• The Picture File consists of thousands of mounted pictures from various sources including magazines, books, calendars, maps, catalogues, etc.



• The pictures are located in filing cabinets on the lower level of the Greenfield Libraryand may be checked out.



• The pictures are broken down into the categories of Subjects, Artists' Works, Geography, Personalities, Maps, and Museums and Galleries. The Picture File is a popular and heavily-used resource.




How do I use the Picture File?

• The largest portion of the picture file is the Subjects section. Example subects are: animals, chewing gum, facial expressions, love, photography in war, sports equipment, and yawning.
  
  Each picture in the Subject section is filed by its subject heading. The subject headings are created using a hierarchical system. This means, for example, that a picture of a dog is not found under D for dog but under ANIMALS--DOGS. Snakes are under REPTILES--SNAKES. You must use the Picture File Thesaurus . It guides you to the words and phrases used for subject headings and to many SEE and SEE ALSO references.



• The Picture File Thesaurus is in a three-ring binder near the filing cabinets.



• The Artists' Works section contains pictures of all kinds of artists' works, whether the artist is a photographer, painter, sculptor, or whatever type of artist. It is arranged alphabetically by the last name of the artist. The same organization is true for the Personalities section: alphabetical by last name.
  
  If you want a picture by Picasso, check the Artists' Works section.
  If you want a picture of Picasso, try the Personalities section.



• The Geography section is arranged alphabetically first by country, then state, then city. To look for Philadelphia, look under
  UNITED STATES--PENNSYLVANIA--PHILADELPHIA
  
  Geography is a good area for landmarks (such as the Seattle Space Needle or the Statue of Liberty) and landscapes.



• The Maps section is organized first by continent, then country, then city.



• The Museums and Galleries section is arranged alphabetically by the name of the institution.

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Send questions or remarks about this page to Laura Grutzeck, Visual Resources Librarian.
Last updated 07/26/06 sjm