Useful Reference Books
A Short Guide To Writing About Art by Call Number: N7476 .B37 2015, Ask Alkek Desk - Secured, Floor 2 (4-hr loan)ISBN: 0205708250This best-selling text has guided tens of thousands of art students through the writing process. Students are shown how to analyze pictures (drawings, paintings, photographs), sculptures and architecture, and are prepared with the tools they need to present their ideas through effective writing.
St. James guide to Hispanic artists: profiles of Latino and Latin American artists by Call Number: N6538.H58 S7 2002 c.2, Oversize Shelves, 6th FloorISBN: 1558624708Publication Date: 2002
Finding Exhibition Catalogs
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
Log in to ILLiad to make an Interlibrary Loan request
Interlibrary Loan is a Library lending service available to current TxState students and employees. ILL borrows items from other libraries that the Alkek Library does not own.
This service is free to Texas State students, faculty, and staff.
Typical turnaround for a book is 2 weeks. Turnaround time for articles
varies depending on format (hard copy or electronic) but averages 2 to
3 days.
Subject Guide
Search for Books & More in the Library:
- Library CatalogUse the Library Catalog to search the main collection for print resources, multimedia resources, and ebooks. The Catalog also provides location and availability details. Use "Quotation marks" when searching a phrase.
- Start Your ResearchBooks, eBooks, and multimedia can also be searched using Start Your Research by limiting on the left to Library Catalog after a search is run.
You can use the Alkek Floor Plans to see the call number areas on the 5th and 6th floors where all the books are shelved by subject area. You can also browse the shelves for discovering even more books about your subject and other subjects. Have fun browsing!
A video to help you understand how to find the books by call number.
Alkek Library Catalog
[Edit mode is disabled for linked-box]
Search the library catalog for print resources, ebooks, movies, and more! You can also use the Start Your Research system discussed on the Articles & Databases tab to find books and these other things the library owns copies of.
TIPS:
- Click on the book title to see subject headings (example below), if you're having trouble coming up with the right keywords to find your books or articles.
- Use truncation, for example if searching for political or politics, you can type polit* and get any form of the root word before the *
USE SUBJECT HEADINGS (see the red box at the bottom with subject heading links) LINKS TO LISTS OF BOOKS AND OTHER RESOURCES ON YOUR TOPIC
Call Number Areas
Call numbers are a code to identify each unique book by its subject matter. Because books are arranged by the call number, it also acts as a shelf address. You will find the call number attached to or written on the spine of each book. The Alkek Library uses Library of Congress call numbers that uses letters and numbers to arrange books by subject. Books on similar subjects are assigned similar letters, based on the Library of Congress call number system.
| Subject | Call Number |
| Advertising | HF 5801-6182 |
| Aesthetics | BH |
| Architecture | NA |
| Art Encyclopedias | N1-9165 |
| Art General | NX |
| Decorative Arts | NK |
| Drawing & Illustration | NC |
| Graphic Arts & Computer Graphics | TR, NC, Z200 |
| Jewelry Making | TS, TT |
| Music | M |
| Painters & Painting | ND |
| Photography | TR |
| Printmaking | NE |
| Sculpture & Sculptors | NB |
Reading a call number
Books are arranged on the shelves by their Library of Congress call numbers. You can think of this number as an address for the book. Break it down and read it one line at a time as follows:
Line 1: Call numbers are arranged first in alphabetical order. All books with call numbers that start with LC will be between L and LD.
Line 2: Within the LC call numbers, books are arranged in number order. LC 5131 will be between LC 5000 and LC 5150
Line 3: The last part of the call number consists of a letter and a number. The letters are read in alphabetical order. Read the numbers as decimal numbers, not whole numbers, so .T75 is read as T.75 -- LC 5131 .T75 is between LC 5131 .T70 and LC 5131 .T8
Locating Books by Library of Congress Call Number
Library Catalog record explained:
- Location, Floor | Consult a call number map to find them.
- Call Number (the book's address on the shelf)
- Status (whether the book is Available or if someone else has it checked out)
Handouts for Finding Books
- Library catalog guide
- How to use the library catalog and locate books in the library by call number.
- Library Directory
- Floor information and call number map to find books
Below is a browsing map with different areas of inerest highlighted in yellow to use when you are looking for any image related subject, topic, or medium. Click on the image to download a printable PDF version of it and to see it better. :)
