Marquand Library of Art and Archaeology

Library session for WRI 105 Scandals of Modern Art

Basics | Finding Facts | Finding Books | Finding Articles | Finding Images | Library Staff Contact Info

| Basics |

Library session web page, http://marquand.princeton.edu/wri105.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

| Finding Facts |

TIP #1: Facts can be found in both print and electronic sources. Web searching is fine, but remember that the library pays for more academic resources.

Grove Dictionary of Art
This good general resource includes biographies of both Western and non-Western artists, architects, patrons, critics, and collectors in addition to major entries on art styles, subjects, and media.

| Finding Books |

TIP #1: You will not find articles in the online catalog, only journal titles. For articles look in databases like the Art Index.

TIP #2: When doing keyword seaches you must use AND, OR, NOT logic. See below for details.

TIP #3: If Princeton doesn't have everything you need, search large online catalogs such as RLIN or WorldCat. You can request items through the Borrow Direct service or interlibrary loan.

Keyword Searching

Try to think of words that are specific to your topic (such as mapplethorpe and criticism) and not too general (modern art). Think of multiple ways to describe what you want. A keyword search requires Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) or quotes.

Use quotes for exact phrases, such as "public opinion"

Combine keywords to narrow your search

"art patronage" and america
"twentieth century" and art and aesthetics
(taboo and art) not literature

You can also use truncation. For example, controvers? picks up words like "controversy" and "controversial"

Subject Searching

When you search by subject, you can search by a very broad concept (modern art) to a narrow one (exhibitions of 20th century American modern art). You must put your search words in a particular order, and you cannot use AND, OR, NOT.

art, modern
art, modern -- 20th century -- united states -- exhibitions
social problems in art
matisse
matisse, henri, 1869-1954 -- criticism and interpretation

Note: the dashes (--) between words are to illustrate the subdivisions.

Limiting Searches

The "Set Limits" button takes you to a screen where you can set limits which will narrow your search results. These limits only work with keyword searches. They stay in effect for subsequent searches unless you clear them.

You can limit by:

Date (year item was published)
Language
Item type (such as archival collection or music score)
Medium (such as a soundrecording or visual material)
Location (a specific Princeton library)
Place of publication (country, US state, Canadian province)

| Finding Articles |

TIP #1: As in the main catalog, both keyword and subject searching will work in databases like Art Index.

TIP #2: To find the actual article in the library after finding the citation, you have to search the online catalog for the title of the journal. For instance, to find the following article:

Paul B. Franklin, "Object choice: Marcel Duchamp's Fountain and the art of queer art history." In Oxford Art Journal v. 23 no. 1 (2000) p. 23-50.

Do a journal title search in the online catalog for Oxford Art Journal.

TIP #3: Many databases support Find it @PUL, which searches for the article in full text sources and in our online catalog.

Art Index
Good, all purpose 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.

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.

ProQuest Research Library
Abstracting, indexing, and select full text of many core scholarly journals, magazines and major newspapers for information on a broad range of subjects.

Academic Search Premier
Multi-disciplinary database providing abstract and indexing with select full text for many core scholarly journals as well as popular press periodicals

| Finding Images |

TIP #1: Use both print and electronic resources for finding images.

TIP #2: Often journal articles will contain images. Citations in Art Index will indicate if there are reproductions of plans, elevations, etc. Marquand has two scanners and a color printer, so you can scan images in for use in your papers and presentations.

TIP #3: Museum websites can be excellent sources of digital images, if you know which museum owns the artwork you are interested in. Consult a select list of museums.

Almagest
Contains digitized images for study and class use, accessible throughout the campus.

Artcyclopedia
A commercial site useful for locating images.

ARTstor
Online image collection.

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.

| Library Staff Contact Info |

Mary George, Senior Reference Librarian, mwgeorge@princeton.edu

Laurel Bliss, Assistant Art Librarian, lbliss@princeton.edu