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History of Photography, International Art Institute
Instructor Ron Anderson
August 23, 2013
Presented by Amelia Nelson, Public Services Librarian
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Spencer Art Reference Library
Robert and Shana
ParkeHarrison, American,
Robert, b. 1968; Shana, b.
1964
Flying Lesson, 2000

2. How to Research an Art Object in the Nelson-Atkins Collection
1
• Visit the artwork in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Look at the label copy, and note
the title, artist, artist period and accession number.
2
• Search the collections online from the museum's website, http://www.nelson-
atkins.org/collections located under the Heading Art | Collections. This valuable
resource may include label copy, size, medium, museum location and other
information
3
• Search the library's collection of books, auction catalogs and more in the online
catalog http://libraryonesearch.nelson-atkins.org
4
• After you've searched the collection database, museum publications and the online
catalog, the next step is to search the library's databases at
http://libraryonesearch.nelson-atkins.org The databases include a comprehensive art
encyclopedia, article citations, full-text articles, auction sales results and are
available from the library's public computers.
5
• Library staff is happy to help you further research. Please contact the reference
staff at the Spencer Art Reference Library at 816.751.1216 or via the Museum's website at:
http://www.nelson-atkins.org/education/Library.cfm

3. Search the Collection
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Public collection search
Staff collection search

4. Research Strategy
General
Resources
Spencer
Catalog
Databases
What else
is out
there?
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5. Resources - Context
 Context
 Surveys
 Oxford Art Online
 Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline
of Art History
 Guides to techniques and
materials
 Artists websites
 Artist statements
 Exhibitions
 Bibliography
 Contact info.
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6. Searching - LibraryOneSearch - Books & More
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7. Journal Articles
 Subscriptions to over 600 print
magazines and journals
 Access to thousands more through
subscription databases
 Jstor
 ART bibliographies Modern (1960
– present)
 Art Abstracts (1984 – present)
 Art Index (1929 – 1984)
 Articlefirst (1960 – present)
 BHA (Bibliography of the History of
Art)
 International Bibliography of Art
 Art Price Databases (Auction
Sales)
7
Criticism
Exhibition Reviews
Interviews
Current projects and
work
New scholarship
Focused research

8. Expanding your Searching – LibraryOneSearch
Spencer Collection Articles
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9. Searching - Journal Articles
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9

10. Expanding your Search
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•Museum and Gallery
Collections
•Image Collections
•Inventories
•Archives
•Correspondences
•Diaries
•Memoirs
•Accounts
•Gallery information
•Artist Files
www.worldcat.org

11. Specialized Resources
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12. Evaluating Sources on the Web
 Accuracy
 Currency
 Authority
 Objectivity
 Audience
 User
interface
8/23/2013

13. Evaluation of different resources
13
The Iraq War: Wikipedia Historiography,
2004-2009
Documents the 12,000 changes made to the Wikipedia article on
the Iraq War
Booktwo.org, On Wikipedia,
Cultural Patrimony, and
Historiography
James Bridle
September 6, 2010
http://booktwo.org/notebook/
wikipedia-historiography/

14. Evaluating Primary Sources on the Web
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15. Citation Timesavers
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Need more?
Spencer Art Reference Library
Contact:
Reference Desk, 816.751.1216
Marilyn Carbonell, Head, Library Services
Amelia Nelson, Librarian, Public Services
Tracey Boswell, Catalog/Reference Librarian
Roberta Wagener, Assistant, Public Services
Follow us on Facebook at Spencer Art Reference Library

17. Spencer Art Reference Library Reading Room
FREE and OPEN to all interested in the visual arts
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