're looking for an article(s) and don't know the journal name yet--as there are links within catalog records to databases, e-books, and e-journals.
3. The Guided Search tab allows one to combine terms for a more sophisticated search. You may also limit your search to just Marquand's holdings: "Set Limits."
WorldCat Contains holdings for public, academic, and special libraries in the US, including Princeton. Also contains holdings for major European libraries, such as the British Library and the Bibliothèque Nationale.
TIP #1: Primary sources can be diaries, photographs, interviews, correspondence, manuscript/archival material, etc.
TIP #2: Try searching the online catalog using terms like "matisse and correspondence" or "michelangelo and sources"
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections Database (MASC) Database maintained by the Manuscripts Division of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections of Princeton University Library. Consisting of over 88,000 records, it provides non-book holdings information for more than 23,000 individuals (and corporate bodies) in more than 1200 collections distributed among the various units of the Department.
Archival Resources (ArchiveGrid) Index to finding aids and other descriptive information about the holdings of manuscript and archival collections in libraries and research institutions throughout the world.
ArchivesUSA Search the entire holdings of 5,000+ repositories and 140,000+ collections of primary source materials across the United States. Includes many museum archives, such as the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
TIP #1: As in the main catalog, both keyword and subject searching and other search concepts--truncation, boolean searching, etc.--will work in periodical databases, with some variation database by database.
TIP #2: Most databases support Find it @PUL, which searches for the article in full text sources and in our online catalog.
TIP #3: In addition to searching for a journal title in the library catalog, the E-Journals search will tell you if we have access to a particular journal electronically (includes JSTOR titles).
Art Index Good, general index to periodicals, yearbooks, museum bulletins, competition and award notices, exhibition listings, interviews, and film reviews. Covers all the arts, including architecture.
ArtBibliographies Modern An index to artists and movements beginning with Impressionism, up to the most recent works and trends in the late 20th century. Particularly strong in photography, lesser known artists, and foriegn language literature.
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals Produced at Columbia's Avery Library, an index to journal articles published worldwide on architecture and design, archaeology, city planning, interior design, and historic preservation.
Bibliography of the History of Art Contains records describing the current literature of art, including books, museum and exhibition catalogs, Festschriften, congress and symposium proceedings, dissertations. Very scholarly sources, and greater coverage of titles, including multi-lingual titles, than Art Index.
All Art & Archaeology Databases A list of all the A&A databases that the library subscribes to, sorted by core resources, important resources, and related resources. See Marquand website for more information.
Note: if one is researching a topic that is interdisciplinary in nature, it may be useful to start a search in a general, non-art database, such as ProQuest Research Library, EBSCO Academic Search Premier, Wilson OmniFile Full Text, or Web of Science. For other humanities disciplines other than art/architecture/archaeology, consult the Research Guides created by Princeton librarians for guidance.
| Finding Dissertations and Theses |
TIP #1: US dissertations published since 1997 are available in full text through Proquest Digital Dissertations (aka Dissertation Abstracts).
TIP #2: Pre-1997 dissertations can be requested through interlibrary loan.
Proquest Digital Dissertations The database includes citations to dissertations from 1861 to those accepted last semester. Citations for dissertations and master's theses published from 1980 forward have abstracts.
Foreign Doctoral Dissertations The Center for Research Libraries has more than 750,000 uncataloged foreign doctoral dissertations, of which approximately 20,000 are included in this database. If you do not find the title you need, search the CRL catalog.
Senior Theses catalog A catalog of theses written by seniors at Princeton University from 1926 to date.
| Finding Provenance Information |
Getty Provenance Index Contains three separate databases for provenance research: archival documents from 1550-1840, auction catalogs from 1650-1840, and public art collections from 1500-1990. Information from the Getty on doing provenance research is also available.
Curators at the Princeton University Art Museum maintain files on the objects in their collections, with information on provenance, etc. These files are not available online. Consult the museum's staff directory to see which curator to contact, or else the Record of the Princeton Art Museum is searchable in Art Index and issues can be found in Marquand.
TIP #1: Often journal articles will contain images. Citations in Art Index will indicate if there are reproductions of artwork, plans, elevations, etc. Marquand has two scanners and a color printer, so you can scan images in for use in your papers and presentations.
Almagest Contains digitized images for study and class use, accessible throughout the campus.
Artcyclopedia A commercial site useful for locating images.
ARTstor A repository of digital images in the arts. The images are drawn from museums, archaeological teams, photo archives, slide collections, and art reference publishers.
CAMIO (Catalog of Art Museum Images Online) Online collection documenting more than 115,000 works of art from around the world. Images, text and multimedia represent a broad range of works of art from the collections of the members of the Art Museum Image Consortium.
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