New database - Commercial Patterns Archive

CoPA Commercial Pattern Archive
The Commercial Pattern Archive database, CoPA, provides a unique tool for researchers and designers to recreate or date clothing from 1868 to 2000. There are several collections from the States, Canada and the UK represented in the database which functions like a Union Catalog of pattern collections. The cornerstone of CoPA is the Betty Williams Collection. Betty Williams, a theatrical costumer in New York City, pioneered research on commercial patterns in the early 1980s. She became a leader in the field, establishing a major personal pattern collection and encouraging others to actively participate in the collection and storage of patterns. Betty passed away in 1997 leaving a wealthy legacy of research, and an extensive pattern collection now housed at the University of Rhode Island. The Williams Collection is combined with the URI and Joy Spanabel Emery Collections in the Commercial Pattern Archive in URI Library Special Collections.
To login, contact the RISD Library Reference Desk for the username and password.

Dazzle @ RISD

Update: The first floor of the exhibit (including history of camouflage and dazzle plans and photos) will be opened until April 9, 2009.

Bedazzled Exhibit

Fleet Library at RISD, January 26-March 29, 2009 during library hours (Monday-Friday 8:30am-7pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, and Sunday noon-7pm).

Artists at War: Exploring the Connections Between Art and Camouflage Symposium

The symposium will be in the Michael P. Metcalf Auditorium in RISD’s Chace Center on February 14, 2009 from 2-4 pm.

These events are free and open to the public.

Partial funding provided by a minigrant from the Rhode Island Council for Humanities.

For more information see risd.edu/dazzle.

Press:
Core77
our.risd.edu
Projo
Journal Inquirer

Graduate Thesis Workshops

All workshops meet in the Fleet Library at RISD, 7pm-8:30pm

Look for signs directing you to the library meeting rooms or ask a library staff person for assistance.

Tues Jan 13 (Balcony Conference Room)
Ceramics, Textiles, D+M
Session led by Anne West, GSO

Wed Jan 14 (Balcony Conference Room)
General Session, All Departments
Session led by Frances Shipps, Writing Center

Thurs Jan 15 (Balcony Conference Room)
Graphic Design, D+M
Session led by Anne West, GSO

Tues Jan 20 (Balcony Conference Room)
ID, Furniture
Session led by Frances Shipps, Writing Center

Wed Jan 21 (Library classroom 110)
Research in Art & Design:locating sources for writing about one’s work, All Departments
Session led by Ellen Petraits, Fleet Library
Description: A discussion of search strategies for locating specific types of materials useful to developing the research aspect of one’s thesis. Topics include: reference sources, themes and imagery, exhibition catalogues, artists’ writings

*Thurs Jan 22 (Balcony Conference Room)
*Rescheduled for Thurs Jan 29
Glass & Sculpture
Session led by Anne West, GSO

Tues Jan 27 (Balcony Conference Room)
Painting, Printmaking, Photo
Session led by Frances Shipps, Writing Center

Wed Jan 28 (Library Classroom 110)
Research in Art & Design: locating sources for writing about one’s work,, All Departments
Session led by Ellen Petraits, Fleet Library
Description: A discussion of search strategies for locating specific types of materials useful to developing the research aspect of one’s thesis. Topics include: reference sources, themes and imagery, exhibition catalogues, artists’ writings

Thurs Jan 29 (Balcony Conference Room)
Glass & Sculpture
Session led by Anne West, GSO

Architectural Drawings of RISD Buildings

RISD Archives (Fleet Library, 2nd floor) has a collection of 12,000 drawings (originals and copies) of RISD buildings. The drawings are indexed in a searchable Filemaker pro database by the following information: drawing title, document type, information about the creator(s) of the drawings, dates, building name, location, and type, number of sheets, scale, and a short descriptive note.

See Architectural Drawings Collection for a detailed description.

An overhead scanner allows Archives staff to provide copies as long as a CD, DVD, or USB device is provided. Students, faculty, and researches are welcome to use the collection by appointment.

Archives, 2nd Floor
Monday - Friday 9am-4:30pm
Phone: 401.709.5922

Finding full text in Google books

How do you determine if a book is full-text in Google books?

start at books.google.com
select Advanced Book Search

Select the radio button for Search: Full View to locate the full text of a book that is out of copyright or if the publisher or author has asked to make the book fully viewable.

More about Full View

Winter Break Hours

We are open regular hours through Saturday, December 13.
We are closed Sunday, December 14 and Saturday and Sunday, December 20 and 21.
We are open Monday-Friday, December 15-19, 8:30-4:30 (except Thursday, we open at 10 am) and Monday and Tuesday, December 22 & 23 from 8:30-4:30.
We are closed December 24-January 3.
We are open Sunday, January 4, 2:00pm-10:00pm.

Database problems resolved

The access problem with the databases has been resolved.