Library Guide for Arts & Media
Contents

INTRODUCTION
DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR TOPIC?
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BOOKS ON YOUR TOPIC?
USE THE CATALOGUE
BROWSE THE LIBRARY SHELVES
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR JOURNAL ARTICLES ON YOUR TOPIC?
BROWSING JOURNALS
USING DATABASES
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR INFORMATION FOM THE INTERNET?
INTRODUCING WEBLINKS

 
INTRODUCTION

This guide will help you locate information in the area of Arts and Media. You may need to use both print and electronic resources to obtain the information you need.
The guide is an introduction only and students should ask library staff for assistance if required.

 
DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR TOPIC?

Dictionaries and encyclopaedias are a good starting point for research. They give definitions and provide background material that will assist you in understanding your topic.

Some useful reference books in the Arts and Media area are:

An illustrated dictionary of ceramics / Georgia Savage
The Thames & Hudson dictionary of art and artists
The Penguin dictionary of art and artists / Peter and Linda Murray
The encyclopedia of visual art
The design encyclopedia / Mel Byars
The Thames & Hudson encyclopaedia of 20th century design & designers / Guy Julier
The dictionary of performing arts in Australia
Concise companion to theatre in Australia
The Grove concise dictionary of music

Check the Library catalogue to see if a particular reference book is held in your campus library.

 
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BOOKS ON YOUR TOPIC?

Books and videos provide detailed information on a subject. You can locate them by using the Library catalogue or browsing the shelves.

 
USE THE CATALOGUE

To locate material (including books, magazines and videos) use the terms from your topic in a general keyword search of the Library catalogue. For a more structured approach use the following headings* for a subject search of the Library catalogue.

Acting
Art
Art, Australian
Art, Modern
Art history
Ceramics
Clay
Composition (music)
Computer-aided design
Computer graphics
Furniture design
Furniture designers
Furniture making
Graphic arts
Industrial design
Music
Musical instruments
Painting
Photography
Pottery
Sculpture
Theatre
Women in art

* also search for specific artists and designers as subject headings eg. 'Picasso'

BROWSE THE LIBRARY SHELVES

By browsing the library shelves you can get an idea of what the library has in your area. Dewey numbers that you may find useful in the Arts and Media area are:

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR JOURNAL ARTICLES ON YOUR TOPIC?

Journals are also known as magazines, serials and periodicals.

Journals provide up to date information and cover recent developments in that subject area. For some areas they are the best source of information.

To locate journal articles you can browse (look through whole issues), or search for journal articles in databases.

 
BROWSING JOURNALS

Some journals that may be useful in the Arts and Media area are:

Check the catalogue or with Library staff to see if these or other journals are held in your Campus Library.

USING DATABASES

Databases are electronic indexes to journals and other resources. Some databases offer the full text of the article whilst others will provide only information about articles.

Electronic databases that may be useful in the Arts and Media area are:

Australia/NZ Reference Centre
Australian Public Affairs - Full Text
Electric Library Australia

Information about database access is available from campus libraries.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNET?

INTRODUCING WEBLINKS

The Internet provides access to a vast amount of information. Websites providing this information range from reliable and authoritative to less reputable sites. Weblinks is a collection of websites, covering a range of topics, selected by North Coast Institute library staff for their relevancy and reliability.

Some Weblinks topics that you may find useful are:

Acting
Ceramics
Design
Film
Galleries
Multimedia

Or you can select from the Weblinks for Arts & Media.

For further assistance in locating information, or using some of the sources listed in this guide, take a look at Searchpath an online research tutorial, or contact library staff.