Penn State University Libraries - Browser's Guide

The Browser’s Guide to Visual Arts

in the Arts and Humanities Library

As with most American libraries, organizes books and bound volumes of magazines by the Library of Congress Classification System.  The following table can give you a general sense of where most of the visual arts books and magazines are.  Note the many exceptions at the end of the table.  As you can see, the medium is an important part of the organization.  Unfortunately, this means that books on a versatile artist might be in many different places: under painting, drawing, prints, etc.  Browsing can be a fine way to get a sense of how much is available, to make interesting discoveries, and simply to relax.  However, it is usually not a very effective way to find a specific book, article, or picture.  Please always ask at the Arts and Humanities Music and Media Center, 2nd Floor West Pattee if you are not finding what you want by browsing.  Otherwise…browse all you like.  While you are browsing, notice that you may turn on lights in the Pattee Stacks.  They are on timers and shut off automatically.

(Most architecture before 1850 is in Pattee.  Architecture & landscape after 1850 is in the Architecture Library.)

(Similar to the categories under Decorative Arts but with a hobby or commercial orientation.)

Exceptions

· Current issues of art magazines are shelved near the Music and Media Center, 2^nd Floor West Pattee.

· Reserve books are removed from the regular shelves and placed at the Commons Services Desk (1^st Floor Central Pattee) at the request of teachers so that all students in a class can use them.

· Reference books (those intended for quick look-up information) are shelved on 206 West Pattee.

· Rare, valuable, or fragile books may be in closed stacks behind the desk at the Music and Media Center or in Special Collections.

· Videos and audio recordings are in closed stacks behind the desk at the Music and Media Center. 

· Many books, magazines, and some videos are shelved in off-campus storage buildings.

· Many books useful to the visual arts may receive classification numbers that are not on this list.  For example, books on health hazards for artists or the business aspects of art may shelve elsewhere.  Performance art and audio works sometimes classify with theatre or music, etc. etc.

At times they might look busy to you, but everyone who works in the library is eager to help you find what you want.  Please ask.  And enjoy your browsing.

hp, 2/12