Emerson College Library: Visual Art: Outside Resources

Boston Public Library (BPL)

Getting a BPL card
Art History Resources (BPL)

In order to access the resources of the BPL you must have a library card. You can obtain a library card by vistiting any branch of the BPL, be sure to bring your student ID or Massachusettes driver's liscence. OR, obtain an e-card online.

"A Boston Public Library eCard is a virtual library card that allows you to instantly use all of our online resources. eCard users who wish to check out library materials or reserve museum passes must first upgrade to a standard BPL card."

Once you have obtained an library card or e-card, head over to the Electronic Resources section of the BPL website, and look for Resources by Subject - Art. In this section you will find all of the BPL electronic resources related to art.

Be sure to check out:

Art Full Text: "Featuring full-text articles, indexing and abstracts from an international array of publications, this database is a comprehensive resource covering fine, decorative and commercial art, as well as photography, folk art, film, architecture and much more."

Art Index Retrospective: "Citations and abstracts for articles on all aspects of art and architecture published in over 420 international periodicals between 1929 and August 1984."

Avery Index to Architecture Periodicals: " Index to periodicals in architecture and design. Coverage: 1930s to the present (with selected coverage dating back to 1860)."

Art Department Special Collections
Guide the BPL's special collections and archives related to fine art, music, photography, prints, and drawings.

Books Beyond Emerson

Use WorldCat to search for books outside Iwasaki Library's collection. Request external resources through InterLibrary Loan.

Local Art Museums

Institute of Contemporary Art
"At a spectacular venue on Boston's waterfront, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) continues to present provocative programs that explore ideas, issues, exhibitions, and images of our time"
Isabella Stewart Gardner Musuem
"Modeled after a 15th-century Venetian palazzo surrounding an interior courtyard garden, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum houses one of the most remarkable art collections in the world."
Museum of Fine Arts
"From ground-breaking exhibits and state-of-the-art galleries to one of the world's largest Asian art collections, the MFA has something for all visitors."
Harvard Art Museums
"The Harvard Art Museums are like a small metropolitan museum on the campus of a major university. Our internationally renowned collections number among the largest in the United States. "
MIT - List Visual Arts Center
"Just as MIT pushes at the frontiers of scientific inquiry, it is the mission of the List Visual Arts Center... to explore challenging, intellectually inquisitive, contemporary art making in all media."

The Library at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design is open to Emerson Students. You may visit, browse, and check out books from their collection, OR you can request items through the Library Catalog.

The William Morris Hunt Memorial Library at the Museum of Fine Arts is open to Emerson Students by appointment only. You must book your appointment online 2 weeks in advance using the MFA Library's appointment request form. On this form you can request up to 10 items to view in the library; these items cannot be checked out. You can view their holdings in the Library Catalog. Bring a laptop or other mobile device! They do not have computers for you to use.