BIBLIOGRAPHIES
Bookshops
There are several excellent architectural bookshops in London, these provide a mail-order service and most have comprehensive catalogues. 
RIBA Bookshop The latest catalogue is New Books Spring 1999. A subject listing of a selection of material on architecture, building and construction. Earlier catalogues are still available for those who aren't just interested in new books. The RIBA Bookshop web-site has the latest books and contracts listed. The Building Centre’s New Bookshop Catalogue 1999: Architecture & Design is also a classified subject list. A web site is under development. The Triangle Bookshop stocks architecture, landscape and aesthetics. No published catalogue, but a stock list and orders via their web site. A Zwemmer Ltd  stocks architecture, interior design, furniture and art publications generally. No catalogue, but mail order is available. There are also some good second-hand bookshops, the RIBA British Architectural Library Information Unit produces a free list of these.
Publishers lists
These are also handy, free guides which are useful for keeping up to date with the latest publications. The main architectural publishers include: The Architectural Association, Architectural Press, an imprint of Butterworth-Heinemann; James & James who have a good list on sustainable architecture, E & FN Spon where the 98-99 Architecture catalogue includes titles from Routledge, Spon’s parent company and Wiley which has recently taken over Academy Editions; Phaidon and  Van Nostrand & Reinhold.
The RIBA Publications Catalogue 1999 is especially useful as it comprises a list of all items published by the RIBA, RIBA Publications, JCT, and selected items from The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, The Institution of Civil Engineers, the National Joint Consultative Committee for Building and The Joint Council for Landscape Industries. There is also a useful contracts checklist.
Selective lists
The essential reference here is Information Sources in Architecture and Construction Valerie J Nurcombe Bowker/Saur 2nd edition 1996. An excellent source containing a wealth of information. Chapters include: Information, organisations and libraries; Periodicals; Computerised information retrieval: databases; Trade literature and technical information; Maps, drawings and visual information; Urban and land-use planning; Design data; Interior design and landscape. The range of information sources in each field is described by subject specialists. Each chapter has a comprehensive bibliography and there is an appendix listing all organisations and information providers quoted. RIBA List of Recommended Books is also an excellent publication compiled and revised annually by the RIBA Library. Now in its twenty-eighth edition, it is a general but authoritative guide to the best books on architecture and related disciplines. While it is intended primarily for the use of students, practitioners and librarians, all who are interested in architecture and the built environment will find it an invaluable guide. The List contains over 900 entries, arranged in subject categories, and supported by an alphabetical index of subjects. An annual publication, it is free, and available on receipt of a stamped-addressed envelope from Julian Osley, RIBA British Architectural Library.
A good historical approach is provided in British and Irish Architectural History: A Bibliography and Guide to Sources of Information  Ruth H Kamen The Architectural Press 1981. A fully annotated bibliography is preceded by useful `How to find out' sections. Coverage includes drawings and maps and both published and unpublished sources are given. A contemporary, practical guide is the CIIG Manual: A Guide to Good Information Practice, editors: Peter Adderley and Annette O'Brien. Written mainly by practising librarians, members of the Construction Industry Information Group, this guide to good practice libraries includes chapters on: The reference collection (subject coverage generally and then by subject, types and forms of materials, classification and arrangement); External sources (libraries, organisations, people); Internal sources (in-house information, archives). The RIBA British Architectural Library Information Unit produces Information Sheets, mainly on practice-related topics including: Copyright, Starting up in practice and Marketing architectural services. (Free to RIBA members). As well as a catalogue (see above), the RIBA Bookshop also produces a number of free booklists on particular topics. The ones currently available are on: Architectural Theory, Green Design/Conservation, Architecture of the World, Practice and Legal, Monographs, Interior Design and Contract Commentaries. From the Bookshop web site visitors can register their interest in particular subjects and request to be updated on new publications in that area. 

DICTIONARIES
A wide range here, both in price and coverage ranging from the extensive, 34 volume Dictionary of Art  Jane Turner, editor Macmillan Publishers, 1996 to the everyday reference Penguin Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture John Fleming, Hugh Honour, Nikolaus Pevsner Penguin, 5th edition, 1998, which covers everything from business parks to deconstructivism, including useful profiles of contemporary architects.
Other useful titles include: 
Dictionary of Architectural and Building Technology Henry Cowan and Peter Smith E & FN Spon 3rd edition, 1998. Over 5500 terms, designed for the professional; A Dictionary of Architecture James Stevens Curl Oxford University Press 1999; Encyclopedia of Interior Design Joanna Banham editor Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers 1997; Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World Paul Oliver editor Cambridge University Press 1997; Illustrated Building Glossary Roxanna McDonald Architectural Press 1998; Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture Ernest E Burgen McGraw-Hill 1998; Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture 800–1914 Jill Lever and John Harris, 2nd edition Faber 1993; Thames and Hudson Encyclopaedia of 20th Century Architecture Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani editor Thames & Hudson 1986; Thames and Hudson Encyclopaedia of 20th Century Design and Designers Guy Julier, 1994. 
Contracts are a difficult area for the non-professional and here the Building Contract Dictionary Vincent Powell-Smith and David Chappell Legal Studies and Services can be invaluable. 

DIRECTORIES
Associations, research and trade bodies
These lists are often included in other publications. Architects will have access to the lists in the free annual product directories RIBA Product Selector and the Barbour Compendium. Specialist directories include: Construction Information Directory Ruth O’Leary RIBA Publications 1996. A guide to over 700 institutions, associations and organisations. The internet link sites listed below also have listings.
Schools of architecture
Schools of Architecture with courses recognised by the RIBA is available as a priced booklet from RIBA Publications, or as a free list from the RIBA British Architectural Library Information Unit. A world-wide list is published by the UIA and a North American version by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture.
People 
The most comprehensive biographical dictionary is the Directory of British Architects, 1834-1900 Compiled by the RIBA British Architectural Library Mansell Cassell 1993. A comprehensive directory of over 7,000 British architects working between 1834 and 1900. Basic facts are given: dates of birth, death, address, qualifications, practice information, works, publications etc as well as references to obituaries, unpublished sources, portraits, RIBA Nomination Papers etc. A new edition covering 1834-1914 is in preparation. The Macmillan Dictionary of Art mentioned above is also very useful, especially its excellent index which includes dates of birth and death. Other historical biographical dictionaries include: Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 H M Colvin,  3rd edition Yale University Press 1995; International Dictionary of Architects and Architecture Randall Van Vynckt St James Press 1993. Volume 1 looks at 500 great works of architecture, volume 2 covers the 500 most influential architects and builders in Western history and the Macmillan Encyclopaedia of Architects Adolf K. Placzek editor in chief Free Press, Collier Macmillan Publishers 1982. 4 vols. This comprises 2450 biographies which include lists of completed projects and bibliographies.
Contemporary coverage includes: Contemporary Architects Muriel Emanuel St James Press 3rd edition, 1994 which includes major architects of the 20th century. Practising architects are listed in the Register of Architects ARB  65th edition, 1998. RIBA individual members and registered practices are given on their web site, although the practices are also available on CD-ROM and in book form as the RIBA Directory of Practices 1998. This lists all RIBA registered practices and includes advice on selecting an architect. An international version listing those practices with experience of working overseas is also available. Architects working for official bodies are listed in the Housing and Planning Yearbook Pitman Publishing. This covers central and local government and such non-governmental bodies as National Parks and Housing Associations. The Municipal Yearbook and Public Services Directory Newman Books also covers this area in a section on Architecture and Building. Membership of committees is also included including the Building Regulations Advisory Committee for example. Many of the foreign professional institutes publish membership lists. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) publishes both a comprehensive list of members as ProFile: The Directory of US Architectural Design Firms Construction Market Data and an online version. Copies of most available foreign directories are held by the RIBA British Architectural Library and the International Union of Architects (UIA) itself publishes a list of its members.
Buildings
UK buildings are thoroughly covered in the Buildings of England series, originated by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner in 1951 and often referred to as “Pevsner”. This series surveys the architecture of England county by county, it is still going strong and new volumes are regularly published. There are also volumes on the buildings of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, all following the same format.
Other guides to historical buildings include: the English Country Houses series Antique Collectors’ Club, Country House Described Michael Holmes St Paul’s Bibliographies 1986, Country House index John Harris 1971 Pinhorns indexes over 2000 country houses illustrated in 107 books published between 1715 and 1872. The Royal Commissions on the Historic Monuments of England, Scotland and Wales have published Inventories of Historical Monuments since 1910 HMSO; Victoria History of the Counties of England Institute of Historical Research 1901- also covers regional architecture, whilst the 43 volumes so far published of the Survey of London Athlone Press do not yet cover all of that city. Coverage includes the history of areas and individual buildings, giving maps, plans and photographs. Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture Dan Cruickshank 20th edition Butterworth-Heinemann 1997, is the standard architectural history covering world architecture from the earliest times to 20th century which includes an excellent bibliography. The National Monuments Record has set up a Listed Buildings telephone information service.
Recent architectural projects are best covered in specialist journals (see below), but three of the most useful contemporary directories are: Contemporary World Architecture Hugh Pearman Phaidon 1998, Twentieth Century Architecture: A Visual History Dennis Sharp Lund Humphries 2nd edition 1991, and International Style – Modernist Architecture from 1925 – 1965 Hasan-Uddin Khan Taschen 1998 which also includes useful biographies and bibliographies.
Research
The main sources of technical research are the BRE and CIRIA. An historical source is The Society of Architectural Historians.
Drawings, illustrations, archives
Architects communicate through drawings: sketches, perspectives, plans, elevations – produced laboriously at the drawing board or more quickly using the latest computer aided design technology (CAD). The RIBA British Architectural Library produces a guide to its collections: Drawings Collection Catalogue of the Drawings Collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects British Architectural Library 1969 -1989. 20 volumes including a cumulative index. The Builder Illustrations Index 1843-1883  R Richardson & R Thorne Hutton & Rostron 1994, indexes illustrations from The Builder magazine. A recent introduction is a CD-ROM Architecture and Design Illustrated (available from RIBA Publications) which comprises over 2,000 images of photographs, drawings and prints from the RIBA’s Photographic Collection. 
Architecture in Manuscript 1601 - 1996: Guide to the British Architectural Library Manuscripts and Archives Collection RIBA British Architectural Library, Mansell 1998 is a guide to the architectural specifications, correspondence, sketchbooks and other documents including held in the collection.
DESIGN DATA
Essential information for building design, these directories give basic dimensional data related to current standards and regulations, which are also listed as short subject bibliographies. The architects’ favourite, just reissued in a new edition which includes a CD-ROM format for drawings offering a drag and paste facility is the Metric Handbook: Planning and Design Data David Adler Architectural Press 1998/99. Other titles are: Architects Data Neufert, 2nd edition,1980; Building Design Easibrief, Building Design 1998; Planning Edward D Mills Butterworth. A recent addition is Architect’s Pocket Book Charlotte Baden-Powell Architectural Press 1997, a handy little guide which aims to bring together essential, everyday information which a designer needs from a wide variety of sources.

PRODUCT DATA
Much of an architect’s role is the specification of products, ranging from roof tiles to taps and paving. There are several good directories available, some of them in book, CD-ROM and web site form. Publishers include: Architects’ Standard Catalogue (ASC), Barbour Index (Barbour Compendium) and RIBA Information Services (RIBA Product Selector). Telephone enquiry services are offered by the Building Centre and Barbour Index. Web sites are being developed: ASCwebindex, Building Focus, Leonardo, RIBA Product Selector Online but as yet these are not as comprehensive as hard copy or CD.

JOURNALS 
Weekly journals include: Architects’ Journal, Building and Building Design. Monthlies: Architectural Review, Architecture Today and the RIBA Journal. The bi-monthly Architectural Design offers themed issues, focusing on new developments and current architectural philosophy. Research is covered in ARQ: Architectural Research Quarterly Cambridge University Press.
Indexes to journals are vital and architecture is well served. The most comprehensive is the Architectural Publications Index British Architectural Library RIBA Publications. A quarterly publication with an annual cumulation, this is also available online as The Architecture Database from DIALOG. It is the published version of the BAL's subject index to approximately 300 architectural periodicals from 50 countries. Entries are by subject, names, buildings and places. Periodicals are covered from 1972, books received by the library since 1984 are also indexed. RIBA Publications also issues Architectural Publications Index on disc a quarterly CD-ROM service that includes the Architectural publications index from 1978 and all books and audio-visual material catalogued in the British Architectural Library since 1984. The Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals covers more American journals and architectural projects, although like the API above, it aims to be international in its coverage. It is available in 3 forms: an online database / web site, an annual CD-ROM (both from 1977) and a printed index with annual updates, (begun in 1934) G K Hall & Co, Macmillan Publishing.
A more technical approach is provided by Construction and Building Abstracts. A CD-ROM service provided by The Ove Arup Partnership and NBS Services, this bibliographical database of over 200 journals gives abstracts covering engineering, building technology and architecture.

INFORMATION SERVICES
Architecture and other construction industry design professionals are well served by commercial information services. One of the leaders in the field is Barbour Index. Services range from a telephone enquiry service for trade information, the established Microfiles of microfiche full-text technical information to the latest Construction Expert CD-ROM system which includes full text documents from over 200 publishers. Technical Indexes is another well known commercial service and they have teamed up with the RIBA to produce the RIBA.ti Construction Information Service. This CD-ROM system offers documents in full text from over 150 publishers.
Less comprehensive and therefore cheaper services are offered by Building Online, an online service and Complete Picture, a CD-ROM service. Both concentrate on technical regulatory, standards and product data.

LIBRARIES
The British Architectural Library of the Royal Institute of British Architects is undoubtedly the main library in this field. Collections cover architectural theory, practice and history, but also include construction, art, design, landscape, planning, interior design and decoration, the decorative arts and topography. The Books and Periodicals collection includes over 135,000 books (6,000 of them available for loan to library members). There are Special Collections of Drawings, Manuscripts and Archives, Photographs and Objects, including models and drawing instruments.
Other sources are The National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Monuments Record Centre and local public libraries which often have excellent local history/archive collections. The City of Westminster Archives Centre for example holds extensive collections of books, newspapers, prints, maps photographs and local government records dating from 1460 which relate to the borough’s history and growth. Worthy international collections include the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, New York. This is the premier architectural library in the United States with over 250 000 volumes and 1800 periodical titles. Its catalogue from 1981 is on the internet.

ORGANISATIONS TO JOIN
ARLIS, The Art Libraries Society, aims to promote art librarianship, whilst the Construction Industry Information Group (CIIG) is aimed at all those interested in construction industry information. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) offers subscriber membership. There are two options, one includes the monthly RIBA Journal. This form of membership includes reference use of the British Architectural Library and free RIBANet software to exchange information and ideas online with other members. More specialist groups are the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain, The Georgian Group, the Victorian Society and the Twentieth Century Society. 

INTERNET
The construction net: Online information sources for the construction industry Alan H Bridges, 1996, E & FN Spon. This excellent directory is updated on Spon’s website.
Search engines and lists:
Adam (Art, design, architecture and media) www .adam.ac.uk
Architectural history www. yahoo.com/Arts/Design_Arts/Architecture/History 
Architecture Links www. users.globalnet.co.uk/~askew/ArchitectureLinks.html A good information source for architectural practices as it includes sites relevant to funding, law, CAD and work opportunities.
Architecture Web Resources http: //library.nevada.edu/arch US bias, but very extensive coverage of architecture and building. 
CTI Centre for the Built Environment: Architecture Resource List www. ctiweb.cf.ac.uk Set up by Cardiff University School of Architecture.
Cyburbia: Internet Resources for the Built Environment, Architecture Resource Directory www. cyburbia.org Formerly called PAIRC – The Planning and Architecture Internet Resource Center, this American site contains a comprehensive directory of internet resources relevant to planning, architecture and other topics related to the built environment including Green architecture and Sustainable development. There are currently over 7600 links.
RIBA Library Links www. riba.net This excellent list of links includes Electronic lists, Discussion groups, Search engines and Directories. Subject groupings include: Architects, designers and engineers, Architecture, Awards, Buildings, Computers, Construction, Design/interiors/art, Environment, Events, Government (UK), Grants, Education, Heritage, Libraries, Maps, Materials and products, Museums, galleries and exhibitions, Planning, Urban history, Publications including books, journals, CD-ROMs and videos, Research, Standards, Towns and cities and Visual arts.
Sites:
Building Focus www. building-focus.co.uk, Leonardo www. leonardouk.com and RIBA Product Selector Online www. productselector.co.uk include products and organisations.
The Construction Site www. emapconstruct.co.uk is supported by magazines including the Architects’ Journal and the Architectural Review.  The AR has its own site at www. arplus.com where contents lists of recent issues are displayed together with selected articles.
RIBANET www riba.net This site, as yet in its early stages, aims to be the web starting point for architecture. Its aim is to serve architectural interests in the UK, Europe, North America and the rest of the English-speaking world. So far it is a source of architects, exhibitions, news and RIBA information.

CONTACTS
American Institute of Architects (AIA) www.aiaonline.com
Architects’ Journal 0171 505 6700, www. emapconstruct.co.uk
Architects’ Registration Board (ARB) 0171 580 5861
Architects Standard Catalogue (ASC) 01322 277788; www. ascwebindex.com 
Architectural Association Publications 0171 887 4021
Architectural Design 01243 843282; dmu-leaf @wiley.co.uk
Architectural Press 01865 888180;  www. bh.com
Architectural Review 0171 505 6725 www. arplus.com
Architecture Today 0171 837 0143
ARLIS 01527 579298 
Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture 1735 New York Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20006
Athlone Press 0181 458 0888
Avery Index www. ahip.getty.edu/aka/aka_form_pub.hml
Barbour Index 01344 884121; fax 01344 884845; Enquiry Service 01344 884999; www. barbour-index.co.uk
Bowker/Saur 01342 330100
BRE 01923 894040; www. bre.co.uk 
British Architectural Library and Information Unit RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1N 4AD. Information line: 0906 302 0400 (premium rate); fax: 0171 631 1802, e-mail: bal @inst.riba.org, www. riba.net
Building 0171 560 4054; www. building.co.uk
Building Centre telephone information services Product Information and Reference Library: 0906 161136; Market and Technical Helpline: 0906 111637 (both are premium rate lines)
Building Centre Bookshop 071-692 4040; www. buildingcentre.co.uk 
Building Design 0181 855 7777
Building Online 0171 837 5072; buildon @netcomuk.co.uk
Cambridge University Press  ***
CIRIA www. ciria.org.uk
City of Westminster Archives Centre 0171 641 5180
Complete Picture (UK) 0171 721 7766
Construction Industry Information Group (CIIG) 26 Store Street, London WC1E 7BT; www. archinet.co.uk/ciig
CRC Publications 0171 505 6622
Georgian Group 0171 387 1720
Hutton & Rostron 0148 641 3221
James & James 0171 387 8558; www. jxj.com 
Legal Studies and Services *****
Listed Building Information Service 0171 208 8221
Lund Humphries 0181 458 6314
Macmillan Publishers 0171 881 8000
Mansell Cassell plc 0171 420 5555
McGraw-Hill 0181 543 1234; www. books.mcgraw-hill.com
National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum 0171 938 8315; www. nal.vam.ac.uk/projects/heritage.html
National Monuments Record Centre 01793 414600, fax 01793 414707; www.rchme.gov.uk
NBS Services 0191 232 9594; fax 0191 232 5714
Phaidon 0171 843 1234
Princeton Architectural Press 0171 834 7767; www. paperpress.com
RIBA 0171 580 5533; www. riba.net
RIBA Bookshop 0171 251 7170; fax: 0171 253 1559; e-mail: marketing @ribabooks.com; www .ribabookshop.com
RIBA Information Services 0171 496 8383; fax 0171 374 8260; www. ribis.gb.com, www .productselector.co.uk
RIBA Publications 0171 251 0791; e-mail: ribapublications @ribabooks.com; www. ribabookshop.com
Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain 0131 668 8709; www. bath.ac.uk/centres/casa/sahgb.html
E & FN Spon  0171 842 2400;  www. efnspon.com
Taschen 0171 437 4350
Technical Indexes 01344 426311, fax 01344 424971; www techindex.co.uk 
Thames and Hudson 0171 636 5488
Triangle Bookshop 0171 631 1381; www. trianglebookshop.com
Twentieth Century Society 0171 250 3857; e-mail Jill @c20society.demon.co.uk
UIA 00331 45 24 36 88
Victorian Society 0181 994 1019
John Wiley & Sons Ltd 01243 779777; e-mail cs-books @wiley.co.uk; www. wiley.co.uk
A Zwemmer Ltd 0171 240 4158