How do I find art books in the Library?
Art books are shelved on the 2nd floor of the library and will have a shelf number, visible on the spine of the book from 700 - 779. Shelf numbers are assigned according to subject area using a Library classification system called Dewey Decimal. You can use Library Search to locate print and electronic books. Note the class mark, including the letters to find books on the shelves.
eg. Practice makes perfect by Rosa-Johan Uddoh (2022) has a classmark of 709.2 UDD
The 'oversize section' is for books that are too large to fit on the shelves in the main sequence. They will have ‘Q’ (Quartos), ‘F’ (Folio) and ‘E’ (Elephant) before the Dewey number on the spine. You'll Find these books on the second floor, running parallel to the beginning of the 700s, along the window.
If the book you are looking for is out on loan, you can log in to the library catalogue to reserve a book.
If the book you are looking for is not available in the library at Goldsmiths, expand your search to include Senate House books by checking the box which says 'include other libraries'. All Goldsmiths students can borrow books from Senate House library after completing a short online registration form. To register for Senate House library follow the instructions here.
Useful shelf numbers for Art
First Floor
006 | Digital imaging |
100 | Philosophy |
303.4833 | Digital Culture |
306 | Cultural studies |
Second Floor
701 | Art theory |
707 | Art Education |
707.4 | Biennale Catalogues |
708 | Curating |
709 | Art History |
709.04 and 709.2 | 20th/21st Century artists (alphabetical by artists last name) |
709.04063 | Surrealism (and other art movements shelved from 709.040....) |
709.0408 | Sound and electronic art |
730 | Sculpture |
741 | Drawing |
759 | Painting |
770 | Photography |
791.4301 | Film theory |
Arts Research Room | Art Writing Collection, Zines, Kathy Rae Huffman, pamphlets & current journals |
Library Search will return results for both print and electronic books. When a book is electronic you will see a link for online access. You can also visit our eBook platforms directly, via the links below, to browse through our eBook collections.
In Library Search
Partially in Library Search