Library Adds Major Art Reference Work

The Norman E. Watson Library at Orange Coast College has acquired the highly lauded 34-volume Dictionary of Art, the most comprehensive art historical reference ever published.

Publisher Grove Dictionaries Inc., of London, says the massive set, which costs $8,800, covers virtually all aspects of visual art except film.

Nearly 16 years in the making, the dictionary was published in October. Officials at Orange Coast College said they were “thrilled” to secure a copy, one of the dictionary’s initial run of 6,000.

“It’s one of the finest acquisitions our library has made in its nearly 50 years of existence,” said librarian Debbie Webb. “We’re extremely fortunate [to be] one of just a handful of community colleges in the nation with this reference work.”

The dictionary contains 27 million words and 15,000 illustrations; includes 32,600 pages and 45,000 articles written by 6,800 contributors. It takes up five feet of shelf space.

Nearly every visual art form is covered, from Stone Age cave paintings to contemporary multimedia installations--including painting, sculpture, architecture and photography.

“It’s all here, art representing nearly every culture on the planet,” Webb said.