Reference Materials

Architecture Collection Description
Auraria Library does not place architecture materials together in a single area of the library.  Because of this it is important to become familiar with the various locations.  Generally all of the books on architecture will be found on the second floor in the NA section. Interior architecture materials are classed in the NK 1700 - 3505 section.  

Architecture periodicals are found in the Periodicals Department on the first floor in alphabetical order by the title of the journal for current issues. Back files in paper will be found in the bound section under the NA, NK, and SB call numbers.  The majority of backfiles of periodicals are on microform.  Ask at the service desk of the Periodicals Department for assistance in locating microforms. 

Architecture video programs and films are found in the Media Department on the first floor. Consult the Skyline online catalog to identify non-print programs.

Searching Architecture Subjects
It is important to use appropriate subject headings when searching architecture subjects in the Auraria Library Skyline online catalog, or when using other paper and online sources.  There are several methods of determining proper subject headings, including consulting Library of Congress Subject Headings or the Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World (Ref. NA208 E53 1997), and talking with architecture faculty members or other experts in the field. 

Assistance with Architecture Research
The Reference Desk located on the first floor of Auraria Library will provide assistance with architecture research, including determining appropriate subject headings, any time the library is open.  In addition, the Auraria Library Arts and Architecture Bibliographer, Linda Tietjen, may be contacted by telephone (303-556-4298) or email for assistance with research.

Browsing the Architecture Stacks
The majority of books related to architecture and building trades may be found on the second floor of the Auraria Library under the "NA," classification.  Classification by specific subject area:

NA  1-9428          Architecture

NA 190-1614       Architecture history and historical monuments

NA 2695-2793     Architectural design and drawing

NA 2835-4050      Architectural details, motives, decoration, etc.

NA 4100-8480      Special classes of buildings

NA 9000-9428      Aesthetics of cities.  City planning and beautification

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

The following architecture dictionaries and encyclopedias are located in the Auraria Library  reference collection.  They represent a few important sources of the many reference works which may be of help in your research.  Please browse the Reference Stacks on the first floor in call number area Ref. NA31 to discover additional sources.

Ambrose, Gavin. The Visual Dictionary of Architecture. Lausanne; Worthing: AVA Academia, 2007. Ref. NA31 .A62 2007.

Ching. Francis D. K.  A Visual Dictionary of Architecture. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1995.  Ref. NA31 C44 1995.  This compendium uses a combination of textual definitions of hundreds of line drawings to illustrate essential terms in architecture.

Fleming, John.  The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture. 4th ed.  New York: Penguin, 1991.  Ref. NA 31 F55.  One of the  most popular dictionaries of architectural terms, this source covers most aspects of architecture with longer sections  on Australian, Canadian, South African, and American architecture. 

Gwilt, Joseph.  The Encyclopedia of Architecture, Historical, Theoretical, and Practical. New York: Crown, 1982.  (Reprint of 1867  edition.)   Ref. NA 2520 G94 1897e.  Joseph Gwilt's Encyclopedia was first published in London in 1842, and provides  a summation of the entire field of endeavor that designed the built world.  The work is heavily illustrated and well documents.   Many of its articles are classics.

The Thames and Hudson Encyclopaedia of 20th century Architecture.  New York: Abrams, Inc., 1986.  Ref. NA 680 E49 1986.  This single volume contains 490 illustrations and photographs plus brief written entries focusing on biographies, surveys of architectural developments, individual surveys of architectural developments in individual countries, and an overview of movement, groups, and stylistic trends in the 20th century.

Turner, Jane, ed.  [Grove] Dictionary of Art.  New York: Grove, 1996.  (34 volumes)  Ref. N 31 D5.  The Grove Dictionary of Art provides 41,000 articles written by 6,802 authors from 120 countries.   With 15,000 images, this is the largest image collection in print.  Although this is an encyclopedia of art in general, it provides in-depth coverage of architecture.   It is also available online.

Architectural Bibliographies

Bibliographies provide a list of resources (books, articles, online sources, etc.) published on specific architectural subjects.  They may be entire books or they may appear at the end of articles, books, or book chapters.   Specific bibliographies may be found using the Skyline online catalog by adding the word "bibliography" to terms used in a Word search, for example:

Landscape architecture bibliography

Frank Lloyd Wright bibliography

Architectural accessibility bibliography

Biography

Colvin, Howard Montague.  A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects,1600-1840.  New Haven: Paul Mellon Center for Studies in British Art by Yale University, 1995.  3rd. ed.  Ref. NA 996 C6 1995.  This authoritative and now classic work of reference on the history of British architecture contains biographical information on many architects who practiced in England, Scotland, and Wales from the time of Inigo Jones (1573-1650) to that of William Burn (1789-1870).

Contemporary Designers.   Chicago: St. James Press, 1990.   Colin Naylor, ed.  Ref. NA 53 C66 1990.  This book lists more than 700 international designers from virtually every area of the profession including graphic, industrial/product, textile, interior, and set and costume design.

International Dictionary of Architects and Architecture.  2 volumes. Detroit: St. James Press, 1993.  Ref. NA 40 I48 1993.  This is the most comprehensive biographical dictionary, featuring over 500 architects and nearly 450 buildings.

ProFile : the Sourcebook of U.S. Architectural Design Firms.  New York: McGraw-Hill. 1996-.  Ref. NA 53 P76 1983-  Nearly 8000 U. S. architectural firms are profiled with organizational structure and project capabilities.  It includes staff personnel, geography of practice, and awards. 

Withey, Henry E.  Biographical Dictionary of American Architects (Deceased).  Los Angeles: Hennessey & Ingalls, 1970.  Ref. NA 40 W57.  While somewhat older now, this biographical source provides career information on more than 2,000 American architects.  Coverage ranges from about 1740 to 1952.

Search the Biography page at Auraria Library for online biographical sources.

Books

Auraria Library Online Catalog Use the Library online catalog (Skyline) to find books in the library and to find out if the Library subscribes or has access to specific journals.

Prospector: the Colorado Unified Catalog   Use Prospector to determine which major Colorado library may own a particular book.

WorldCat This database contains the book records of nearly every library in the United States, and many foreign libraries. Use to request items not found through Skyline or Prospector. 

NetLibrary A database of online, full text books.  Some psychology books are included. Other eBooks. 

Tip: Link to the Guide Find Books and Other Material to learn how to find and request  materials that are not available at Auraria Library. 

You may use ILL (IInterlibrary loan) to order journal and magazine articles that Auraria Library doesn't own and you cannot locate in Skyline or Prospector. You may use WorldCat to request books, dissertations, videorecordings and other materials that Auraria doesn't own.

Online Indexes

The most current information, as well as historical information, can frequently be found in magazine and journal articles, which tend to deal with more specific topics than books cover.

The Find Articles Guide provides information about locating journals and magazines.

If Auraria Library does not have the library materials you need, ask at the reference desk. Staff at the Reference Desk can often help you locate suitable information on your topic. The librarian a can often help you locate other information on your topic if the Library does not own the material you need.

Recommended Starting Points
Databases Go to this page for general databases that cover multiple subjects, contain full text and scholarly, peer-reviewed articles that appear in leading journals in various fields.

Several of the online indexes subscribed to by the Auraria Library are appropriate for architecture.  The online indexes are available on the computers in the library, at all campus computer labs, and at home for all faculty and  currently registered students using the Off Campus Online Access procedures.  The online indexes listed below cover varying numbers of architecture journals.  For additional assistance in using the online indexes ask at the Auraria Library Reference Desk.

Architecture.com  This is the online version of the Architecture Periodicals Index (API) which is also available in paper at the library.  It is published by the British Architectural Library at the Royal Institute of British Architects {RIBA) and includes articles, interviews, obituaries, and biographies in more than 400 current periodicals from over 45 countries, as well as some 2,000 cataloged items including monographs, conference proceedings, exhibition catalogs, pamphlets, and some technical literature. There are currently over 215,000 records of material catalogued and indexed since the early 1980s on the database. 1983 - 

Architectural Index    -- 1982-present.  The Architectural Index provides indexing to 18 of the more prominent journals in the areas of architecture, interior design, and construction.  Searches may be limited to specific journals and/or to specific states or architects.  A list of the journals included is provided on the search screen.

ArticleFirst -- 1990-present.  This database is a table-of-contents indexing service for articles in more than 13,000 journals.  It may be searched by architecture subjects to identify journal articles.

Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals Online (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts)
Comprehensive index to journal articles on architecture and design, including bibliographic descriptions and indexes on subjects such as the history and practice of architecture, landscape architecture, city planning, historic preservation, and interior design and decoration. The index contains more than four hundred thousand entries surveying more than 1000 scholarly and professional American and international journals. Seventy-five percent of the journals indexed here are not indexed in any other source. Coverage: 1934 - current, with selective coverage back to 1741. This index is valuable for finding information on building plans and elevations.  

Engineering Village 2 --  Provides access to over 5 million abstracts from Compendex, plus access to evaluated websites, patents, and industry standards. Compendex is comprehensive bibliographic database of engineering research literature, containing references to over 5000 engineering journals and conference proceedings.

Other Databases
The following databases are also of use to architectural studies.  These databases are not all periodical indexes, but will include articles and other materials on architecture and related fields.

Art Full Text and Art Retrospective (WilsonWeb)
Full text plus abstracts/indexing of an international array of peer-selected publications, including international periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins-now with expanded coverage of Latin American, Canadian, Asian and other non-Western art, new artists, contemporary art, exhibition reviews, and feminist criticism. Areas covered include advertising art, archaeology, architecture, art history, film, humanities, industrial design, landscape architecture, marketing, motion pictures, photography, pottery, sculpture and more. Coverage:  Art Full Text: abstracts and indexing from 1984; selected full text articles 1997-  Art Retrospective: 1929-1984 {indexing and abstracts}.

Arts & Humanities Search -- Citations from many of the world's leading arts and humanities journals.  1980 - present,  updates weekly.  

Civil Engineering Database (CEDB) -- CEDB is designed to provide easy bibliographic access to all ASCE publications. The database covers ASCE documents published since 1973. It provides access to all the journals, conference proceedings, books, standards, manuals, magazines, and newsletters.   Search Tips

Dissertations from the University of Colorado at Denver -- Search citations and abstracts for CU-Denver dissertations from 1988; download the full text of UCD dissertations and theses published after 1996. After selecting the dissertation, you will prompted to enter your email address. A password will be emailed to enter the site to download and print the dissertation. Coverage:  Index 1988-, Full Text 1996- 

EbscoOnline -- Provides tables of contents and abstracts on hundreds of journals published in the U. S.  Includes many of the journals subscribed to by the Auraria Library.

EnergyFiles Portal Search -- Over 500 databases and Web sites containing information and resources pertaining to energy science and technology, with an emphasis on the physical sciences. Sponsored, developed, and maintained by the Department of Energy's Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI). 

Grove Art Online -- The Grove Art Online is the most comprehensive online resource for all aspects of the visual arts worldwide from prehistory to the present day. 

Statistical Universe -- 1973-present.  Based on the American Statistic Index this site provides abstracts and indexes for all government publications back to 1973.  Many of the statistical tables are provided full text. 

Thomas Register -- Searchable database (Thomas Global Register) listing more than 45,000 American export companies in more than 5,500 product categories.

WorldCat -- 1000 A. D.-present  This database represents the OCLC Online Union Catalog, containing more than 35 million records describing items owned by libraries around the world.  Each record contains library holdings.  This is an essential database for art, architecture, and building trades studies for finding hard to find books and other materials.

Print Indexes
The four paper indexes listed below are important sources for finding articles, book reviews, and other information concerning architecture.  For additional assistance please consult a librarian at the Auraria Library Reference Desk located on the first floor of the Library.

Architectural Index. Boulder, CO: Architectural Index, 1950- Index NA 2500 A66 Published annually, this index offers access to only the most common journals such as Architectural Record, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture.   Articles about specific buildings are indexed under the General building type and cross-indexed under architect or designer.

Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals.  (2nd Ed., rev. and enl.)  INDEX NA1.A1 A94 The Avery Index began as a photomechanical reproduction of the card index to periodical literature in the Avery Library at Columbia University.  The most important architectural periodicals are indexed here, and in addition, a number of books are included each year.  Many journals have been indexed back to the beginning of their publication, e.g., 1870s or earlier.  This index is valuable for finding information on building plans and elevations.

Internet Resources

American Institute of Architects -- This is the official web site of the American Institute of Architects.  It provides information concerning continuing education in all areas of architecture, lists of AIA members, and information about AIA sponsored events.

American Institute of Architecture Students --   This site provides architecture students with general information concerning competitions, educational opportunities, and other details provided by the AIA.

American Society of Architectural Illustrators --  The American Society of Architectural Illustrators (ASAI), formerly known as the American Society of Architectural Perspectivists (ASAP), a non-profit international professional organization of architectural illustrators, whose goals are to foster communication among architectural illustrators, to raise the standards of architectural illustration and to acquaint the public with the importance of such drawing as integral to the practice of architecture.

Architecture Careers --  Acropolis.net provides information for students wishing to explore careers in architecture.  The site contains information on state exams and academic programs.

Architecture Virtual Library --  This site is a part of the World Wide Web Virtual Library developed by the University of Toronto.  The primary point of focus for this library is the collection of references to the electronic resources on the internet. It is an attempt to be fairly definitive within that realm only - not a library covering all material about these subjects - only that which exists virtually.

Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture - - ACADIA is dedicated to the promotion of communication and critical thinking regarding the use of computers in architecture, planning and building science. The organization's activities include an annual national conference, publications, competitions, and exchange with international sister organizations.

Cities and Buildings Database --  Begun in 1995, the Database was conceived as a multi-disciplinary resource for students, faculty, and others in the academic community. It has grown steadily since then, with contributions from a wide range of scholars, and now contains over 5000 images ranging from New York to Central Asia, from African villages, to the Parc de la Villette, and conceptual sketches and models of Frank Gehry's Experience Music Project.

Colombian Exhibition of 1893 in Chicago --  This site is provided by Boston College and provides images and brief descriptions of many of the structures of the 1893 Colombian Exhibition in Chicago.   These buildings had a great influence on the architecture of the following decades.

Digital Archive of American Architecture --  This archive, currently consisting of nearly 1,400 digitized images of American architecture (280 buildings) plus explanatory material, was originally constructed as a supplement to a course entitled From Saltbox to Skyscraper: Architecture in America at Boston University. This class surveys the development of architecture in America from the 17th century to the present.

The Great Buildings Collection   -- This gateway to architecture around the world and across history documents a thousand buildings and hundreds of leading architects, with 3D models, photographic images and architectural drawings, commentaries, bibliographies, web links, and more, for famous designers and structures of all kinds.

Historic American Buildings Survey --  The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) are among the largest and most heavily used collections in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. The collections document achievements in architecture, engineering, and design in the United States and its territories through a comprehensive range of building types and engineering technologies including examples diverse examples.

Prince of Wales Architecture Foundation Links --  The Prince's Foundation works with regeneration partnerships, local authorities, communities and business to bring best practice to large-scale regeneration projects.

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada  --  RAIC is the voice for architecture and its practice in Canada. It provides the national framework for the development and recognition of architectural excellence.

Skyscrapers.com --  World leader in architectural information. Through an international network of 63 editors we manage and maintain this site, which is absolutely free to use. Here you will find tens of thousands of buildings, facts and figures.

Society of American Registered Architects  ( SARA) -- The Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) was founded 42 years ago, in 1956, as a professional society that includes the participation of all architects, regardless of their roles in the architectural community. SARA follows the Golden Rule and supports the concept of profitable professionalism for its members.

Society of Architectural Historians -- The Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) and its members invite the support and active participation of all who share our interest in architecture -- past, present, and future. Founded in 1940, the Society encourages scholarly research in the field and promotes the preservation of significant architectural monuments that are an integral part of our worldwide historical and cultural heritage.

[UCD] College of Architecture and Planning -- The College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado prepares students for careers in architecture, planning, landscape architecture, urban design, and related fields.

The Virtual Architectural History . The virtual architectural history is made by links to already existing information on the WWW: articles, lectures, bibliography and pictures. The material is chronologically arranged and it is grouped by time periods. The basic time period is by ten years. Each time period has got an introduction and links to relevant articles, lectures and bibliography. 

World's Tallest Buildings -- Internet guide to world's tallest buildings; includes a link to world's tallest towers as well as skyscraper history.

The Wright Web Guide -- An Internet guide to Frank Lloyd Wright.