Click here to suggest items for the library. We welcome requests and recommendations for books, eBooks, magazines, and films to add to the library collection! RISD faculty and student requests are given first priority. Please check the Fleet library catalog before making a request, and contact Donna DeForbes (ddeforbe@risd.edu) with any questions.
Welcome to the Furniture Design Research Guide. This guide covers a wide range of available resources such as useful books, links, and digital resources.
Keep in mind that research is an iterative process; it will build on itself and is often better accomplished in multiple small steps. Art is often an interdisciplinary area of study so some resources might seem more relevant than others. This guide cannot list all possible resources, but it is a good place to start. If you have more questions or need additional help, just ask! There are librarians available to help you find answers.
Your library account enables off-campus access to library databases as well as tools for managing your checked-out items. The VPN provided by IT Services also enables library database access - we recommend it to anyone who uses them frequently!
Get started: Visit the library homepage and click "My Account" in the top right corner. Follow the instructions on the screen.
Your Library Account login is your RISD email login.
Still having issues? Reach out to us: researchhelp@risd.edu
As you search for information on your topic you will develop your own vocabulary and terms related your topic. Keeping track of searches that worked well or creating lists of synonyms for your keywords can be very helpful.
Whether you are searching on the library Catalog or in Fleet Search, searches will default to Keyword searches.
A Keyword search looks for words anywhere in the title, summary, or metadata of an item. Keyword searches are a good substitute for a subject search when you do not know the standard subject heading. Keyword may also be used as a substitute for a title or author search when you have incomplete title or author information.
This search looks for the name of the artist, author, editor, or translator of an item. It can be helpful to think of the artist as the author of his/her/their own work.
A subject search is more specific than a keyword search. Subject headings are a predetermined list of possible terms, which reflect the content of the item. Most academic libraries use Library of Congress Subject Headings. Subject headings are not always intuitive.
This search looks for the exact words you entered as the title of an item. If you don't know the exact title, try using a Keyword Search instead.
For more information and additional options, see Citation Guides and Information Management Tools