Find Media - Art - African and Diaspora Art Research Guide

Find Images

Find images in books by searching the Five College Library catalog (see Tip below). The library also subscribes to a variety of image databases and is the home of Amherst College Digital Collections (ACDC), a repository of images, texts, videos, and more from the Amherst College Archives & Special Collections and Art & Architecture Collection.

Access digital images through these library databases. Click on the "Find Museum Collections" tab for a list of online museum image collections.

Amherst College Art & Architecture Collection (now on JSTOR) This link opens in a new window
Digital image collection of high quality photographs for scholarship and teaching in architecture and the visual arts. This collection was formerly part of the Amherst College Digital Collections repository and is now hosted on JSTOR.
ARTstor This link opens in a new window
Image database including architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, and design as well as many other forms of visual culture.

Getty Open Content Images database
Digitized materials from the Research Institute's collection.

Tip: Searching for images in the Five College Libraries

Library records for books with illustrations contain the word "illustrations". Target illustrated works in a search of the Library catalog by including illustrations, “pictorial works”, plates, or “color plates” along with your other search term(s). For example, looking for images of birds? Search for birds AND illustrations.

For more about finding and using images, visit the Image Research guide.

Find Film, Video, and Art

Find DVD, Blu-ray, and VHS formats on A Level of Frost Library, behind the IT help desk. There are also viewing stations in this area, if you want to watch at the library.

Access streaming video through these library databases or online resources:

Academic Video Online (Alexander Street) This link opens in a new window
Streaming video spanning a wide range of subject areas and including documentaries, films, and demonstrations.
Kanopy Streaming Video This link opens in a new window
Broad selection of thousands of streaming films, documentaries, and theatrical releases covering a wide variety of subject areas, with regular new releases and transcripts.

Tip: Searching for Film & Video in the Five College Libraries

Use the Books & Media tab on the Amherst Library Q uick Search box to search for materials by keyword, title, author, or subject, making sure to include the format as a search term. Check Call Numbers and Availability to see where something's located and if it's currently checked out.