Librarian
Vanderbilt University Special Collections
Library Resources-General References
Welcome to the Central Library
This guide will introduce you to some of the resources available to you at the Vanderbilt Libraries.
Please let me know if you need help at any point in your research process.
Yvonne
New York City: 1932 view of midtown
Sometimes the best place to start is a subject specific dictionary or encyclopedia.
Below is a selected list of online reference resources.
- America: History and Life This link opens in a new windowIndex of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada. Journal articles, book titles, book reviews, and dissertations.
- American Memory This link opens in a new windowWritten and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience.
The Architecture of New York City: Histories and Views of Important Structures, Sites, and Symbols by Call Number: Available OnlinePublication Date: 1994"Gives historical, artistic descriptions plus original photographs of more than 90 major structures, sites and symbols--from Indian coves and trails and Dutch canals to contemporary skyscrapers. Contains a comprehensive analysis of the major architectural styles that have helped create the New York City skyline."
- Britannica OnlineBritannica Academic delivers fast and easy access to high-quality, comprehensive information. The rich combination of the venerable Encyclopædia Britannica plus Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, magazines and periodicals, and many other research tools provides the variety of reliable sources that students need to consult when conducting thorough research—all from one resource.
- Oxford Art OnlineThe online version of the 34 printed volumes devoted to the visual arts: painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, drawing, and printmaking, as well as decorative arts. Its multicultural approach offers detailed analyses of civilizations from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific, including art forms, cultures, and artists that have previously been neglected. It is full-text with links to color images.
- Oxford Reference Online PremiumGood source for begining your research on many different topics. Brief articles with recommended books and articles.
Skyscraper: the Politics and Power of Building New York City in the Twentieth Century by Examining the life and times of New York City's most iconic buildings, Georgia Tech architecture instructor Flowers reveals not only how the city's skyscrapers are inextricably tied to the city's economic booms and busts, planning and day-to-day functioning, but also how the skyscraper "is a material expression" of social conditions and personal relationships, "of the course chartered by capital" through urban tribes.
Skyscraper Gothic: Medieval Style and Modernist Buildings by Of all building types, the skyscraper strikes observers as the most modern, in terms not only of height but also of boldness, scale, ingenuity, and daring. As a phenomenon born in late nineteenth-century America, it quickly became emblematic of New York, Chicago, and other major cities.
