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Concise Guide to Information Sources in Textiles

Background Material

Reference Sources

Lists of books and other materials

Bibliographies

Lists of companies, suppliers, etc.

Directories

Finding articles, reports etc.

Indexes/Journal Services

Internet, CD-ROMs, etc.

Electronic Resources

Lists of locally held ...

Periodicals/Newspapers

Finding dissertations/theses

Research

Fashion/Textile Forecasting

Trend Services

Keeping up to date

Current Awareness

Info. Files, Microforms, etc.

Special Collections

Sources of information

Statistics

Internet, CD-ROMs etc.

Visual Resources

Companies/professional bodies etc.

Organizations

Problems/need help?

Further information

Link to:

Finding Information by Subject

 

Reference Sources

The following items are only a sample of what is available in the Martindale Library

Clothing/Fashion

Reference material relating to fashion is shelved at Quick Ref 746.9203. The collection includes:

  • Essential terms of fashion: a collection of definitions
  • The encyclopaedia of fashion from 1840 to the 1980s

Textiles

Reference material relating to textiles is shelved at Quick Ref  677.003. The collection includes:

  • Encyclopedia of textiles (3rd ed.)
  • Encyclopedia of textiles (by Judith Jerde)
  • Textile terms and definitions

Bibliographies

  • The British National Bibliography for Report Literature (BNBRL), shelved in the Abstracts and Indexes section at the far end of the Ground Floor of the Martindale Library, includes references to textile-related reports.  BNBRL lists reports and other material acquired by the British Library published in the United Kingdom by non-trade publishers such as research organizations, universities, charities, and pressure groups.  BNBRL also includes UK doctoral theses
  • R. D. Franks Ltd. is a long established "retailer" of fashion media, including books, magazines, equipment, and trend services.  Their website includes their current catalogue of fashion and textile titles
  • Textile Titles of the World, shelved at 016.677 TEX in the Quick Reference section of the Martindale Library, provides comprehensive details of titles published by The Textile Institute, together with relevant titles from other publishers. It is published as a joint effort between The Textile Institute and Blackwell's Bookshops. A new edition of the catalogue is due in November 2001.  This will also be available shortly on Blackwell's website.

Directories

The following items are only a sample of what is available in the Reference sections of the Martindale Library (Quick Reference on Ground Floor and Microform Collection on First Floor).

For details of clothing companies and suppliers, refer to:

  • The Directory of UK Clothing Multiples (338.47687 DIR)
  • The British Clothing Industry Yearbook 1999/2000 (687.025 BRI)
  • The Fashion Index 99; the complete sourcing guide to the UK clothing industry (687.025 FAS)
For information about fashion designers, refer to the following:
  • The Fashion Guide; International Designer Directory (746.920922025 INT)
  • London College of Fashion Designer Files (in 2 volumes in Microform Collection on First Floor at REF MIC LON)
  • McDowell's Directory of Twentieth Century Fashion (746.9203 MCD)
  • Contemporary Fashion (746.9203)

The following Internet sites contain directories or links to directories:


Indexes/Journal Services

There are a number of specialized indexes, journal, and other services which will help you find literature such as articles, reports, conference proceedings and standards.  The following list is arranged by subject category, with a brief description and Internet link, if applicable.

Once you have located relevant articles you must find out whether the Library has copies, either in paper, or in electronic form.  You can find out about what lists to check by clicking here.  Remember that if a paper or electronic version is unavailable, you may be able to obtain the item/s through the Inter-Library loans service.

Note for Galashiels-based users

Some of the resources are currently only accessible from the PC Caledonia network.  If you have any queries about accessing or using these resources - or any suggestions for adding to or improving the list! - please contact the Enquiry Desk on 01896-89-2241 or email LibHelp@sbc.hw.ac.uk

  • ARIAD (Allison Research Index of Art and Design)
    Coverage: Art, design
    Type: Bibliographic database
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • Art Index
    Coverage: Art, design
    Type: Bibliographic database
    Format: Printed (shelved in Abstracts & Indexes section of the Martindale Library)
    [ Information ]
  • Design and Applied Arts Index (DAAI)
    Coverage: Art, crafts, design
    Type: Bibliographic database
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • Just-style.com
    Coverage: News, feature articles, research store, industry forums, email alerts, trade events, industry resources
    Type: Business knowledge provider/online portal
    Format: Networked [N.B.: as the University is not a subscribing member of this service, some items are not accessible]
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • MINTEL Reports (Essentials and Retail Intelligence)
    Coverage: Market reports, including retail reports on clothing/fashion
    Type: Full text
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • Research Index
    Coverage: refers articles on companies and the industry ("Clothing" and "Textile")
    Type: Bibliographic database
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • Textile Technology Digest
    Coverage: Textile technology and industry
    Type: Bibliographic database
    Format: CD-ROM (G18) in 3 Hour Loan Collection
    Please ask at the Martindale Library Service Desk if you wish to use this service
    [ Information ]
  • World Textiles
    Coverage: Textiles and related subjects
    Type: Bibliographic database
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]

Electronic Resources

There are other resources which are freely available to members of Heriot-Watt University in addition to the indexes listed above.  The following list is arranged by subject category, with a brief description and Internet link, if applicable.
  • ADAM (Art, Design, Architecture & Media Information Gateway)
    Coverage: includes art and applied arts, design, architecture and media
    Type: Information Gateway
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • Apparelkey.com
    Coverage: Clothing manufacturing
    Type: Knowledge portal
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • Clothing Technology
    Coverage: Sewing threads; garment specification; seam, stitch and thread selection; technological developments in sewing machines and techniques
    Type: Multimedia Training Package
    Format: CD-ROM in 3 Hour Loan Collection
    Please ask at the Martindale Library Service Desk if you wish to use this service
    [ Information ]
  • Introduction to Textiles
    Coverage (CD-ROM G2): Yarn, knitting and weaving technology; woven structures; (CD-ROM G3): Nonwoven technology; bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing; clothing technology; testing and quality control
    Type: Multimedia Training Package
    Format: CD-ROMs in 3 Hour Loan Collection
    Please ask at the Martindale Library Service Desk if you wish to use this service
    [ Information ]
  • World Wide Arts Resources
    Coverage: includes art and artists, art history, and arts education
    Type: Information Gateway
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]

Periodicals/Newspapers

Periodicals

As many indexes and other services, including electronic ones, do not cover the more recent issues of newspapers and periodicals, it is essential to check recent issues for the latest information on your subject.  Remember that the most recent issue is shelved on the Display shelving on the First Floor of the Martindale Library.  For an overview of where periodicals are located, click here.

For an up to date listing of periodicals held in the Martindale Library, including an A-Z list and subject lists - including Art/Design, Clothing/Fashion, Fashion and Textile Forecasting Collection, and Textiles - please click here.

The Library also subscribes to many periodicals in electronic form, including some of those we hold in printed form.  For an up to date list, click here.

Newspapers

The Martindale Library subscribes to a full range of local and national newspapers, electronic versions of some of them, and some services which provide the full text of newspapers.  For a comprehensive list, please click here.

The following services may help you find newspaper/periodical articles on textile-related and other subjects:

  • Research Index
    Coverage: includes references to articles on companies, and to articles under industry headings including "Clothing" and "Textiles"
    Type: Bibliographic database
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]

The following service relates specifically to retailing in the clothing and textile industry:


Research

The following databases include items of interest to textile researchers:

  • Digital Dissertations
    Subject Coverage: All subjects
    Type: Bibliographic database
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • Index of Conference Proceedings
    Subject Coverage: All subjects
    Type: Bibliographic database
    Format: Printed (shelved in Abstracts & Indexes section of the Martindale Library)
    [ Information ]
  • Index to Theses
    Subject Coverage: All subjects
    Type: Bibliographic database
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]

Student Projects

The Library maintains a collection of recent (selected) undergraduate and post graduate student projects and dissertations.  We are currently creating "series" entries in the catalogue to enable you to view entire sets of projects.  At the moment you can search for all design and textile projects by keying in "Textile Design" or "Textiles" in the catalogue (use "SERIES TITLES" search in telnet version or "se=Series" in "Browse Searching" on GeoWeb version).  The Projects are located in an open cabinet on the wall opposite the Library entrance.

Thesis Collection

The Library holds a collection of theses written by staff and students during their time at Scottish Borders Campus and the former Scottish College of Textiles.  There are two copies of some theses, one of which is for reference only.  If you wish to borrow from the Collection, please ask at the Service Desk.  If you wish to find out about all theses in Heriot-Watt University Library, and not just "local" ones, you can do a catalogue search by "CLASS NUMBER" (telnet version) or "dw= Dewey #" ("Browse Searching" in GeoWeb version), and keying in "Theses".


Trend Services

The Martindale Library subscribes to a number of general and specialized fashion and textile forecasting services in printed form.  For an up to date list, click here.

In addition, one of the electronic resources listed above, WGSN-edu (Worth Global Style Network - Educational), provides trend information.  Students and staff of Heriot-Watt studying a textile-related course are entitled to access this service.  A personal PIN must be obtained from the Martindale Library Service Desk to register for access.


Current Awareness

Some electronic services provide a "current awareness" facility, such as an email newsletter.  These include:

  • Corporate Clothing Director
    Coverage: Business clothing, workwear, foul weather clothing, safety wear, protective garments and promotional clothing.
    Type: Business to business sourcing directory/news and information service
    Format: Networked (requires registration)
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • Just-style.com
    Coverage: News, feature articles, research store, industry forums, email alerts, trade events, industry resources
    Type: Business knowledge provider/Online Portal
    Format: Networked [N.B.: as the University is not a subscribing member of this service, some items are not accessible]
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • Textile Web
    Coverage: Articles, application notes, case studies, presentations, research analysis, white papers, and commentaries
    Type: Business to business sourcing directory/news and information service
    Format: Networked
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • WGSN (Worth Global Style Network)
    Coverage: Fashion and style
    Type: News, prediction and resource service for paying subscribers
    Format: Networked [N.B.: you can register for WGSN's email newsletter, but as the University is not a paying subscriber, you can only view the headlines]
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]
  • WGSN-edu (Worth Global Style Network - Educational)
    Coverage: Fashion and style
    Type: News, prediction and resource service
    Format: Networked [N.B.: you can opt for a weekly email newsletter when you register for the service]
    USERNAME AND PASSWORD REQUIRED
    [ Connect ] [ Information ]

Please note

Some non subject-specific current awareness services, such as ZETOC, could be used for textile current awareness.  For a comprehensive list of all the major current awareness services which you can access - please click here.


Special Collections

The Martindale Library holds a number of special collections, some of which are relevant to textiles.  These include:


Statistics

Textile statistics are included in the following publications held in the Martindale Library:

  • Fiber Organon
  • Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management
  • Knitstats

  • MINTEL Market Intelligence - Essentials (full text online)

  • MINTEL Retail Intelligence (full text online)

  • Monthly Digest of Statistics
  • Technical Textile Markets
  • Textile Outlook International (World Textile and Apparel Trade and Production Trends)

An excellent source of statistics is the UK Government's National Statistics website


Visual Resources

There are many visual resources held in the Martindale Library.  These include:

  • the Microform and Slide Collections
  • VideoFashion News - a fashion magazine in video format (shelved at 746.92 VID)
  • Catalogues of high-quality photographs with CD-ROMs or associated websites (to locate them, search Library catalogue under subject "Photographs" ).

Organizations

Organizations can provide useful information about the industry or interest for which they cater.  Amongst those that cater for the industry are: