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Santa Monica College Library

Theatre Arts

Welcome to the SMC Library's guide on resources on Theatre Arts. Here you will find useful resources to help you in your research.The tabs along the top of this page will show you more specific information that may assist you with your research.

Finding Books

If you want to find out which books our library owns, you would check the SMC Library catalog, which lists the books and other materials that the library owns: library.smc.edu

You may look for books in the catalog by author, title, or by your subject.  If you want to see if the library owns a particular book, then you would search for the book in the catalog by either the title or the author. 

If you are looking for information on a topic and do not have a specific book in mind, you would search the catalog by subject.

Here are some examples of subject terms to use when searching the library catalog:

  • Acting, Auditions
  • Costume
  • Monologues
  • Motion Picture Acting
  • Motion Pictures, Production and Direction
  • Performance Anxiety
  • Stage Combat
  • Stage Fright 
  • Television Acting
  • Theater, Production and Direction
  • Theater Rehearsals
  • Theaters, Stage-Setting and Scenery
  • Theatrical Makeup
  • Theatrical Producers and Directors, United States, Biography

Biography

When to Use Books

Books are helpful when:

  • You need a broad overview or an in-depth look at a topic.  Example: Earthquakes.

Books may not be as helpful when:

  • The topic is very recent.  Books take a long time to get written and published.  Example: Information about an earthquake that happened last night.
  • You have a fairly narrow topic. Example: If you are writing on the Northridge Earthquake, you may not find an entire book on that earthquake. 

Primary Sources

Finding Books on the Shelf

The library catalog gives you the information you will need to locate the book.  On the example record below, there is a section titled Holdings.  The information in this section includes the call number, the number of copies, which location within the library the book is shelved, and whether or not the book is checked out.


Call numbers are similar to a house address.  It tells us where the book is shelved on the book shelves (also called “stacks.”)  Each book in the library has a unique call number, so it is important to write down the entire number. Most college libraries use the Library of Congress call number system, which consists of letters and numbers. 

The nice thing about call numbers is that they group books on similar topics together, so when you go to the book stacks, you may find other books on your topic nearby.