ART 201, 202, 203: Olson, J.: Reference Sources
References sources - online
From your instructor:
Gale eBooks. This research database contains lots of encyclopedias and will be good source for historical background. A work of art is a visual record of a specific time period so it's important to learn about the history of the period.
Oxford Art Online. This dictionary has information about artist’s biographies, body of work, and style. It is a good place to start, but you cannot base a research paper solely on dictionary entries. You need to gain in-depth knowledge of the subject by reading scholarly articles and books available through the library. Please note that the author of each entry is listed at the top and a bibliography is listed at the bottom.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Digitized reference works, covering many disciplines. Very useful for background information on a topic. - Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window
Includes access to Grove Art Online, a scholarly art encyclopedia, covering both Western and non-Western art. Also includes access to The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and The Oxford Companion to Western Art.
Art reference sources - print books
Most of TCC Library's reference materials that pertain to art are in print and are located in the reference section of the library. These books do not circulate, so you will not be able to take them home. Please see the separate box of information on this page for how you can use our print reference books. The following is a selection of scholarly art reference books.
Bulfinch guide to art historyCall Number: Library Reference N380.B78 1996Publication Date: 1996Contains brief entries on artists and styles/movements.
Dictionary of artCall Number: Reference N31.D5 1996 34 vols.Publication Date: 1996Great alphabetical access, with imperfect indexing. Good essays by country and time period. The strength of this title is the socio-economic approach. The weakness is the small number of good illustrations. Search by artist or style/movement. Excellent for researching almost any artist and art era/movement.
Encyclopedia of world artCall Number: Reference N31.E533 17 vols.Publication Date: 1983Very good indexing and reasonably good alphabetical access by place and time. Second half of each volume is large black and white illustrations. Greatest emphasis by subject is on ancient European and Indo-European cultures. Material culture is the topic of most essays. Search by artist or by work or style/movement. Best for researching pre1960s art.
The Oxford companion to artCall Number: Reference N33.O9Publication Date: 1970Contains brief entries on artists and styles/movements.
Arts and humanities through the erasCall Number: Reference NX440A787 2005 4 vols.Publication Date: 2005We have Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece & Rome, Medieval Europe, Renaissance Europe: 1300-1600, and the Age of the Baroque & Enlightenment (1600-1800). Provides timelines and descriptions of important events in art, music, philosophy and religion. A good source for finding historical context.
Why use reference sources in your research?
Research, Write and Speak From a Position of Knowledge
An overview of your topic area helps you understand...
- the historical perspective on your topic
- what the key issues are and how you may want to refine your topic
- who are the stakeholders (the groups or individuals interested in or affected by this topic)
- a context of how your topic relates to the other issues that surround it
- specialized vocabulary that is used relating to your topic (you can use these words for searches later in your research process)
Image source: Tick icons created by Kiranshastry - Flaticon
Using print reference books at the TCC Library - Changes due to Covid-19
Using Reference Books
Reference books do not circulate, which means they are always available for you in the library. However, that also means you cannot take reference books home.
So how can you use reference books in the library?
- If you know the title of the reference book and would like a copy of the pages on a specific topic within that book, our staff can scan those pages for you, along with the book title page and the copyright page. The scan will be sent to you in an email.
- Please note that you will need to know exactly what you need when you come to the library, meaning the specific title of the book and the specific information needed in that book. Library staff can do the scanning for you, but cannot help with research.
You can request this service either in person, during the during our open hours, or by emailing Anh Tran at atran@tacomacc.edu with your request.
Except where otherwise noted, the content in these guides by Tacoma Community College Library is licensed under CC BY SA 4.0.
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