The Art of Browsing
Here are some helpful tips:
Books in the RISD Fleet Library are organized by topic using Library of Congress classification system. Most Furniture Design-related material is under the letters NK and TT. You can browse the collection digitally by clicking on this link. If you are interested in browsing the shelves, you can use this map and these call number ranges as a guide:
N. Visual Arts
NK. Decorative arts
NK1-570 General
NK600-806 History
NK1700-2195 Interior decoration. House decoration
NK2200-2750 Furniture
NK3700-4695 Ceramics
NK5100-5440 Glass
NK6400-8459 Metalwork
NK8800-9505.5 Textiles
NK9600-9955 Woodwork
T. Technology
TS. Manufactures
TS1-2301 Manufactures
TS155-194 Production management. Operations management
TS195-198.8 Packaging
TS200-770 Metal manufactures. Metalworking
TS780-788 Stonework
TS800-937 Wood technology. Lumber
TS840-915 Wood products. Furniture
TS920-937 Chemical processing of wood
TS940-1047 Leather industries. Tanning
TS1060-1070 Furs
TS1080-1268 Paper manufacture and trade
TS1300-1865 Textile industries
TS1870-1935 Rubber industry
TS1950-1982 Animal products
TT. Handicrafts. Arts and crafts
TT180-200 Woodworking. Furniture making. Upholstering
TT201-203 Lathework. Turning
TT205-267 Metalworking
TT300-382.8 Painting. Wood finishing
TT387-410 Soft home furnishings
Suggested SUBJECT searches:
Furniture
Furniture Catalogs
Furniture Design
Furniture Design Pictorial Works
Furniture Drawings
Furniture History
Furniture Making
Chair Design
Chairs
Interior Decoration
Graduate Theses
Thesis books are deposited at Fleet Library at the end of each graduate student's time at RISD. Most recent theses can be browsed freely in the library's mezzanine-level Grad Thesis area; older and more delicate work is housed in Archives and can be viewed by appointment. Theses designated as Storage can be requested during open hours on the first floor of the library. See the Index to Graduate Theses to explore theses in detail. Some of RISD's recent Graduate Theses are available to view and download online on RISD's Digital Commons.
- Index to Graduate ThesesA detailed and comprehensive index for exploring RISD Graduate thesis work by subject, department, year, name, typology, site, and more.
The Book of Thesis Books by Call Number: LB2369 .B66 2018This book is intended to help future thesis writers understand the range of approaches to and content in RISD thesis books, locate some especially strong examples in the Library's vast thesis collection, and imagine and plan their own theses.- Guide to Thesis Book Design byThis guide is more basic and specific than other design manuals. Used in isolation it should tell you all you need to produce your book, even without prior graphic design knowledge. It could also be a starting point for a deeper dive into book design: other manuals that deal more thoroughly with elements such as book binding or typography are mentioned along the way for further reference.
- Master’s Written Thesis Handbook byThis remarkable handbook is a navigational instrument offered to assist each graduate student through the development of an independent, distinctive process of writing about—and with—one’s work. (PDF Download)
Requesting an Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a library service that allows the Fleet Library to "check out" materials from other libraries. If we don't have something you need, request it and we'll notify you when it's available.
Through ILL you can request:
- Books
- Book Chapters (PDF)
- Articles (PDF)
- DVDs/Videos
- CDs, Musical Scores
Sign into the Interlibrary Loan portal here with your RISD account.
You can also request items from within Fleet Search (look for the "Request through Interlibrary Loan" option).
This is handy because it will pre-fill the item request form for you.
Renewing Books Online
Step 1: Visit the library homepage and click "My Account" in the top right corner.
Step 2: Follow the instructions on the screen to log in.
Step 3: Click "# Items currently checked out" and click "Renew All" or select the items you'd like to renew.
If you are prevented from renewing, you may have hit your limit (see "Borrowing" on the website for info). For help, reach out to us: library@risd.edu or (401) 709-5901
Brown University Libraries
RISD faculty, staff, and students have borrowing privileges at Brown Libraries. You must have a current RISD ID for access. Be sure your account is active with RISD's Fleet Library.
Brown Visiting Policy
To receive an access card for Brown libraries, RISD community members must check in at the Circulation Desk. Find their policies on this page.
Database Access
RISD community members can only access Brown's Databases on-site. You can search and download from Brown's databases using their visitor/public computers. The public computers are located on the 1st and 2nd floor of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library and in the basement of the Sciences Library. If you have questions, ask at the Circulation Desk for help.
Borrowing
RISD community members can borrow up to 5 books for 4 weeks.
- John D. Rockefeller Jr. LibraryKnown as "the Rock," is the primary teaching and research library for the arts, humanities and social sciences.
- Sciences LibraryHouses medical and science materials and is home to the Friedman Study Center, the Science Center, the Map Collection and more.
- Orwig Music LibraryHouses music books, scores, periodicals, sound recordings, video recordings and microforms.
- John Hay LibraryHouses special collections, rare books, manuscripts and archives.
- Champlin Memorial LibraryLocated in the Warren Alpert Medical School building, provides digital access to an extensive collection of electronic journals, textbooks and databases.
- Annmary Brown MemorialHouses exhibits of European and American paintings from the 17th through 20th centuries and other holdings.
- The John Carter Brown LibraryHoused within the JCB is a globally renowned, constantly growing collection of primary historical sources pertaining to the Americas. The library serves scholars from across the United States and around the world.