Getting Started in the LibraryThis library guide points you in the direction of some basic library resources for completing library assignments and writing research papers in this course. Many of these resources are available from the library's homepage at http://www.lib.ipfw.edu/, so you may want to bookmark both the homepage and this guide.
Here are some resources to get you started:
Gaining an OverviewTo develop and refine your search, it often helps to consult a specialized dictionary, encyclopedia, handbook, textbook, guide, or bibliography. These tools are designed to offer an overview of your topic or research problem written by an expert. They may provide an historical perspective, a chronology of events, definitions of terms or concepts, or bibliographic references leading to the literature in a particular field of study. Many useful reference works are now available online. These handy e-reference collections are accessible via Find Resources By... Subject, Title, or Type on the library's homepage.
Selected Reference Works for this CourseSee the Helmke Library Subject Pathfinder for Interior Design for a selection of recommended research tools.
Also see the Codes, Standards, and Specifications to learn more about these resources. The best way to get oriented is a guide to the literature or a handbook like these: Codes guidebook for interiors, 4th ed. (Reference KF5701 .H37 2008)
Interior graphic standards (Science Reference TH2031 .M34 2003)
Interior graphic standards CD-ROM [electronic resource], 2004. (CD-ROMs TH2031 .M342 2003)
Begin your research on a particular historical style by finding a long article written by an expert in a specialized, scholarly encyclopedia or handbook. These articles are typically signed by the author at the end, and provide a useful bibliography of resources to get you going in the right direction. Two excellent places to start include: The Dictionary of Art, 34 vols. (Reference N31 .D5 1996) Despite its misleading title, this is Helmke Library's most comprehensive multivolume art encyclopedia, providing detailed overviews and helpful suggested readings. The Allen County Public Library provides access to the electronic version, Grove Art Online, in its Art, Music, & Media department (remote access is not supported outside of the library).
Encyclopedia of World Art, 17 vols. (Reference N31 .E4833) This classic work complements the newer Grove's art encyclopedia, and includes many illustrations and color plates.
Also explore online reference works in Helmke Library's E-Reference Collections. For example:
Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts -    |
Brief Description: The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts covers thousands of years of decorative arts production throughout western and non-western cultures. |
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Searching IUCAT for Books and PeriodicalsSearch IUCAT Catalog (Indiana University's online library catalog), to find books and periodicals (scholarly journals, popular magazines, newspapers, and other serials), or library materials such as music CDs, electronic resources, and videos. Materials at the Fort Wayne Helmke Library are designated by the library location FORTWAYNE.
IUCAT searches from on-campus computers will show only materials held by the IPFW Fort Wayne Helmke Library. To search all IU libraries, choose ALL from the Select Library pull-down menu on the search screen.
Sometimes IUCAT will lead you to articles in periodicals, but the most efficient way to locate articles is to use a periodical database or index to search many periodicals simultaneously.
Learning about IUCATSave time in the long run by investing a half-hour with our interactive Searching IUCAT Tutorial. It is an easy way to grasp fundamental search techniques and try your hand at practice searches designed to reinforce your knowledge. Also check our other IUCAT Guides for help in using IUCAT to your best advantage.
Finding Books for this CourseUse Advanced Keyword Search under "More IUCAT Searches" to limit your search terms to the Subject field. Keywords Anywhere searches yield more results, but Subject searches can often be more precise. Always note the wording of the Library of Congress subject headings to improve your search results.
Our Helmke Library Information Foraging Worksheet will help you master some of the following search-strategy tips.
Search for a single concept: furniture
Narrow your search by connecting two or more concepts with the operator AND: decoration and ornament
Broaden your search by connecting concepts with the operator OR: furniture or furnishings or decorative arts or interior decoration or interior design or interior architecture
Use parentheses to construct a logical Boolean search strategy that combines AND with OR statements: (decoration or design) and (furniture or furnishings)
Use a truncation symbol to retrieve all variants of a term: (decoration or design) and histor$ (use the dollar sign $ in IUCAT Catalog or ACPL's library catalog)
(decoration or design) and histor* (use the asterisk * in Academic Search Premier)
Keep track of subject vocabulary to help focus and refine your search: Chairs
Mirrors
Tables
Cabinetwork
Upholstery
Tapestry
Flooring
Ceilings
Paneling
Paint
Drywall
Staircases
Floor coverings
Draperies in interior decoration
Lighting, Architectural and decorative
Textile fabrics in interior decoration
Tiles in interior decoration
Decoration and ornament
Valances (Windows)
Windows in interior decoration
House furnishings
Room layout (Dwellings)
Building details
Architecture drawing
Architectural rendering
Another effective search technique is to browse the shelves for books in IPFW Helmke Library or the Allen County Public Library. The following Library of Congress call numbers point to the locations where materials on interior design and architectural styles are concentrated in Helmke Library: KF United States law
N Visual arts. Fine arts
NA Architecture
NC Illustration. Drawing. Design
NK Decorative arts. Applied arts
TH Building construction
TS Manufactures
TT Arts & crafts. Handicrafts
The Allen County Public Library (and most public libraries) use the Dewey Decimal system. These call numbers put you within easy reach of a wealth of interior design resources: 720-729 Architecture
745-749 Decorative Arts, Applied Arts; also Illustration, Design, Drawing
Searching for Periodical ArticlesThe most efficient way of finding a high-quality periodical article , is to search a periodical database or index that provides descriptive abstracts, subject indexing, and often, the full-text content of articles. Check out the interactive Finding Articles Tutorial to learn the basics of choosing and searching the Academic Search Premier database. Below is a selection of databases useful for your course. For a complete list, see the library's Find Resources By... page. Select a resource by Subject, Title, or Type (choose Abstracts, Databases, & Indexes).
Databases for this Course
Academic Search Premier -    |
Coverage: Indexing coverage varies, with full-text content for some titles beginning 1975 or earlier, and most titles indexed from the 1990s. |
Brief Description: Provides abstracts and indexing of articles in more than 8,000 popular magazines, scholarly journals, and major newspapers in all fields of study, with nearly 4,000 titles available full text. |
Tools Available: A complete list of titles covered is available. |
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Art Index (Reference N1 .A594) -  |
Coverage: 1929/1932 to present |
Brief Description: Quarterly indexing for magazine and journal articles, museum publications, art reproductions, and book reviews in the fields of art and architecture. |
Other IPFW Formats: IPFW owns the printed index from 1929/1932 to present. |
Call Number: Reference N1 .A594 |
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Note: Allen County Public Library provides the electronic version of Wilson's Art Index in its Art, Music, & Media department (although remote access for Allen County residents is not supported at this time).
Google Scholar - |
Brief Description: Google Scholar is a specialized Google search engine that limits your search to scholarly material combed from Web sites, databases, and publication lists of the world's major academic publishers, scholarly and professional societies, and university repositories. |
Tools Available: Google Scholar Help is available. |
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Note: Because many scholarly materials are not freely available on the Web, IPFW now offers a handy tool called  that works to deliver these valuable goods directly to your desktop.
Follow these steps to configure Scholar Preferences within Google Scholar, where appears as a hyperlink labeled FIND IT@IPFW.
Is Your Article Scholarly or Popular?University instructors often ask students to use articles from scholarly journals rather than from popular magazines for their research assignments. The following Is Your Journal Scholarly? (PDF) summarizes major differences between scholarly journals and popular magazines. Which type of source have you located?
What about Full Text?Full text means that the text of the article is available in PDF or HTML digital format. Graphics and tables are not automatically included unless the database producer has rights to publish them. Many of the library's licensed databases offer the full-text content of periodical articles. IPFW students, faculty, and staff now have access to more than 20,000 full-text journals. Find them in E-Journal Finder.
When an article you need is not available full text in the database you are using, choose  to see all of your delivery options. You may be able to access the full-text content in another database, request the article from another library through Document Delivery Services, or make a photocopy of the article if the printed periodical is owned by Helmke Library.
When a Resource is Not Available in the LibraryRequest Delivery is an IUCAT feature that allows IPFW faculty, students, and staff to request materials held by other Indiana University Libraries and to have them delivered to Helmke Library (see the IUCAT Request Delivery Fact Sheet).
You may also request any item that is not available at Helmke Library through Document Delivery Services (DDS). DDS borrows books and provides photocopies of periodical articles from other library collections. The service is free for IPFW faculty, staff, and students.
Searching the InternetFor some information needs, the Internet may supplement library resources. To begin an Internet search, try one of the many search engines on our Internet Search site. One that works well is Google, which ranks results by number of links leading to a site. The section on Subject-Oriented Tools includes directories that have evaluated and selected sites for specific subject areas, such as the Librarians' Index to the Internet.
Because the World Wide Web is a massive, tangled directory of knowledge producers, research, facts, and entertaining tidbits of information, you must be critical about the material you find there. Quality and validity are not assured when anyone can publish anything, anytime, without the benefit of scholarly peer review. There are many useful guides and tutorials to help you understand how to navigate and evaluate Web sites, including Is Your Web Site Credible?
Style Guides and Useful Tools for WritingA variety of style guides are on reserve at the Service Desk on the first floor. These tools help you organize and write your paper, and format in-text references and bibliography lists. For more information, also see our Style, Publishing, & Writing Guides.
Style Guides for this CourseMLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed. (Service Desk LB2369 .G53 2003) This important handbook is used in English composition courses and other humanities disciplines, including interior design. Written for undergraduate students and university instructors, it contains chapters on preparing, writing, and formatting research papers. Use the table of contents, especially Chapter 5, "Documentation: Preparing the List of Works Cited," and Chapter 6, "Documentation: Citing Sources in the Text."
Academic Search Premier and many periodical databases now provide convenient citation tools to help format your bibliographic references in proper MLA style. Choose the "Cite This Article" icon, and copy the MLA Cited Work example.
And Finally, Ask a LibrarianLibrarians and skilled information assistants are always available to assist you. Visit the Service Desk to meet an information assistant who will help you get started. You are welcome to make an appointment with Your Subject Librarian if you need more in-depth assistance.
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mugambif@ipfw.edu
2101 E. Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
260-481-6511
Fax: 260-481-6509
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Florence Mugambi M.L.I.S.
Reference & Information Services Librarian (Visiting); Cataloger; Liaison to Computer Science, CIET, Engineering, MCET & Interior Design; Collection Developer for Career Resources; International Students Coordinator
Helmke Library, LB 425 |
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