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Design Media Arts

This Library Research Guide is intended as a starting place for UCLA researchers, pointing to resources and strategies for finding information about design and media arts topics.

Tips!

Start by browsing the Reference and Oversize Reference Shelves. Once you locate relevant titles, browse the stacks and oversize stacks under the same call numbers.

Consider browsing the UCLA Library Catalog as well as the stacks! Many relevant books might be checked out, shelved on reserve or in the Cage, or housed in storage (SRLF). Use the "Request an Item" button in the Library catalog to recall a item that is checked out or shelved at SRLF.

Arts Library Stacks

The Arts Library Reading Room includes the following shelving areas:

  • Current Periodicals
  • Reference
  • Oversize Reference
  • Reference Desk
  • Selected Film and Television Scripts
  • Selected Plays & Monologues

The Arts Library Stacks include three floors of regular size books (tiers 3-5) and two floors of oversize books (tiers 1-2).  Oversize books are marked with an * in the Library Catalog.

Permanent Reserves and Course Reserves are kept behind the Circulation Desk.

Cage materials must be requested at the Circulation Desk and are to be used in a secure area behind the desk. 

Many older materials, including older editions of annuals and older periodical volumes, are kept in storage at the Southern Regional Library Facility (SRLF).  A valid UCLA Library account number or UCLA Logon ID is needed in order to submit a request for SRLF volumes through the Library Catalog.

Browsing by Call Number

Each section of the stacks (Stacks, Oversize Stacks, Reference, Oversize Reference, Current Periodicals, etc.) can be browsed by call number, as can the library catalog.

GT1-7070 Manners and customs (General)
GT500-2370 Costume. Dress. Fashion
GV1-1860 Recreation. Leisure
GV1199-1570 Games and amusements
GV1221-1469.63 Indoor games and amusements
GV1312-1469 Board games. Move games, Including chess, go, checkers, etc.
GV1469.15-1469.62 Computer games. Video games. Fantasy games
N1-(9211) Visual arts
N61-72 Theory. Philosophy. Aesthetics of the visual arts
N81-390 Study and teaching. Research
N400-3990 Art museums, galleries, etc.
N4390-5098 Exhibitions
N5198-5299 Private collections and collectors
N5300-7418 History
N8350-8356 Art as a profession. Artists
N8510-8553 Art studios, materials, etc.
N8700-9165 Art and the state. Public art
NA1-9428 Architecture
NB1-1952 Sculpture
NC1-1940 Drawing. Design. Illustration
NC1-45 General; Including collective biography
NC673-677 Competitions
NC703-725 General works
NC730-758 Technique
NC760-825 Special subjects
NC845-915 Graphic art materials
NC950-(996) Illustration
NC997-1003 Commercial art. Advertising art
NC1280-1284 Printed ephemera. Imagerie populaire
NC1300-1766 Pictorial humor, caricature, etc.
NC1800-1850 Posters
NC1860-1896 Greeting cards, postcards, invitations, book jackets, etc.
NC1920-1940 Copying, enlarging, and reduction of drawings
ND25-3416 Painting
ND2550-2733 Mural painting
ND2889-3416 Illuminating of manuscripts and books
NE1-3002 Print media
NE1-978 Printmaking and engraving
NE1000-1352 Wood engraving
NE1400-1879 Metal engraving
NE1940-2232.5 Etching and aquatint
NE2236-2240.6 Serigraphy
NE2242-2246 Monotype (Printmaking)
NE2250-2570 Lithography
NE2685-2685.8 Lumiprints
NE2690 Engraving on glass
NE2800-2880 Printing of engravings
NE3000-3002 Copying art. Copying machine art
NK1-(9990) Decorative Arts
NK1-570 General
NK600-806 History
NK1135-1149.5 Arts and crafts movement
NK1160-1590 Decoration and ornament. Design
NK1160-1174 Decoration and ornament. Design. General
NK 1175-(1498) Decoration and ornament. Design. History
NK1505-1535 Decoration and ornament. Design. General works
NK1548-1590 Decoration and ornament. Design. Special subjects for design
NK3600-(9990) Other arts and art industries
NK3700-4695 Ceramics
NK4700-4890 Costume
NK5100-5440 Glass
NK5500-6060 Glyptic arts
NK6400-8459 Metalwork
NK8800-9505.5 Textiles
NK9600-9955 Woodwork
NX1-820 Arts in general
PN1560-1590 The performing arts. Show business
PN1600-3307 Drama
PN1660-1693 Technique of dramatic composition
PN1990-1992.92 Broadcasting
PN1992.93-19 92.95 Nonbroadcast video recordings
PN1993-1999 Motion pictures
PN6700-6790 Comic books, strips, etc.
Q1-390 Science (General)
QA75.5-76.95 Electronic computers. Computer science
QA76.75-76.765 Computer software
QC494-495 Colors and color theory
T1-995 Technology (General)
TR1-1050 Photography
TR250-265 Cameras
TR287-500 Photographic processing. Darkroom technique
TR504-508 Transparencies. Diapositives
TR510-545 Color photography
TR550-581 Studio and laboratory
TR590-620 Lighting
TR624-835 Applied photography; Including artistic, commercial, medical photography, photocopying processes
TR845-899 Cinematography. Motion pictures
TR925-1050 Photomechanical processes
TT1-999 Handicrafts. Arts and crafts
Z116.A3 Book design
Z116.A5-265.5 Book industries and trade. Printing
Z242.9-264.5 Practical printing Including type and type founding, electrotyping, desktop publishing, typesetting, presswork
Z266-276 Bookbinding. Book decoration

Browsing Periodicals

Search for Design related periodicals in the library catalog by using these suggested subject headings:

Book design - periodicals
Design - periodicals
Design - country/state - periodicals
Graphic arts - periodicals
Graphic arts - country/state - periodicals
Commercial art - periodicals
Commercial art - country/state - periodicals
Computer games - periodicals
Computer animation - periodicals

Type and type-founding - periodicals

Follow these links to browse and find online journals:

Browsing Design Subjects

Here is a list of suggested subject headings and call numbers to search for resources on design and media arts in UCLA Library Catalog.

Enter the subject heading/call number in the search box and click on "Subject List," "Subject List (start of)", or "Call Numbers" in the drop down box.

Also, keep in mind with call numbers, you can always browse the shelves in the library to find resources. (In the Arts Library, be sure to check both the regular shelves and the oversize shelves when you browse, as well as the Reference shelves.)

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Call Numbers

Book design Z116.A3
Color QC494-QC496.9
Color -- psychological aspects BF789.C7
Color vision QP483
Color in design NK1548
Commercial art NC997-NC1003
Composition art N7429.7-N7430
Design NC704 
Form (art) BH301.F6
Graphic design (Typography) Z246
Harmony (aesthetics) BH301.H3
Proportion (art) N7431-N7431.5 
Type designers Z250.A2
Type and type-founding Z250-Z251
Type and type-founding -- Digital Techniques Z250.7
Typesetting Z253-Z253.4

Browsing Media Arts Subjects

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Call Numbers

Animation (cinematography) TR897.5
Art and technology N72.T4
Avatars QA76.76.I59; GV1469.25
Cinematography -- special effects TR845-TR899
Computer animation TR897.7
Computer art N7433.8-N7433.85
Computer games GV1469.15-GV1469.25; QA76.76.C672
Computer graphics T385
Digital art N7433.8
Digital Media QA76.575
Digital Media --Social aspects HM851
Graphical user interface QA76.9.U83
Human-computer interaction QA76.9.H85
Interactive multimedia QA76.575; QA76.76.I59
Internet games QA76.76.I59; QA76.9.H85
Mobile communication systems TK6570.M6; TK5103.2
Mobile communication systems --Social aspects HM1206
Mobile computing QA76.59
Multimedia systems QA76.575
New media art (varies)
Television (graphics) TK6630-TK6685
Video game characters NC825; T385
Video games GV1469.3; QA76.73
Virtual reality QA76.9.H85; P96.D36