Where should I start my research?
Start your research with Reference Sources to get the background and build context. Next, explore some General Sources or work through Area/Regional sources to help answer any contextual questions you have.
Where can I find books in the library?
Print material can also be found at the library by browsing the shelves for books related to Architecture using the call number ranges below:
What are reference sources?
Reference sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, handbooks, and other materials providing general information about various subjects. When you need the background on a topic, reference sources are the optimal source for who, what, when, where, and why questions.
Where can I find reference sources?
Search the library catalog or the reference section located on the Ground floor.
What if I'm off campus or not in the library?
Below are a selection of resources available through the Masland Library:
The A to Z of Architecture by
Architecture, which can be understood in its most basic sense as a form of enclosure created with an aesthetic intent, first made its appearance in the Prehistoric Age. From its earliest developments, architecture changed over time and in different cultures in response to changing cultural needs, aesthetic interests, materials, and techniques. The A to Z of Architecture provides information on architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Tadao Ando, Leon Battista Alberti, Filippo Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, and Konstantin Stepanovich Melnikov, as well as on famous structures like the Acropolis, the Colosseum, the Forbidden City, Machu Pichu, Notre Dame, the Pyramids of Giza, Stonehenge, and the World Trade Center. The dictionary examines the development of architecture over the centuries through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on the major architects, well-known buildings, time periods, styles, building types, and materials in world architecture.
Dictionary Plus Art and Architecture
This dictionary comprises authoritative, highly accessible entries on artists, architects, and their works. These entries are supplementary to other art and architecture titles in the Quick Reference collection, and are written by specialist authors. The dictionary is an ongoing project, and more entries will be added over time.
The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture by
Covers all periods of western architectural history including biographies of architects and others who have made significant contributions to the field of architecture.