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FLEET LIBRARY | Research Guides

Rhode Island School of Design

Faculty Guide to Library Resources

An outline of library's services and resources for faculty: course reserves, off campus access to databases, e-journals, interlibrary loan, instruction, research assistance, and more

Archives classes

Contact Andrew Martinez, Archivist, or Doug Doe, Digital Archivist, to schedule a class visit to RISD Archives.

Browse the Archives Collections.

Artists' books/Special Collections

Contact Claudia Covert, Special Collections Librarian, to schedule class visits. More information about Special Collections classes.

Research Instruction

Contact the Research & Instruction Department to schedule an instruction session.

Please extend to librarian colleagues the same courtesy afforded a guest lecturer in your classroom. Librarians teach in classes throughout the college and are often booked weeks in advance. Requests should be made 1-2 weeks in advance of the desired class date to allow ample preparation for your visit. Your presence and engagement in the classroom conveys to your students the value you place on library instruction.

Research Instruction Sessions

Working with the instructor, librarians tailor instruction sessions to support course objectives, complement the syllabus and prepare students for a written or studio research assignment. Librarians will come to any classroom or studio equipped with a digital projector and reliable network access.

Topics include:

  • Research process overview & approaches to managing information
  • Research conceptualization & methods for studio projects
  • Literature reviews
  • Concept mapping a studio or written topic
  • Class time organized around exploring one of our many Thematic Collections
  • Researching an object
  • Finding books – searching the RISD/Athenaeum online catalog
  • Finding articles – using electronic indexes to locate articles
  • Finding images – electronic & print image searching
  • Evaluating information – thinking critically about print & web sources
  • Citing print and visual sources & avoiding plagiarism
  • Workshops that combine collection highlights and individual research support

Graduate research classes

Contact Ellen Petraits, Coordinator of Graduate Library Instruction, to schedule a graduate research class. Browse the Graduate Research Guides.

VMRC tours

Contact Mark Pompelia, Visual Resources Librarian.