What's This Number?
Need help making sense of the Call # you found in Library Catalog? or where to find the book in the library?
Books, Articles, ILL, and Hathi Trust Digital Library
Keyword vs. Subject Searching
Step 1: Start your search process with a list of keywords that describe the main concepts of your topic or question.
Step 2: Use these keywords for your initial searches.
Step 3: Use the Subject Heading links in the Library Catalog record to refine your search.
The following databases will help you find articles on your topic:
- America: History and Life This link opens in a new window
Index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada. Journal articles, book titles, book reviews, and dissertations.
- Art Full Text and Art Index Retrospective This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive resource for art literature: articles, indexing and abstracting of journals, and art dissertations; covering fine, decorative, and commercial art, folk art, photography, film, and architecture. Includes indexing of publications, and citations of book reviews. Indexing of art reproductions provides examples of styles and art movements, including works by emerging artists.
- ARTbibliographies Modern (ABM) This link opens in a new window
Abstracts of journal articles, books, essays, exhibition catalogs, PhD dissertations, and exhibition reviews on all forms of modern and contemporary art. Abstracts of material on famous and lesser-known artists, movements, and trends. Includes illustration, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and drawing, performance art and installation works, video art, computer and electronic art, body art, graffiti, artist's books, theatre arts, conservation, crafts, ceramic and glass art, ethnic arts, graphic and museum design, fashion, and calligraphy.
- Gender Studies Database This link opens in a new window
Combines Women's Studies International and Men's Studies databases with the coverage of sexual diversity issues. Professional journals, conference papers, books, book chapters, government reports, discussion and working papers, theses & dissertations, websites, etc.
- Google Scholar Vanderbilt Login This link opens in a new window
Use this link to seamlessly access VU resources via Google Scholar both on and off campus.
You can also adjust your Google Scholar settings to display the Vanderbilt Findit@VU link to appear in search results and allow for access from on or off-campus. Access Google Scholar settings by visiting this page (https://scholar.google.com/scholar_settings).
Click library links on the left hand menu. in the search box, search for Vanderbilt and select: “Vanderbilt University Library – Findit@VU” (with uppercase F), Click Save. - Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Index of academic historical journals on the history of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 to the present, including world history, military history, women's history, history of education, etc.
- International Bibliography of Art (IBA) This link opens in a new windowResource for scholarly literature on western art, and successor to the Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA).
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowLarge and important archive for academic journals, books, and primary sources in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Many journals do not have current issues.
- ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Search all ProQuest databases simultaneously. Includes arts, humanities, social sciences, news, and science and technology.
- Vogue Archive This link opens in a new windowComplete archive of American Vogue, documenting American and international fashion, culture, and society. High-resolution color page images, with every page, advertisement, cover, and fold-out included.
- Women's Wear Daily Archive This link opens in a new windowComprehensive archive of Women’s Wear Daily, a fashion industry trade journal.
- WorldCat (FirstSearch) This link opens in a new window
Catalog of books, manuscripts, websites, internet resources, maps, computer programs, musical scores, films, slides, newspapers, journals, magazines, sound recordings, articles, chapters, papers, and videotapes available at libraries worldwide. Cross-search OCLC databases: ArchiveGrid, ArticleFirst, Ebooks, ECO, ERIC, GPO, MEDLINE, OAIster, PapersFirst, ProceedingsFirst, WorldCat, and WorldCatDissertations.
What is 
?
FindIt@VU provides direct links from a database citation to the fulltext of the article (if available) and other supporting resources.
You'll also see FindIt@VU buttons in Library Catalog.
An FAQ for FindIt@VU is also available.
Useful Library of Congress Subject Headings
Try a SUBJECT begins with search using one of the Library of Congress Subject Headings listed below:
| Art Political Aspects | Art and Censorship | |
| Art and State | Gender Identity in Art | |
| Arts and Society | Lin, Maya Ying | |
| Art Modern 20th Century | Politics in Art | |
| Arts and Society United States History 20th Century |
Public Art |
