ARTH 489F: Special Topics in Art History: Modern Chinese Film and Visual Culture
Librarians: Louise Greene, Art Library and Carleton Jackson, Nonprint Media Services Library
Course Instructor: Professor Jason Kuo
PURPOSE OF THIS LIBRARY INSTRUCTION SESSION:
The University of Maryland Libraries provide access to many sources of information on contemporary Chinese film and visual culture. This session will offer an overview of research skills, library services and relevant resources including the Libraries online Catalog, databases available through Research Port, and an introduction to the Nonprint Media Services Library. For information on the full range of library resources and services, consult the UM Libraries home page.
For additional information, please contact Louise Greene or Carleton Jackson.
Outline
Navigating the Libraries Library Catalog: Finding Books, Journal Titles, Films, and More Research Port: Finding Databases, Journal Articles, and Online Journals Film Reviews and Film Essays Databases Other UM Libraries Resources Web Resources Navigating the Libraries
The University of Maryland Libraries on the College Park campus include eight branches and various special collections. For research in visual culture and film, five locations will be of particular importance: Art and Architecture Libraries, McKeldin Library,
Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library (PAL), and Nonprint Media Services Library. The College Park libraries are part of a larger state-wide consortium, USMAI, from which you may borrow materials.
For a quick directory of library services and resources, such as Course Reserves and My Acccount, go to How do I . . . ? on the UM Libraries home page.
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Library Catalog: Finding Books, Journal Titles, Videos, and More
Visit the UM Libraries home page and click on Catalog.
For a basic search use the drop-down menu to select a search field (word/s anywhere, title, author, subject, or call number). To customize your search, select advanced search, multi-campus search, or journal title search; use the drop-down menus to limit your search by format, language, location, collection, or year(s).
Subject Headings / Search Terms
- feature films china
- film criticism
- film criticism china
- martial arts films (and other genre terms)
- motion pictures china
- motion pictures china history
- motion pictures china hong kong
- motion pictures china shanghai
- motion pictures chinese
- motion pictures reviews
- motion pictures reviews china
- motion pictures social aspects china
- motion pictures taiwan
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Research Port: Finding Databases, Journal Articles, and E-Journals
Visit the UM Libraries home page and click on Research Port. To search for journal articles, select the Databases tab, then select a subject category such as Film Studies. (For selected databases relevant to this course, see the list immediately below.) You may also select the Journals tab to search for e-journals by title; search the content of e-journals by topic or article title.
To locate a specific journal article when you have a citation from another source (not when searching a database) use the "Looking for a Specific Article?" feature on the Research Port main screen.
Databases
Provides indexing, abstracts and full-text articles from scholarly journals, including peer-reviewed publications, in many subject areas from 1975 to the present; includes film reviews and articles on film. Search by film titles or by subject: motion pictures, Chinese. Or use the geographical term China with specific subject terms.
An index to English- and foreign-language articles in art journals from 1929 to the present, covering all periods and media, including film. Search by subject keywords, film titles and personal names; for film reviews in Art Abstracts, limit your search to the document type "film review", and in Art Index to "motion picture review".
An index to doctoral dissertations and master's theses from 1861 to the present; full-text access is available from 1997 to the present. Use advanced search for keywords in “citation and abstract” field.
Indexes articles in film and television periodicals and related publications from 1976-2001. Useful for finding critical articles on film study as well as movie reviews. Note that the print version of the Film Literature Index, covers the period 1973 to the present; it is located in the McKeldin Library Reference Stacks at Z5784.M9F45. A full range of cinema-specific advanced search fields are available along with keyword searching.
An electronic archive of journals in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Includes complete runs of journals with full-text articles up to the most current five years. Use advanced searching for keywords, personal names, etc; search abstracts first to focus results.
A full-text database providing access to journals and newspapers including the Washington Post, the New York Times and many others; date of coverage varies by title. For film subjects, start with Power Search; use the Sources and Dates fields to limit as necessary. Also use the “Find Documents with Similar Topics” feature (at bottom) to expand on a relevant subject.
Indexes journals, books, essay collections, dissertations, and bibliographies published worldwide from the 1920s to the present in the areas of literary criticism, language, linguistics, rhetoric, and folklore of all countries; includes film studies. Search for specific film information by keywords, film titles, and personal names.
An index to journal titles in the humanities and social sciences from first issue to 1993.
A union catalog of books, serials, media, visual and archival materials in library collections worldwide.
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Film Reviews and Film Essays
Begin your search for reviews of contemporary and historical films, and scholarly essays in the discipline of film studies by consulting the Guide to Film Reviews and Film Studies. This helpful guide lists a wide variety of resources available in online and/or print format through the UM Libraries.
Note: While many films from China and Hong Kong are distributed in North America under accepted English international titles, many are not. It is important to verify spellings and transliterations of titles and names. Be sure to search all variations in databases and catalogs; for example, try both Chen Kaige and Zhen Kaige.
Also Note: Until recently many English-language databases and reference works neglected “non-western” filmmakers and film listings by title unless they are considered “international” in appeal. If you are unable to locate a particular title, try searching more broadly -- by country of origin, genre, or filmmaker.
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Other UM Libraries Resources
Film Reviews and Film Studies
Book Reviews
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Web Resources
