Art History Library Guide
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See Below for Info on…
Finding Art Books
Finding Articles on Art
Websites
Library Contact Info
library@stephens.edu
Front Desk: (573) 876-7182
Text the Library: (573) 475-4211
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Finding Art Books
Resources
Stephens Library Catalog - Search the traditional catalog for Stephens College books, videos, and more.
MOBIUS Library Catalog - Search the MOBIUS Consortium catalog and request physical/print books be sent to Stephens for pickup. Books are generally ready to be picked up in two to three work days.
eMO Electronic Books - Search and view over 250,000 electronic books. Entirely full-text.
Physical Art Book Locations
Art books are located in the following sections (second floor of the Stephens Library):
N - Visual arts
N 5300-7418 - Art History
NA - Architecture
NB - Sculpture
NC - Drawing. Design. Illustration
ND - Painting
NE - Print media
NK - Decorative arts
NX - Arts in general
Search Tip
Many art history books are oversized, especially those with images. Be sure to also browse art call number ranges in the “q” and “f” oversized sections, which are also on the second floor of the Stephens Library.
Finding Articles on Art
Resources
Content types: articles, books, and images. Contains more than 210 full-text periodicals, nearly 220 full-text books, indexing for 790 academic journals, magazines and trade publications, and over 63,000 images. Learn More.
Content types: articles, books. Search across most all of Stephens Library holdings as well as millions of additional books and articles using the EBSCOhost Discovery Service. Learn More.
Search Tips
Consider using one or more search terms in these categories:
Artist’s name
Art style, period, culture, or school
Date or era
Medium, material, technique, work type, or form
Geographic location
Subject
Title of a specific work
When searching these databases, you will likely come across articles that are not immediately available. In such cases, choose to “Request It” and complete the process. Articles usually become available within one business day, although it can take as many as five days. You can review your request history and make requests from scratch by using the following link:
Websites
Resources
Art History Glossary - A resource for students and teachers developed by Dr. James Terry of Stephens College.
Art History Resources on the Web - Resources maintained by Dr. Christopher L.C.E. Whitcombe of Sweet Briar College.
Artcyclopedia - an encyclopedia style resource with information grouped by name, medium, subject, nationality, movements, and women artists, plus search options by name, title, and museum.
Google Art Project - explore virtual tours of select museums, browse artworks by artist, medium, movement, place, time, or color, plus games and experiments.
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History - From the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Includes 300 timelines, 930 essays, and approximately 7,000 objects.
The Islamic World Timeline - Interactive timeline of history and culture in the Islamic world. Developed by Dr. James Terry of Stephens College.
PBS ART21 - Companion website for the PBS series "Art in the Twenty-First Century." Chronicles contemporary art and artists.
Smarthistory - Smarthistory is an open educational resource with a commitment toward making art history more inclusive and equitable. It includes essays and video content provided by over five hundred leading scholars.
Search Tips
While we haven’t listed them here individually, many museums are increasingly providing free online access to digitized artworks through their websites. Try going to a museum website, then navigate to their “Collections" section, then browse or search for works of interest.