Research and Instruction Librarian for Music & Fine Arts
Karen Olson
she/her/hers
What Is a Database?
You can search for articles in Catalyst or in research databases.
The pros for searching in Catalyst are that you already are familiar with the user interface and that Catalyst defaults to showing you material to which we have immediate access.
The pros for searching in research databases is that most databases are subject-specific, so your searches are automatically limited to a particular topic. Also, if you are interested in finding materials beyond what is at St. Olaf, the research databases can show you other articles we can acess through Resource Sharing (Interlibrary Loan).
Art Databases
- ARTbibliographies Modern This link opens in a new windowScholarly journal articles, books, dissertations, and exhibition catalogs and reviews concerning modern and contemporary art (late nineteenth-century to current, in diverse media). Covers materials published 1974-present, with some coverage extending back to the late 1960s.
- Art Index This link opens in a new windowJournal articles, film reviews, bibliographies, museum bulletins, exhibition listings, competition and award notices, and other materials on the arts, archaeology, and design. Covers materials published 1984-present.
- Art Index Retrospective: 1929-1984 This link opens in a new windowJournal articles, film reviews, bibliographies, museum bulletins, exhibition listings, competition and award notices, and other materials on the arts, archaeology, and design. Covers materials published 1929-1984.
- Bibliography of the History of Art/International Bibliography of Art This link opens in a new windowScholarly journals articles, books, exhibition reviews and catalogues, and other materials on the history of western art. Covers materials published 1990-2009.
- DAAI: Design and Applied Arts Index This link opens in a new windowMagazine and journal articles, news items, and reviews on design, crafts, and the applied arts from the mid-nineteenth century to current developments. Covers materials published 1973-present.
- Index of Medieval Art This link opens in a new windowFounded in 1917, the Index of Medieval Art is one of the most important archives of medieval art in existence. It offers critically important resources for scholars of medieval visual culture.
Other Useful Databases
History Databases
If you need broad historical context for your art research, the history databases can help.
- Iter: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance This link opens in a new windowOnline resources in medieval and Renaissance studies, 400-1700. Collections include both primary and secondary sources.
- Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new windowScholarly journal articles, magazine articles, books, and dissertations on the history of the world from 1450 to the contemporary period. Excludes North American history (which is covered in the companion database America: History & Life). Provides some full text. Covers materials published 1955-present.
- America: History & Life This link opens in a new windowScholarly journal articles, magazine articles, books, and dissertations on US and Canadian history and culture from prehistory to the contemporary period. Provides some full text. Covers materials published 1964-present.
Interdisciplinary Databases
These databases cover a wide variety of topics and can be a good place to start if you want a broad overview of your topic.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowFull-text scholarly journals articles in many disciplines. Dates of coverage vary by title, typically from the journal's first issue (sometimes in the eighteenth century or earlier) through about five years ago.
- Project MUSE This link opens in a new windowFull-text scholarly journal articles in the humanities and social sciences.
- Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new windowArticles on virtually every topic, drawn from scholarly journals, professional journals, trade magazines, news publications, and lifestyle magazines. Provides full-text access to over half of its 8000+ publications. Covers materials published 1975-present.