The general call number for books on all aspects of art is:
SOUTH STACKS
N1 – NX765
Ever wonder how books are shelved?
In this library we use The Library of Congress Classification System to organize books on the shelves. The LC SYSTEM organizes material in libraries according to twenty-one branches of knowledge called classes. The system uses letters to represent the twenty-one broad branches of knowledge. The letters I, O, W, X AND Y are not used.
The twenty-one classes are:
A – GENERAL WORKS
B – PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, RELIGION
C – AUXILIARY SCIENCES OF HISTORY
D – HISTORY: GENERAL & OUTSIDE THE AMERICAS
E – HISTORY: UNITED STATES
F – HISTORY: UNITED STATES LOCAL & AMERICAS
G – GEOGRAPHY, ANTHROPOLOGY, RECREATION
H – SOCIAL SCIENCE
J – POLITICAL SCIENCE
K – LAW
L – EDUCATION
M – MUSIC & BOOKS ON MUSIC
N – FINE ARTS
P – LANGUAGE & LITERATURE
Q – SCIENCE
R – MEDICINE
S – AGRICULTURE
T – TECHNOLOGY
U – MILITARY SCIENCE
V – NAVAL SCIENCE
Z – BIBLIOGRAPHY, LIBRARY SCIENCE & INFORMATION RESOURCES
These twenty-one broad subject areas are further divided into more specific subject areas by adding one or two additional letters as well as some numbers. For a more detailed breakdown of any subject, go to the Library of Congress web page.
So, How Do I Find a Book on the Shelf?
Try this exercise, which was put together by the librarians at Kent State University, to see if you have figured out the Library of Congress system!
Once you have some background on your topic and you've started to develop a focus for your research, you'll need to consult some books. Most of the best resources for research in art history are still books, and usually print books. You can request print books using the library's catalog, then pick them up from special lockers on campus using these directions. I will also show you how to find e-books.
In the video below, I show you how to do a simple keyword search in the Cerritos College Library Catalog to look for books on a topic. I show you how to limit the results to just e-books. I will also show you how to search for digitized books in the Internet Archive. If you scroll down the page, you'll see subject headings you can also use to make sure you find all of the information we have on your topic. Further down this page you'll see lists of e-books and print books that have helped students in the this class in previous semesters.
Finding Books on Your Topic 
Once you have chosen a topic and done your background research you will be ready to conduct more comprehensive research using books.
Use the Library Catalog to find books available in the Cerritos College Library. Books can provide a broad overview of a topic or in-depth information. You can search for books by author, title, subject, or keyword. You can request print books or DVDs through the library catalog and then pick them up from special lockers on campus. You can also limit to what is Available Online to access those materials immediately.
Use the Internet Archive to search 20 million digitized books and texts.
Try searching for the following SUBJECTS and KEYWORDS:
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Art/Painting/Sculpture (add any historical period to your search) Art Baroque; Art Rococo; Art 16th century; Art Early Renaissance; Art Modern 17th-18th centuries |
Additional subject headings Painting 16th Century Europe; Painting Renaissance; |
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Art/Painting/Sculpture (add any country, region, or group to your search) Art Renaissance Italy; Art Spanish History; Art Renaissance Vatican City; Painting Flemish; Sculpture Italian; Sculpture Renaissance--Great Britian |
Artist’s name (Search by Subject or Author, type last name first) Bellini ; Bosch; Caravaggio; da Vinci; Dürer; Fontana; Gentileschi; El Greco; Raphael; Rembrandt; Rubens; Titian |