Art & Architecture Collection > Interior Design: A Research Guide

Using the Catalogs

General instructions for locating materials are given in Research Guide, "How do I Find a Book?" The following information is specific to the topic at hand.

Both the retrospective Dictionary Catalog and CATNYP, the online catalog, use the term interior decoration rather than "interior design." Interior decoration is then subdivided by geography, period, general themes, and format. For example, in CATNYP:

• Interior decoration--England--History--18th century
• Interior decoration--France--Nancy
• Interior decoration--Human factors
• Interior decoration--United States--Periodicals
  

The Dictionary Catalog is generally not as narrow in its subjects, and uses the adjectival form of the country:

• Interior decoration, French or
• Interior decoration--French
  

Although it uses:

• Interior decoration, U.S. (not "American")

Some related and unique subject headings found in CATNYP include:

• Church decoration and ornament
• House furnishings
• Interior decoration in art
• Lighting, Architectural and decorative
• Upholstery
• Women interior decorators
  

In addition to those above, subject headings for CATNYP, including cross references, can be found by consulting the Library of Congress Subject Headings available on the open shelves in Room 313, or, of course, the staff at the reference desk. Works can also be searched by stylistic periods, e.g., Art Deco, or by the name of a specific designer or architect by performing subject and author searches.

All works listed in this bibliography that have call numbers beginning with *R or are appended by (Open) or (Front) are found in Room 313, either on the open reference shelves (thus, "open"), or behind the front reference desk ("front"). All others are paged by the staff.