Tag Archives: research tools

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APL Spotlight Interview: Katie Pierce Meyer

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Though Katie has been with us for a few months now, we would like to officially extend a warm welcome to her! Katie is the interim Architecture & Planning Librarian, replacing Martha Gonzales-Palacios, who has transitioned to a new role at the University of Oregon.

Those of you that are familiar with the library may know Katie – she’s been ‘with’ us in a number of capacities throughout the last few years! Graduate Assistant Stephanie Phillips sat down with Katie to introduce her to all audiences through a Spotlight Interview.

Katie

Stephanie:  Tell us about yourself! What is your educational background?

Katie: I received my undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Southwestern University; I have a Masters degrees from University of Texas at Austin in Information Studies (MSIS) and a masters in Architectural History from the UTSOA; I am currently back in the iSchool, working on PhD in Information Studies. My research focuses on complexity of contemporary workplace practices and the preservation of architectural artifacts.

S: What is your history with the Architecture and Planning Library? How did you find yourself in this position?

K: My first semester in graduate school, I did a group project at the Alexander Architectural Archive. I loved working with architectural records and convinced them to hire me; I worked at the archives since May 2006, processing architectural collections. Most recently, I was the project manager for the Charles Moore archives. When the interim Architecture and Planning Librarian position opened up, I thought is was a great chance to do more work in the library and connect with the UTSOA students, faculty, and staff.

S: How would you describe this position? What will you be doing?

K: I will provide reference, research support, and library instruction. It has been a busy semester. I’ve really enjoyed teaching library instruction sessions for undergrads and grad students.

S: What are you most excited for in your new position?

K: I am most excited about fostering collaboration between the UT Libraries and UTSOA as well as with the School of Information. I see the potential for exciting projects that bring together the expertise in the libraries, Architecture, and the iSchool.

S: What is your favorite book?

K: Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman. My creative writing teacher gave it to me in high school and I try to re-read it every couple of years. It is a collection of short chapters, each on a different conception of time.

S: What are some of the best resources that the Architecture & Planning Library offers students?

K: We are fortunate to have a dedicated Architecture and Planning Library in close proximity to the School of Architecture. The library has a great collection of books and periodicals, fantastic materials in our special collections, and the Alexander Architectural Archive; a great staff, which I consider a resource; and many more!

S: To put you on the spot – what is the most interesting thing about yourself?

K: Probably my travel experiences. I had an opportunity to travel to Sweden with Wilfred Wang and a group of architecture students a few years ago, while completing my Architectural History degree.  I attended a Digital Humanities Observatory workshop in Dublin and did an internship with ICCROM in Rome. I have tried to take advantage of educational opportunities where I get to travel. Oh, and I love ziplining! We went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon, partially because of the ziplining.

Welcome, Katie! We’re so glad you’re here!

archive, library

Feature Friday: OnArchitecture Database

We are so excited to announce – and subsequently feature – our recent subscription to OnArchitecture, an online audiovisual database that functions as an artistic archive exclusively for professional and educational institutions around the world. OnArchitecture contains original material focusing on key individuals, buildings, and installations in contemporary architecture, and highlights them through interviews, documents, audiovisuals, and more. In their own words, this database provides “a synthetic, deep and detailed panorama of the world’s main authors, works, experiences and problematics related to the field of architecture.”

OnArchitecture boasts an extensive catalog of buildings and installations, including influential works like the Sendai Mediatheque by Toyo Ito; Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, India by Le Corbusier; and Ai Weiwei’s Fake Design. The catalog is presented clearly and cleanly, meaning that it’s exceptionally easy to maneuver through and explore. The main page for each work features a brief video, a summary of the work, additional documents, and – my personal favorite – a suggested bibliography of additional information on the building or piece. I love this setup, as the page serves as a key introduction to the main aspects of a work of art, and then both encourages and facilitates additional research. As a student, I cannot even begin to express how handy this is!

Perhaps the most unique aspect of this database is its extensive collection of video interviews with various influential artists, architects, and curators from all over the world. These interviews candidly cull out the critical reivew of works from the artists themselves. So often in research we are presented with an interpretation of a building or piece through a secondary observer or scholarly source; while vital, these interviews reveal the fundamental process behind a piece that can only be expressed through the mind of its creator. Think of this portion of the database as a collection of TED talks for artists and designers. And, as you can see in the screen grab below, you can travel the world in just one sitting!

I cannot express enough how thrilled I am that the Architecture & Planning Library has invested in this inimitable database. I am already certain that this will serve as a key source for research when my studies resume in fall, and I’ve already watched several interviews out of pure interest and fascination. Follow the link below to start exploring yourself!

OnArchitecture – access this database

archive, event, exhibition, library

Inside Modern Texas: Behind the Scenes with Emily Ardoin

Last semester, Graduate Research Assistant Emily Ardoin, a Masters candidate in Historic Preservation within the School of Architecture, introduced us to her process behind developing a curated exhibit – from scratch! Very few have this incredibly unique and rewarding opportunity, and, needless to say, those of us in the library were beyond thrilled for her. As the Society of Architectural Historians Conference swiftly approaches, which coincides with the official opening reception of the exhibition, we decided to check in with Emily and get more details from the curator herself.

To recap, Emily was tasked with developing a display for the Reading Room in Battle Hall for the Spring 2014 semester. During her brainstorming phase, she sifted through myriad issues of Interiors magazine, Texas Architect, and more journals from the Architecture and Planning Library as not only a source for inspiration, but as a gauge for what materials were available to her within the walls of Battle Hall. As most of our library users can attest to, the Architecture and Planning Library is full of information (we’re lucky to say that!), so Emily utilized her Interior Design background, current Historic Preservation studies, and a time range from World War II to approximately 1975 to help narrow her foci and eventually land on a exhibition topic that was specific enough to pin down a clear focus, yet broad enough to encapsulate a spectrum of available archival materials.

Emily also noted that The Society of Architectural Historians Annual Conference, held this year in Austin from April 9th-13th, could also serve as a source of inspiration for unearthing an exhibition focus. While perusing the paper topics for the upcoming conference, Emily noticed one in particular: Placing the Profession: Early Contexts for Interior Design Practice in the US. This, in conjunction with her educational studies, helped Emily land on her topic of “Inside Modern Texas: The Case For Preserving Interiors.” Says Emily of the topic:

“The idea behind it is that, as much as modern architecture is gaining momentum in historic preservation [nowadays], interiors aren’t always considered. This is also true of buildings of other periods, but with modern interiors, significant characteristics like spatial relationships or lack of ornament can be especially difficult to recognize.  And commercial interiors are a challenge. There can be more pressure to update constantly when a forward-thinking image is considered important for the success of a business.”

To articulate her thought process visually, Emily divided her exhibition into three main parts, the first being a brief overview of modern interior design and its principles. As interior designers or architectural history buffs may know, interior design was still in the process of growing into its own profession during the mid twentieth century. Emily, in the first third of her exhibition, lays out the several factors that contributed to the profession of interior design in Texas, focusing on major influences, including the contributions of the Dallas Market Center. Harwell Hamilton Harris created the drawings for the Trade Mart within the Center, which the Alexander Archive possesses – a key example of the types of resources available!

The second part of the exhibition transitions to a chronological overview of interiors, sourced from the Archive and images from the library’s journals. These sections serve as an excellent primer for the final third of Emily’s exhibition: the challenges behind preserving modern historic interiors. To articulate her thought process, emily utilizes three case study examples in Texas: The Wilson House in Temple, former home and showroom of the founder of Wilsonart Laminate Company and current house museum for the same company; the famous Inwood Theatre in Dallas, which features a 1980’s bar addition to its 1947 lobby interior; and the Austin National Bank Building, now McGarrah Jessee Advertising on East 6th Street, a key feature in Austin’s adaptive reuse scene.

By doing exhaustive research and spending her working days fawning over the Archive’s incredible depth of modern architectural drawings, photographs, prints, and more (it was one of her favorite parts!), Emily has created a beautiful and thoughtful exhibition that draws attention to a highly relevant topic in preservation: the retention of historic interiors. Says Emily:

The interior of a building is what its users interact with directly, so it can serve as an especially informative historic record. That same direct interaction can be a challenge for continued use of the building. Adaptive reuse can be a very useful and practical preservation strategy, but it can result in quite a bit of change particularly to the interior. At the same time, not every historic building can be a house museum. You have to balance those priorities. It’s an interesting problem that historic preservation principles do address already, but whether the focus should be stronger is worth considering.

Emily, in the process of her curation, has uncovered so many provocative topics that could benefit researchers in the future. She has made sure to note when specific interior designers are referenced in projects she comes across, providing them to the archive staff to help with future collection. Interior design as it is today is a relatively young profession, so archival material can be more difficult to find. Though it may not seem like it for her now, Emily’s exhibition will go far beyond its display dates of late March to September 2014 – at least in terms of its research!

We are so excited for her work to be displayed concurrently with the Society of Architectural Historians Annual Conference. Please join us on April 10th for the opening reception!

library

Zotero to the Rescue!

Before I began my first semester at UT this fall, I had little experience with citation managers. I had always approached my research papers knowing that the dreaded formatting of my bibliography was always looming. I’ll admit it: when Martha asked me if I had ever heard of Zotero, I stared at her like she was referring to some alien species.

But before you have the same reaction, read on – because Zotero will change your life! (Or at least how you complete your research papers. Close enough.)

Zotero is a free and intuitive tool used to collect, sort, cite, and share your research sources. Zotero’s very own website refers to it as a “personal research assistant”, and that is a spot-on description! Obviously using the power of some sort of coded magic, Zotero automatically senses content in your web browser and allows you to save it to a personal library with a simple click of a button. Whether you’re citing a PDF, book on an e-catalog, journal article from a scholarly database, newspaper article, or more, Zotero syncs with your browser and will export the source’s information in a split second.

The interface of Zotero’s personal library is easy to navigate and customize to your liking. Working on multiple research papers on varying topics? Zotero allows you to create specific folders for each, just like the folders you’re used to on a personal computer. The interface also allows you to search for keywords, add notes to sources for citations, and organize by date added.

But the best part? Zotero allows you to highlight specific sources or entire folders and export them to a Word file in any bibliographic style you’d like. That’s right – Zotero creates and exports your bibliography for you! GENIUS, right?!

Zotero can be used as a browser extension or is available to download as an external application. Whichever you choose, you’ll be on your way to organizing your citations with ease!

I think Zotero might be my new favorite superhero.

Download Zotero here.
If you’re completely new to Zotero, check out this wonderful PDF handout created by UT Libraries to help get you started.
Did you know that UT Libraries offer classes on Zotero and other useful tools? Visit the Library Classes website for a detailed list of course topics, class calendars, FAQs, and more!

library

Interior Design Research Tools: Research Design Connections Archive

For part three of our installment of interior design research tools, we’re highlighting the incredible ease of use of the Research Design Connections Archive (RDC), one of the many paid subscriptions that UT Libraries maintains on behalf of University of Texas students, faculty and staff. Containing over 1,800 archived articles and blog posts, RDC offers a wide array of search tools that you can utilize to craft even the most specific results possible.

Unique to this database is its attention to these combination options. A special emphasis is put on behavior and special populations, two factors that are seminal to the design experience, but are sometimes overlooked in favor of trends or stylistic features. A specific setting is also offered as an option to narrow your search, which presents monumental ease if you’re zooming into a specific category of design.

Perhaps my favorite trait about this database are the links under the search bar. Instead of simply stating the titles of articles as their headline, they pose the question they explored in order to facilitate a design conversation. I am continuously thinking in questions: what is the most suitable material for a bar countertop in a high-traffic restaurant? How much energy goes into maintaining a temperature-controlled art gallery? How much pattern is too much pattern? I truly appreciate RDC’s database organization, which grasps exactly how designers are thinking whilst performing research.

Though there are hundreds of electronic research tools available for designers, we hope that our assessment of three that we find especially helpful: IIDA Knowledge Center, InformeDesign, and Research Design Connections Archive – helps you in navigating the endless foray of knowledge that can sometimes complicate or hinder the research process.

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Interior Design Research Tools: InformeDesign

The 101 Years of Interior Design celebration at UTSOA is only a week away! To keep up with our October interior design focus here on our blog, we’ve selected InformeDesign as another research tool to showcase the importance of research in the design world.

Last week we featured IIDA’s Knowledge Center, a phenomenal tool to quickly access case studies, conference papers, theses, and more. InformeDesign is a similar format, and is also FREE!

InformeDesign, developed by the College of Design at the University of Minnesota, has a clear-stated mission statement to facilitate the integration of research and design practice through an easy-to-access, easy-to-read website. Here at the library, we think that’s an essentiality, which is why we’re so thrilled about this database!

Although the website is currently idle and unable to add new content, a wealth of previously uploaded scholarly journals are accessible. The search box is simple, and accommodates various terms and of levels of complexity. I started with a generic search in ‘sustainability’ and moved to ‘sustainable lighting’ – both with results that were both broad and specific, but all within relevancy.

When you click on a link of interest, InformeDesign offers a clear, organized, and concise page highlighting the essential elements of an article. Perhaps the most useful are the Design Criteria and Key Concepts categories, which outline the purpose of the study and the factual results. Though the results do not link you directly to an article, they give you all of the bibliographic information at the bottom if you choose to access the research in its entirety. For those that are seeking quick results with actual data and conclusive summaries, InformeDesign is perfect for you!

You can also create a free InformeDesign account to save articles and add commentary. All things considered, InformeDesign is a wonderful research tool for quick access to a staggering amount of useful design studies.

Happy researching, designers!

library

Interior Design Research Tools: IIDA Knowledge Center

When sifting through the myriad resources available to designers, it’s easy to experience a legitimate information overload. Periodicals, drawings, essays, reports – encompassing style, technology, safety, products – there’s so much to uncover! However, we’ve accumulated some exceptional electronic research tools to help, and the IIDA Knowledge Center is one of them.

The International Interior Design Association‘s database does a fantastic job of concentrating a wealth of resources into one succinct and easy-to-use interface. A typical search results in access to relevant research papers, master’s theses, conference reports, specification guides, and more. Just getting started in your research? No problem – the Knowledge Center lets you filter your search by resource type, client type, or topic, which can put you on a fast track to finding the information that’s most relevant to you.

A test topic search for ‘hospitality’ results in a staggering amount of diverse resources, presented in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re falling into the electronic abyss of irrelevant hyperlinks. My favorite part about this database: the option to organize your search results by either relevance or topic. Choosing ‘topic’ creates clusters of links based on subcategories such as branding, space planning, color, and more – it’s so simple and time saving!

Regardless of how deep you are into your research for a design project, we hope the IIDA Knowledge Center can be an indispensable addition to your toolbox. Did we mention that it’s FREE?

Keep a look out – we’ll touch on some more electronic resources for designers in the upcoming weeks in honor of the 101 Years of Interior Design celebration!