Get off to a good start by doing background research to identify the “who, what, when, why, where” information on your topic. If you are having trouble focusing your topic, background research is a great way to see how other researchers and writers are approaching the subject.
Key Reference Books at the MJC Library. To begin your research you'll want to consult some of the following reference books located in the library's Reference Collection. Reference books are a great way to begin art-based research projects, as they provide accessible topic overviews on artists, art mediums, art movements, art techniques, etc.
Online reference books useful for art and artist research can be found through the following databases:
Gale Virtual Reference Library
(Off-campus use requires entry of your "W" number and six-digit birth date)
If you need materials (books, articles, recordings, videos, etc.) that you cannot find in the MJC Library catalog, use the request forms below to request what you need using our interlibrary loan service.
To identify books, DVDs, CDs, eBooks, and more that the MJC Library owns and to find out where they are located, you will need to use the MJC Library catalog. Try using these search terms:
Library material is arranged on the library shelves by subject. Like other academic libraries, MJC uses the Library of Congress Classification System to assign call numbers to our materials so that books, etc. on similar topics are next to each other on the shelves. You need to know a book's call number in order to get it off the shelf in the library. This CSU, Los Angeles guide entitled Understanding Call Numbers provides a useful introduction to the organizational scheme.
Subject Areas for browsing the library's shelves for books or movies: