Reference Services
Ricker librarians can help you find what you’re looking for! Contact us here.
Other options:
- Ask a librarian provides chat, phone, and email services.
- The total list of Subject Specialists at the University Library may be helpful, especially if your topic is interdisciplinary!
Where can I find...
Journals and articles?
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- Ricker Library subscribes to over 200 print and online serial publications related to architecture, art, design, and more. Print journals are located in the library’s reference room, and current issues are kept on racks in the reference room, and the are available for in-library use only.
- The library’s research guides, Ricker Collections: Architecture Journals and Ricker Collections: Art Journals are a great starting point for viewing the journals in our collection.
- Due to spatial limitations, we keep a portion of our print journals off-site in Main Stacks or the Library’s Oak Street High-Density Storage Facility. Browse the library catalog or pay us a visit to view our holdings!
- A comprehensive list of Ricker Library’s databases, which are a valuable resource for full-text journals and articles, can be found here.
Books and reference sources?
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- Use the University of Illinois Library Catalog (includes I-Share collections) to search for materials in the library’s collection, as well as those we can borrow from partner institutions.
- Access your Library Account to view your current loans, your requests, and favorited items.
- Access OCLC Worldcat, a shared library catalog across thousands of institutions, to view libraries’ holdings worldwide.
- Interlibrary Loan – request to borrow or retrieve scans of items from partner institutions.
- Doc Express – request scans of items from University of Illinois’ collection.
Biographical resources and catalogues raisonnés?
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- Ricker Library has a major collection of catalogues raisonnés on important artists, architects, and sculptors. We endeavor to buy both current and out-of-print editions.
- Catalogues raisonnés are held in our Vault collection, which is non-circulating and available for in-library use only. Browse our collection in the library catalog or pay us a visit in-person!
Databases and online sources?
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- View this comprehensive list of our hand-picked databases and online resource subscriptions. If your topic is interdisciplinary, using databases suggested by other subjects can also support your search.
- Browse Ricker’s Research Guides for their tailored lists of online resources specific to your subject or discipline.
Images and videos?
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- The University Library has designed a comprehensive research guide to finding images and videos. The guide, which covers subjects ranging from architecture and engineering to theatre and dance, can be accessed here.
- Several of Ricker Library’s research guides also touch on online resources for finding images. Those can be found in our library guides for Graphic Design and Art and Design: Basic Sources.