Arch 110
“Look at the Work of…”
Sometimes a teacher or another student suggests that you
“Look at the work of ____.” [insert name of an architect.] Sometimes you’ve
become interested in a designer on your own and want to learn more about
the person or the work. This guide is intended to make that type of search
easier by suggesting some electronic (and a few paper) information
sources. So when you want...
The
Cat Once you find something you want to use, you will need to note three
bits of information in order to fetch it: the name and portion of the
library, the floor, and the classification number. For example:
If the book is not on the shelf, but should be, please ask at the
nearest service desk. If a book you want is charged out, stored in “the
annex”, owned only at another campus, or on order, click on the “I Want
It” button and complete the brief form. Then the book will be retrieved
and held for you at a library service desk.
Avery
Index to Architectural Periodicals.
After you have identified an article that you want you will need to return to
The
Cat
to determine whether or not the University Libraries has it and in order to get the information needed
to locate it on the shelves. Search using the title of the magazine (given in the Avery Index after the word "In:").
Since you know the exact title of the journals it will be more efficient to search in The
Cat using the "Browse Tiles and More" tab.
Then type in the first part of the name of the magazine and click "Journal Title." If you want an article that is not held at Penn State,
copy the details from the Avery Index and submit them with the web-based Interlibrary Loan service at: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/tas/ill/
button and a photocopy or image
file will be obtained for you, usually within a few days.
The
Dictionary of Art. Emanuel, Muriel (ed.) Contemporary Architects. 3rd ed. New York: St. James, 1994.
Placzek, Adolf K. (ed.) Macmillan Encyclopedia of Architects. 4 vols. New York: Free Press, 1982.
AP
Multimedia Archive Art,
Architecture and Landscape Pictures
Brown, Jeanne. Architecture and Building.
WEB SEARCH ENGINES
In a few short years Web search engines have become one of the most
popular tools for finding information because they are convenient, can be
used without much skill, and frequently produce useful results. But, remember these three important points about search engines:
Just a Few Books, Please.
If you want to borrow books on a
specific artist you’ll need to use the library catalog (The Cat). Going
straight to the shelves and browsing is not usually very effective for
this purpose because the books on a single architect might be scattered
around under different building types, or periods, or countries, etc. It’s easier to use:
Available as a database on LIAS (the Library Information Access System).
The Penn State Libraries’ catalog (“The Cat”) contains
virtually all of the holdings of the University Park Libraries as well
as those of the many other campuses of Penn State. Like most library
catalogs it list the titles of books, magazines, and other publications
held by the library – but only has a single record for each magazine
title; they do not include records for each of the articles in a
magazine. (For that, see More! Journal Articles! below.) As with any
database, you may need to try several methods of searching in order to
get good results. If your architect has an unusual name (like Rem Koolhaas)
it is easiest to search using the “Keyword” search screen, which is the
default screen. Just type in name in any order in a “Keyword” box.
However, if the architect has common names (such as Peter Cook)
you’ll often get too much garbage with this type of search. Then
it’s better to choose the “Browse” search screen, type the name in
inverted order (Cook, Peter), then click “LC Subj Headings.” (And
sometimes, if you repeat this search and click “Author” you’ll get a few
more books, because with some heavily illustrated books the designers are sometimes listed only as the authors.)
Remember that architects are often listed only by the name of their firm and that firm names often change,
so there may be several names that you should try. If you get no results at all, check the spelling of the name
(perhaps by using one of the biographical dictionaries listed under "Just a Little Info," below.)
You may print or email the catalog records that you have chosen.
More! Journal Articles!
If no books are available or if you
want more information, try finding articles in journals. You can do this
using a “periodical index.” This type of database indicates which articles are in what
journals. The best periodical index for architects is:
Available as a database on LIAS.
A database guide for Avery is posted here.
Selectively indexes journal articles and reviews on all periods of architecture
(including archaeology, decorative arts, interior design, furnishings, landscape design, city planning, and housing)
which appear in more than 2,500 journals. Modern architecture and current practice are covered more thoroughly that
pre-modern eras. Indexing began in 1934, but certain important journals were indexed back to their beginnings in the 1860s.
Recently, the old Burnham Index to Architectural Literature was added to the Avery database, extending the coverage for many journals back to 1919.
You seldom need to worry about common names (like Peter Cook) since everything in the database is limited to the architecture and related design work.
Just a Little Info.
Sometimes you don’t need a whole book
or article on the architect. Maybe you just have specific questions such as these: How is the name spelled?
When was this person alive and who did he study with? What style was the designer known for? Why is she important?
Of all of these books and articles on the architect, which are the important ones?
Biographical entries in encyclopedias or dictionaries can help with these questions.
Available as a database on LIAS.
This electronic encyclopedia contains an enormous amount of
information on art and architecture of all times and places. Every word
may be searched and printed or downloaded. This is much more
comprehensive and authoritative than any other electronic source of
information on arts (though it is a weaker on recent architecture).
If you don’t find your artist’s name, use the “Advanced Search” because
it searches more of the text of the encyclopedia. The “Advanced Search"
is also the best way to find the right spelling of a name –
the “Pattern” feature can find most misspellings.
Architecture & Landscape Architecture Library, Reference, NA680.C625 1994 Q
Selects major living architects and working firms as well as a few influential architects from the past.
Entries include biographies and complete lists of projects, and are often accompanied by architects' statements
and critical excerpts.
Architecture & Landscape Architecture Library, Reference, NA40.M25 1982
2400 solid biographies of architects born before 1931, covering all periods of Western architectural history
and including many lesser-known architects. Entries are accompanied by complete lists of projects and
selective bibliographies.
Just Some Pictures, Please.
There are many ways to find
pictures of the artist’s work (in books magazines, etc.) but the digital image databases below are
very convenient ones to try. The licenses for these images permit you to
download, print, and use in your assignments, but they may not be posted
on unrestricted web sites.
Available as a database on LIAS.
This database only works for “newsworthy” architecture. It
consists of half-a-million newspaper photos of all subjects from the
Associated Press (which includes some materials from its beginning 150
years ago). Select “Newspaper Photos” on the "A-Z List of E-Resources" list of databases.
Available as a database on LIAS.
This Penn State web site contains 4 locally
produced databases: The Art History Department Visual
Resources Selections (roughly 5000 slides which have
been scanned at Penn State's Art History Department Visual
Resource Centre and posted for course review in recent years),
the O'Connor-Yeager Collection (more than 300 prints
of Pennsylvania in the 19th and early 20th centuries held
at the Palmer Museum of Art), the University Park Campus
History Collection (hundreds of images of designs and
historic photos of Penn State's largest campus), and Worldwide
Building and Landscape Pictures (roughly 11,000 images
of major monuments of landscape and architectural history).
What About the Internet?
Well, most of the electronic sources above are available via the Internet
because the University Libraries has paid fees so that you may use them. But
of course there are many free sources of information on artists on the Internet.
Some of the best ones are recommended on Penn State’s Architecture & Landscape
Architecture Library web pages (at: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/architecture/).
A more detailed guide to architecture web sites is:
Available on the web at:
http://library.nevada.edu/arch/rsrce/webrsrce/contents.html
This web site selects, briefly describes, and links
to web resources (directories or architects, electronic publications, databases, picture sites, discussion groups, guides, etc.) for all aspects of the built environment. It
does not refer to paper resources.
Or Ask!
If you get stuck with any type of search for art
information please ask. Ask someone as any library service desk or use the
“Ask” button on many of the Libraries web pages (http://ask.libraries.psu.edu/index.html?qyrqt=103).
It connects you to email or chat services for general library questions. Or your Architecture & Landscape Architecture Library staff directly at
arch@psulias.psu.edu. Or contact me.
| © 2002 University Libraries,
The Pennsylvania State University Last Revised: 09/27/04 |
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