Art History Research Guide: Find Books

Book at the Bunn Library are organized by call number according to the Dewey Decimal System.  If you are looking for an art book within a specific subject, do a quick browse within that physical location to find related titles.  Art books are located in the 700s (700-779) in the Reynolds Fine Arts Reading Room.

• 700-709: The Arts (general)
• 710-719: Area planning and landscape architecture
• 720-729: Architecture
• 730-739: Sculpture, ceramics, metalwork
• 740-749: Graphic and decorative arts
• 750-759: Painting
• 760-769: Printmaking and prints
• 770-779: Photography, computer art, film, video 

*When searching in the catalog, titles that have REF before the number are located in the Reference Room on the first floor 

Find books in the Bunn Library catalog using the General Keyword search option, or look for materials on a particular subject by using the Subject Keyword and/or Subject Browse options.  

Keyword searching allows you to think of your own "keywords" to describe your topic. The General Keyword search will look for your terms in the entire item record, and is a good way to search if you do not know the title, author, or appropriate subject heading to use.

It is often a good strategy to start with a keyword search rather than a subject search when you are looking for books on a specific topic and don't know the official subject heading.

This is a strategy often used by experienced researchers:

1. Start with a keyword search. Think of one or two keywords that describe your topic. Your keywords should usually be somewhat general.
2. Examine your results list to find one book that seems to match your topic.
3. Display the full record for this book and look closely at the subject headings.
4. Click on the subject heading(s) that best match your topic and you'll be brought to other books on that exact subject.

Google books has many titles partially digitized.  You can search for titles the Bunn Library does not own and preview in many cases table of contents, selected chapters and more. 

If a title looks promising and you would like the library to obtain it for you, put in an InterLibrary Loan request with Daniel Geary ( dgeary@lawrenceville.org).

eBrary Academic Complete is our scholarly eBook collection of over 49,000 titles that can be downloaded and read on your computer or mobile device.

eBrary contains mutlidisicplinary college level titles, including History and Fine Arts.  See sidebar help for downloading and using this collection.