Orientation to Design Research: The Basics
This orientation is intended to give new Design students an introduction to library resources. It covers the procedures for finding and getting books and articles, and finding and using image resources.
If you have any questions or problems, or need more help with your research, please don’t hesitate to contact Karen DeWitt, the Design Library staff, or the Ask Us service.
Spaces
The Design Library is in room 209 on the second floor of Brooks Hall, in the College of Design. Take a look at the virtual tour to learn about the library. There are also a lot of great spaces in Hill and Hunt Libraries, the two main libraries on campus.
Virtual tour of the Design Library
Explore Spaces in Hill and Hunt Libraries
Finding books
Use Discover to search for books, articles, and everything else. Once you find a book you want, you can request it and have it sent to the Design Library to pick it up, or you can find it yourself on the library shelves. We use the Library of Congress call number system. Take a look at the discovering books tutorial to see how to use the libraries' catalog.
Discovering Books
Getting Books
Borrowing periods and fines and fee information
Finding journal articles
You can use Discover to search for articles, but you can also use specific design databases.
Finding subject specific databases (video)
Design specific databases
Searching a database on a specific subject gives you a head start on searching because it is already limited to articles in your topic. You can find articles online, or request them from Interlibrary Services through the "Find Text at NCSU" link, or through the "Access Options" dropdown menu. We have other design databases as well, and you’re welcome to look in the advanced orientation to find out about those.
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
The Avery Index is the main database for architecture and landscape architecture. It indexes over 2000 architectural and landscape architectural journals, back to the 1860s in some cases.
Access the Avery Index database
Art Index and Art Index Retrospective
The Art Index and Art Index Retrospective cover art, architecture, and design, and can be searched together by selecting the name of the database at the top of the page, and then selecting additional databases on the pop-up.
Access Art Index article database
Access Art Index Retrospective database
Design and Applied Arts Index
The Design and Applied Arts Index covers graphic design and industrial design.
Access database
Image databases
These databases hold images and information about all areas of art, architecture, and design. Use them to find out about designers or get ideas for your next project. You can rely on the images in these databases to be correct, and not to be AI generated.
ARTstor
ARTstor has over 2.5 million images of art, architecture, landscape architecture, graphic design and industrial design. The images come from museums, universities, and other authoritative sources, and include all the information about the item or image. You can save images to your own account or download images to use in presentations. Use this guide to get started:
Artstor on JSTOR: Working with images
Access ARTstor database
Design Library Image Database
The Design Library Image Database contains images of architecture, landscape architecture, graphic and industrial design, and art. It is also available through JSTOR, so the ARTstor guide also applies to this database
Access the Design Library Image Database
Citation management
Citation management software allows you to save and organize the information you find. It will also format your bibliography for you, and help you with footnotes or endnotes. The Libraries' Citation Management page lists various options and recommendations. Zotero and Mendeley are both free options:
Zotero - how to use Zotero
Mendeley - how to use Mendeley
Borrowing technology
An assortment of technology is available to borrow from all the libraries on campus. Each item has its own borrowing period and overdue fees.
Tech lending at the Design Library
Tech lending from other libraries at NC State
Tech lending fines and fees
Design Library Guide
This Design Library Guide is a quick guide to resources Design students may need.