Theater & Dance 43: Costume Design
Fall 2001
LIBRARY CATALOGS | BROWSING | JOURNALS | WORLD WIDE WEB
Library Catalogs As a Research Tool
The Five-College online library catalogs list books and journals in all the
academic libraries in the Valley. There are two library databases: a
four-college catalog (for
Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith) and a UMass catalog.
You can search in the library catalogs for AUTHORS, by TITLES, by SUBJECT, or by KEYWORD (words from titles, subjects, notes, but not by authors' names).
The SUBJECT choice requires the exact word or phrase chosen by libraries to
define your topic; sometimes, several slight variants are required to do a
comprehensive job of retrieval. For example, try "costume", "fashion",
and/or "clothing and dress". Keep an eye on the subheadings that help further
define topics. When you are in doubt about official library terminology, search
the KEYWORD.
The "catalog record" for a book tells a lot more than just the title and author.
It tells whether the book is illustrated.
It tells how tall the book is (don't laugh...do you want big or little pictures?).
Sometimes it tells whether the illustrations are in color. And it tells which subject
categories the book is listed under so you can click on the subject links and move
right into a formal SUBJECT search.
Browsing the Library Shelves
A curious (and successful) student always browses shelves. When you find a book that interests you, write down the its call number, go to the shelf, and look for more of the same. You can also stay right at your computer, click on the call number link, and browse a virtual shelf for all four colleges. But, remember, on a virtual shelf you'll never see the pictures in the books.
A Word About Journals
Journals often have helpful articles and, even better, lots of illustrations. All the journals the Library subscribes to are listed in the online library catalog. Use the JOURNAL TITLE option to find them. Current issues of journals are in the Periodicals Reading Room on the first floor of Frost Library. Articles on the Library's re-designed website gives tips about finding articles in journals.
Research on the World-Wide Web
Web-based research is getting more "serious" all the time. But, still, approach the Web with both imagination and a skeptical attitude. On the Web you often encounter more enthusiasts than scholars. The library website provides search engines to help you. (Right now librarians think Google is the best search engine.) You'll find sites like Costume History at The Costumer's Manifesto, which gives really good Victorian Fashion Links, for example. Try out "metasites" and other links from the Library's Theater and Dance.
Do you have questions about research in this course? Contact Nancy Kuhl