Search for materials in Randall Library by using the online Library Catalog located in the middle of the Randall Library homepage. Searching the Library Catalog will give you call numbers and locations for materials in the Library.

REFERENCE MATERIALS
These resources can help you become familiar with a topic and identify the key terms related to your topic.

Dictionary of Art REF N31 .D5 1996 A 34-volume encyclopedia about every aspect of the visual arts from prehistory to the present.	Dictionary of Women Artists REF N8354 .D53 1997 Profiles of 600 artists selected to identify the accomplishments and struggles of women artists. 2 volumes.
Encyclopedia of World Art REF N31. E533 (1959-1986) Approximately half of each of the 16 volumes consists of illustrations related to the articles.	McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Art REFN33 .M23 (1969) Articles on artists' lives and careers, artistic styles, periods, buildings, museums and art terms. 5 volumes.

LIBRARY CATALOG
When you have found a record for an item you wish to locate, there are three important elements to note:

1. LOCATION - what collection the item is in determines the location and if the item can be checked out of the library. e.g., General Collection on the second floor can be checked out while the Reference Collection on the first floor can not be checked out.
2. CALL # - provides exact location of the item within the collection.
3. STATUS - "AVAILABLE" means item is on the shelf and "DUE" with the date it is due back to the library.

The check out period for books for undergraduates is 21 days and the check-out desk is located next to the exit/entrance doors of the Library. Videos and other media check out for 7 days.

You must have your university ID card in order to check-out materials.

Article Databases/Indexes
Article indexes provide citations (e.g., author, title, a journal name, volume, issue, page numbers, etc.) to identify articles. Most indexes also include abstracts (summaries) and a small handful of online indexes provide selected full text of the actual article. The Library does not own every article cited in each index so remember to check the Library Catalog to verify if we own the journal the article was published in.

ONLINE:
Humanites International Index
Citations to art, archaeology, folklore, literature, music, philosophy, religion, and world history. Silver Platter
EBSCOHost - Academic Search Premier
Indexing and abstracts of scholarly journals covering the social sciences, humanities, education and more.
Some fulltext.

MEDIATED:
Art Abstracts
Citations to articles and art reproductions about art worldwide. Indexing 1984+; Abstracts 1994+.
Art Literature International (RILA)
Citations to all aspects of Western art from the 4th century to 1989. 1973+
ARTbibliographies Modern
Citations to literature of 19th and 20th century art and design. 1974+
Bibliography of the History of Art
Citations to literature about European art since the 4th century and American art from the European
discoveries to the present. 1991+

PRINTED:
Art Index
Citations to articles and art reproductions about art worldwide.1929+

Web-Site Evaluation
The reliability and quality of information from Web sources has created much debate in the academic world. Researchers must always remember that the Web is a vast, unregulated information resource that ANYONE with the proper tools and a little money can create a site on the Web. When viewing a site for research purposes, users can and should perform a Web-site analysis by consider the some of the following points taken from Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources - UCLA College Library:

Who is the author of the page or site? Does the author appear to be qualified to write about the topic?
Is the site affiliated with any institution, company, or organization? If so, does this affiliation add bias to the information? Or, does it suggest that the source is credible?
Does the information seem unreasonably or unfairly biased in any way? (Avoid any sites that appear to be advertising a product or service.)
Who is the intended audience? Is the information for a specialized or general audience?
When was the site created or last modified? Is the design of the site effective? Is it easy to navigate the site? Do links to other sites work?

Helpful Information
Off Campus Access to Library Resources
UNCW Students and Faculty may access Databases from Home. If you are NOT on campus, you must have a library PIN number.

PIN Number:
To set a PIN (Personal Identification Number) on your library record, simply click on the "My Library Record" link on the Library homepage and follow the instructions.

Inter-Library Loan (ILL)
ILL is a free service to UNCW students, faculty, staff and administration through which research materials (articles, books, etc.) not owned by Randall Library may be borrowed from other library collections. Allow up to two weeks for delivery of materials. ILL materials are requested online from the ILL webpage [http://illiad.uncw.edu/logon.html]. Before using ILL, check the Library Catalog and the appropriate electronic databases. If the material you need is not available in any of these sources, you may request the item using one of the above listed forms.
Last Update: February 26, 2006