Research Resources
The Mesa College Library provides access to an extensive collection of print and online books and journals.
The Library's book collection includes over 100,000 print books, over 30,000 online books, and over 17,000 print and online magazines, scholarly journals, and newspapers.
For Library hours and a virtual library tour, click here.
Search Terms and Access Points
Whether you are searching for information in the library catalog, the library's online databases, or on the Open Web, an important first step in your research is to make a list of terms related to your topic. These will be the access points that will lead you to relevant information. Listed below are the most common access points for art research along with examples:
- Work of art/title -- "Birth of Venus"
- Artist -- Sandro Botticelli or Botticelli, Sandro
- Nationality of Artist -- Italy or Italian
- Art Medium -- Painter/Painting, Sculptor/Sculpture
- Time Period -- Renaissance, 15th Century
- Location of Artwork -- Louvre, Getty Museum
Subject searches may use single keywords or combinations of access points. Below are a few examples of art subject headings used in the Mesa Library Catalog and library databases:
Art, Italian - 16th century
Architecture, Renaissance - Italy
Sculptors - England - 20th century
Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519 - History and criticism (The dates are birth and death dates)
Librarian Help
Need help with your research? 
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