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Studio Art Library Resources: Art Library Vocab 101

A short description of the collections, tools, and research help available to Studio Art enthusiasts.

The Sizes of Art Books

You may have come across these terms in the catalog, or maybe you tried to get a book at Marquand only to be told it was "Oversize" because it had a little "q" or "f" or "e" at the end of its call number.  What do those letters mean? [NOTE: Firestone also has oversized collections interspersed with regular-sized collections (quarto) + a separate XL collection, 40 cm. and up, on the C Floor.]

Art Library Vocabulary for Beginners

Art libraries have different kinds of material than other libraries, and they have different kinds of terms to describe those materials as well.  Here are some terms to help you get started--if you click on the links, you will be taken to the Grove Art Online encyclopedias or to Wikipedia for more information.

Examples of Art Vocab