Interior Design Research

Developing a Search Strategy

• Look at our dictionaries and encyclopedias located in the reference collection for definitions of terms related to your topic and for general background information.
• Search our databases and journal collection to find recent articles on your topic.
• Search the Library Resource Catalog for resources relating to your topic.
• Search the World Wide Web.

Reference Collection

The reference collection is located on the main floor of the library. Some useful interior design resources include:

• The Codes Guidebook for Interiors
  Covers main codes, standards, and federal regulations used in interior projects.
  Call Number: KF5701.H37 2005
• Decorative Style : the Most Original and Comprehensive Sourcebook of Styles, Treatments, Techniques, and Materials
  Presents interior design styles, treatments, techniques, and materials.
  Call Number: NK2110.M394 1990
• The Dictionary of Art
  Provides reference material about the visual arts worldwide, from prehistory to the present day.
  Call Number: N31.D5 1996 34 vols.
• Dictionary of Furniture
  Describes furniture styles, construction details, terminology, furniture designers, and design movements throughout history.
  Call Number: NK2205.D5 2001
• The Elements of Style : an Encyclopedia of Domestic Architectural Details
  Gives an illustrated historical survey of interior architectural details.
  Call Number: NA2850.E445 2005
• Encyclopedia of Interior Design
  Covers architects, critics, makers, patrons, and surveys historical interiors.
  Call Number: NK1165.E48 1997 2 vols.
• Encyclopaedia of 20th Century Design and Designers
  Describes design terms and gives brief biographical information on well-known designers.
  Call Number: NK1390.J85 1993
• IESNA Lighting Handbook
  Covers all aspects of lighting practice from illuminating engineering to lighting design.
  Call Number: TK4161.I37 2000
• International Dictionary of Architects and Architecture
  Covers 523 architects and 467 buildings and sites in Western architectural history. The Architects volume looks at architects, theorists, engineers, interior decorators, landscape designers, and urban planners. The Architecture volume looks at periods and styles.
  Call Number: NA40.I48 1993 2 vols.
• Time-Saver Standards for Building Types
  Call Number: NA2160.D42 1990
• Time-Saver Standards for Interior Design and Space Planning
  Call Number: NK2110.D35 1991

Note: Resources also include access to various state and national building code standards.

Journals--print and online

The Newbury College Library provides access to scholarly and popular articles in both print and online format. Magazines, journals, and newspapers are known as periodicals. Search the Library Resource Catalog by Journal Title to determine if the Library subscribes to a particular title.

Full-text articles are accessible by using the Library's databases. Home access requires using a valid Newbury College library card.

The databases provide access to full-text articles, abstracts (short summaries of the articles), and extended citations (the title, source, date, issue, and page numbers of the article). To retrieve articles that are only available as abstracts or extended citations, you should first check our Periodical Holdings List to locate the articles in hard copy or request them from Interlibrary Loan--see the Reference Librarian for help. The following databases are useful for researching interior design-related topics:

• ARTstor
  Contains about 500,000 images of the visual arts throughout the world (requires registration in the Library for remote access).
• Credo Reference
  Contains dictionaries and encyclopedias on various subjects, including The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of 20th Century Architecture and Time Saver Standards for Architectural Design: Technical Data for Professional Practice, 2005.
• LexisNexis Academic
  In addition to numerous publications, it provides full text for Architectural Record, Architecture (Washington, D.C.), Building Design, Design News, Canadian Interiors, Hospitality Design, Interior Design and other interior design and architecture-related journals.

NOTE: PowerSearch
Allows you to search Academic OneFile, General OneFile, Educator's Reference Complete, Expanded Academic ASAP, Health Reference Center Academic, General BusinessFile ASAP, General Reference Center Gold, and Gale Virtual Reference Library simultaneously.

Library Resource Catalog

• If you are searching for resources within the Library, the catalog displays Newbury's items first. You can also choose to search all Minuteman libraries at once or specify another location.
• You may search for resources by Location, Keyword, Author, Title, Journal Title, Format or Subject Heading.
• The item record displays where a resource is located along with its call number and availability.
• The call number identifies where a book or other library resource is located in the library. The Newbury College Library uses the Library of Congress (LC) Classification System. The LC system is comprised of 21 subject categories with numerous subdivisions under each category. Browse the following call numbers for relevant information:

Read a call number line by line:

Web Sites