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5856 results in Facet Publishing

Page 100 of 293

  • 13 - Seeing the bigger picture: archival description of visual information

  • from Part II - Materials and collection management
    • By Alyssa Carver, Assistant librarian and project archivist for the Chip Kidd Papers at the Special Collections Library of the Pennsylvania State University
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 129-136

  • Summary

    Introduction

    One of the most persistent challenges special collections librarians face is how to explain what they do. Casual conversations with strangers – to prevent them from becoming protracted – require omission of the word ‘archivist’ and the negative definition, ‘It's the stuff you can't check out of the library.’ This is an oversimplification, of course, but in truth there are not many other commonalities with other occupations to point to when describing archives and special collections. Given the potentially infinite range of collection formats and topics, absolute definitions are elusive. The answer to every archival question accommodates ambiguity and may often be ‘it depends’. It is much easier to explain the few tangible qualities, like rules and restrictions, or to characterize special collections by how they differ from ‘regular’ collections.

    This might seem like a rather abstract conundrum, but it becomes very concrete when the job is to describe these materials. Description is an essential library service of which readers may be unaware. The catalogue reveals where the desired item is; the item is retrieved. That seems easy. But the description of materials in special collections is often more complex, and sometimes even the fundamental nomenclature indicating what an item is can be difficult to identify. In a closed-stack environment, the stakes are higher since browsing is precluded, making accurate and detailed description is essential. There are few shortcuts for patrons that bring intellectual serendipity, like determining where an author's work or subject is shelved and then going there to see which book is the one they want. (With the word ‘see’ we have the linguistic bias toward visuality, the ocularcentric conflation of ‘seeing’ and ‘knowing’ [Rose, 2012, Chapter 1.1]). Users might not be aware that manu - scripts and unique materials even exist, much less how to look for them in a catalogue search. Thus for cataloguers of special collections, the task is not simply to make known items findable, but rather to describe the uncommon qualities of unknown items to an audience that cannot see them in a way that makes them not only retrievable, but also desirable.

  • 15 - Teaching with threshold concepts and the ACRL Framework in the art and design context

  • from Part III - Teaching and learning
    • By Alexander Watkins, Assistant professor and the Art & Architecture Librarian at the University of Colorado Boulder
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 147-156

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Teaching is at the core of the work of many academic librarians, with information literacy as the focus. But how do we define information literacy? And what skills and dispositions constitute information literacy? The way we articulate the definition of information literacy has a direct effect on how we teach it. The Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education (the standards) from the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) set forward a set of common skills and abilities an information literate student possesses. Now the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (the Framework) posits six ‘big ideas’ or frames that an information literate individual understands (2015a). It represents the culmination of a shifting pedagogical landscape in librarianship. The six frames are intentionally complex and wide ranging in scope. When the frames intersect with research practices within disciplines, they take on different shadings and modulations and are useful in multiple ways. When we apply the Framework from an art and design perspective, what might these ideas look like?

    The shifting landscape of information literacy pedagogy

    The adoption of the Framework and the rescinding of the standards in 2016 was the result of a sea change in thinking about information literacy. Despite their usefulness, a simple update of the standards could not solve some of their intrinsic issues nor bring them in line with current teaching practices. The standards are essentially a linear progression of many discrete research skills and steps. By overloading learning objectives and giving all components equal priority, no skills were identified as especially crucial (Hofer, Brunetti and Townsend, 2013, 110). Its prescribed order of steps suggested one way to carry out research and one way to understand information literacy; its prescriptive approach models the workflows of often privileged, high-achieving students whose work process most closely aligns with our own as academics and librarians (Elmborg, 2006, 194). Problematically, the

    standards do not address the social and political aspects of information, and they present an essentially positivist construction of information – as absolutes separate from context (Foasberg, 2015). The standards position students as mere finders and users of external and discrete units of information, rather than as critical participants in their communities.

  • 28 - Marketing plans made simple

  • from Part VI - Promotion and sustainability
    • By Paul Glassman, Director of University Libraries and Adjunct Instructor of Architectural History and Design at Yeshiva University
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 297-304

  • Summary

    Why pursue a marketing plan?

    Typically, definitions of marketing tell us what it is not: it is not advertising; it is not publicity; it is not outreach. But marketing does allow us to understand our audiences: our readers, our users, our constituents – however we refer to the people we hope to serve. And as we learn more about the people we hope to serve, we can communicate the value of academic libraries in a shared language. We can describe the benefit rather than the feature. For example, rather than boasting of the quality of cataloguing, we can offer the promise of finding what our patrons are looking for easily and quickly. Thus, a marketing plan is an exercise in showing empathy for our patrons. It is an opportunity to connect with users, to share the value of library services, and to tell a story that resonates. People take interest in propositions that relieve pain points and thereby make their lives easier. A marketing plan helps us intersect with our patrons’ needs. It helps us communicate value and evangelize.

    Change management

    With the cosmic changes the digital universe has brought to the place of libraries in the academic enterprise, adopting an entrepreneurial approach to change is essential for the successful organization, which adapts its core competencies to support innovation (Thota and Munir, 2011). And that innovation should centre on the expectations of users.

    The most compelling reason to create a marketing plan is to help the library change, help it grow as an organism and ensure sustainability for the future. To envision change, we need first to understand the organization: its personality, culture and behaviour. In their theory of change management, Bolman and Deal established four frames – metaphorical lenses – through which organizations and their leaders picture themselves: structural, human resource, political and symbolic. The greater the number of frames through which an organization is viewed, the more comprehensive the understanding of its culture. Each ‘captures a vital slice of organizational reality’ (2014, 9):

  • • The structural frame highlights goals, strategy, roles and co-ordination. Structural leaders focus on co-ordination and implementation.

  • • The human resources frame centres on relationships, group dynamics, reactions to authority, resistance to the task and response to leadership (Green and Molenkamp, 2005).

  • 21 - The ever-shifting landscape: mapping the present and future of digital art histories

  • from Part IV - Knowledge creation
    • By Colin Post, Doctoral student in the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 213-224

  • Summary

    Introduction

    This chapter provides an overview of the practices, approaches and discourses that make up the diverse field of digital art history. The author first describes the general discourse around digital art history, exploring how art historians and arts information professionals have defined digital art history and positioned digital art history practices in relation to the broader field of art history. He then outlines specific tools and methods, offering examples of projects. Finally, he considers the role that art and design libraries, archives and museums can play in supporting scholars, students and the wider public in pursuing, creating and sharing digital art history projects.

    Art and design librarians and other arts information professionals have a critical role to play in the future of digital art history. Identifying what this role might be is especially difficult, as digital art history is a moving target, developing in relation to dynamic technologies that promise an increasing range of possibilities. However, by mapping out the past and present of the field, information professionals will be better equipped to respond strategically to technological developments and work together towards a future of strong digital art historical scholarship.

    The digital in art history

    Digital technologies undeniably occupy a prominent position in nearly all aspects of current art historical research activities, teaching and knowledge production. Although relatively few in the field self-identify as ‘digital’ art historians, essentially all art history scholars depend on digital technologies to carry out their work, including such ubiquitous tools as PowerPoint and online library catalogues. The digital image repository, though, is perhaps the most significant digital resource to date for art history scholarship. Drucker (2013) refers to this phase of building up repositories of digital resources as digitized art history, work that has included scanning analogue images and crafting metadata descriptions. This work has also laid the foundation for what Drucker distinguishes as digital art history: the application of digital methods and computational analysis to the study of artworks and other art history research materials. With this still-growing infrastructure of digital resources, art historians can use computational tools to investigate objects of art historical research to new ends.

  • 29 - Engaging with social media

  • from Part VI - Promotion and sustainability
    • By Ken Laing, Co-Ordinator of Library Operations at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Hillary Webb, Systems and Technical Services Librarian at Emily Carr University of Art and Design
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 305-314

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Library marketing expert Nancy Dowd published an article in 2013 titled ‘Social Media: libraries are posting, but is anyone listening?’ (Dowd, 2013). Dowd points out that although the majority of libraries use social media to disseminate information to their communities, many do not keep track of their efforts or claim success in getting followers to interact. With this in mind, libraries that want to create or revitalize their social media presence should consider devising a plan. This chapter presents highlights from a social media case study carried out at the Emily Carr University (ECU) of Art and Design Library in Vancouver, British Columbia. Through the experience of the study, the authors outline ways in which organizations can develop objectives for their social media usage, strategies to increase online presence and interaction with their communities and methods to assess their presence. They also discuss some innovative ways libraries use social media, focusing on the visually rich field of art libraries.

    Emily Carr University of Art and Design Library: social media case study

    In spring 2013, the ECU Library made a push to energize and bolster its social media presence and formed a social media committee to support this project (Webb and Laing, 2015, 137–51). The committee met to discuss why social media was being used, what goals would be achieved by its use, who would be responsible for each platform, the type of content that would be posted, and how success would be measured. These were some of the goals set out by the committee:

  • • Raise the online profile of the Library by increasing the number of followers.

  • • Inform users of special events and programming.

  • • Help define the Library's role within the broader university community.

  • • Gain overall support for the Library from the community in general.

    • A social media policy was drafted to reflect the needs of the Library and to provide concise guidelines for staff to follow when representing the Library on its social media platforms. Each committee member took responsibility for a social media platform, posting content and keeping track of metrics and anecdotes of usage.

  • 7 - Developing digital collections

  • from Part II - Materials and collection management
    • By Greta Bahnemann, Metadata Librarian at the Minnesota Digital Library of the University of Minnesota, Jeannine Keefer, Visual Resources Librarian at the Boatwright Memorial Library of the University of Richmond
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 63-74

  • Summary

    In the late 2000s manuals, such as Terry Reese and Kyle Banerjee's Building Digital Libraries (2007), provided a detailed guide to the creation of digital collections. This chapter does not seek to supplant the guidance provided in this and other texts, but to focus on the best practices, to emphasize the fluid nature of collection building and to recognize potential beyond the collection to create new knowledge and interoperability.

    Introduction to digital collections

    Institutions, groups and individuals create digital collections that comprise a number of different types. A collection might stand alone (for a course or an exhibition), serve as a digital archive, contribute to a digital humanities project, enhance an institution's digital repository, or aggregate a multiple collections, such as Artstor or the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA; https://dp.la/).

    Regardless of type, all digital collections have two basic components: the digital file and its associated metadata. This is true whether the original materials are textual, visual, audio, video or three-dimensional objects. The digital file can either be born-digital, such as an image captured using a digital camera or created on a computer, or it can be a digital surrogate of an analogue original. The associated metadata includes descriptive, adminis - trative, technical and preservation metadata that aid in the discovery, use and management of the digital file. The content of your collection determines some of the decisions you will make regarding file types, metadata schema and presentation possibilities. Whether your collection is temporary or permanent, institutional or aggregated, or focused on art, science or history, the same rules and best practices apply.

    Getting started

    Motivators for planning and building digital collections include preservation of rare or fragile materials, providing access to unique or valuable materials, and increasing exposure to all collection items.

    No matter the reason for building a collection, there are several questions you will want to answer as you develop a project plan and workflow. Good planning eases the format migration, data creation and the pursuit of future projects. It also enables simultaneous sharing of content in multiple venues. The only constant in digital collections is change, and you need to be sure your content can adapt to new technology and tools for storage, access and delivery.

  • 22 - Critical cARTography: mapping spaces for dialogue about identity and artistic practices

  • from Part IV - Knowledge creation
    • By Andy Rutkowski, Geospatial Resources Librarian at the University of California Los Angeles, Stacy R. Williams, Head of the Helen Topping Architecture and Fine Arts Library at the University of Southern California
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 225-230

  • Summary

    Introduction

    One of the most exciting aspects of digital mapping projects is their ability to speak to users and facilitate discussion. In many ways, printed maps can do the same thing. If you take a historical map of a city that shows population density and place it in front of a group of students or community members, it will not be long before a discussion begins on neighbourhood change, migration patterns, or visualization techniques and methods. In her introduction to Infinite City: a San Francisco atlas, Rebecca Solnit writes that ‘every place is if not infinite then practically inexhaustible’ (Solnit, Pease and Siegel, 2010, 2). As a result, maps provide a framework for interpretation, discussion and reflective thinking. In many ways, academic librarianship, much like a map, is rooted in providing information to an audience. The mechanism for this exchange of information is multifaceted, and it can occur in a classroom, within collection development policies, at the reference desk, in a research guide, or during an online chat. This chapter asks, ‘Why not use a map?’

    The digital map-making process is one method for librarians to experiment in providing access to information and sharing that information to a wide audience of users. As digital humanities-based research becomes more prevalent in academia, how can librarians leverage some of the methods and tools used to create our own digital projects to advance emerging literacies and reframe our library collections for new audiences? Moreover, as we develop partnerships with faculty in the classroom, how can we become engaged in pedagogy that helps not only add value to, but also shapes a syllabus? The results of a recent international survey that asked questions of art and design librarians in higher education pointed to emerging tasks that ‘relate to online communication and services’ and concluded that ‘librarians might serve as guides who create original information and direct users to supplemental resources’ (Carpenter et al., 2010, 22, 27).

    In the following pages, we hope to expand on this finding by discussing two mapping projects that point to and highlight existing resources and offer a way for users to reinterpret these collections for their own research.

  • 16 - Teaching by the book: art history pedagogy and special collections

  • from Part III - Teaching and learning
    • By Sandra Ludig Brooke, Head of Princeton University's Marquand Library of Art and Archaeology since 2007
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 157-168

  • Summary

    Introduction

    We are now nearly two decades into the new century, and the digital revolution continues to accelerate. Big data, social media and virtual reality – these are just the latest phenomena to push the boundaries of library collections and services. Busy students with expectations of immediate, remote access to content can find the print-dependent art library anachronistic and frustrating. The concept of slow scholarship and the pedagogical strategies of ‘deceleration, patience and immersive attention’ are a hard sell when faculty must contend with large lecture courses and paper deadlines loom. As academic art libraries strive to be relevant in an increasingly digital world, it is worth reflecting on the character and usefulness of their least accessible yet most distinctive holdings – special collections. For meditations on slow learning and temporal intelligence in art history pedagogy, see Singerman (2016, 73–84) and Roberts (2013) respectively.

    Scope and value of special collections

    The term ‘special collections’ is inexact and is interpreted differently by individual libraries. Here it refers broadly to those materials afforded extra physical protection, usually through closed shelving, mediated handling and climate control. Although antiquarian books are a core component – so much so that ‘special collections’ and ‘rare books’ are often used interchangeably – it should be emphasized that many modern and non-codex materials are candidates. Criteria for special collections include rarity (survival in limited numbers), fragility (the need for special handling), vulnerability to mutilation and substantial market value. For an extended discussion of the policies and selection criteria used to identify special collections and rare books materials in art research libraries, see Rinaldo (2007).

    An individual selection need meet only one of these criteria, and even libraries that supposedly do not collect rare books will find items in stacks or vertical files that merit added protection. Examples commonly found in art libraries, beyond antiquarian books, are avant-garde journals, broadsides, contemporary artists’ books, exhibition ephemera and fine facsimiles. Audiovisual materials are not addressed in this chapter although they are part of special collections in many art libraries and bring with them related security and preservation challenges. At colleges and universities where special collections are concentrated in a central rare books department, they are nonetheless a resource that will benefit from the art librarian's attention.

  • 11 - Art documentation: exhibition catalogues and beyond

  • from Part II - Materials and collection management
    • By Gustavo Grandal Montero, Librarian and special collections curator at Chelsea College of Arts and Camberwell College of Arts
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 109-118

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The literature of the history, theory and practice of art and design has been in continual evolution since Leon Battista Alberti wrote De Pictura in 1435 (and Della Pittura in 1436), almost contemporaneously with the invention of the printing press in around 1440. A growing range of publications establishing new ways of documenting the work of artists and designers would follow this theoretical treatise: biographies, catalogues and journals. In recent years influenced by new digital tools and methods, this literature is still evolving, and it is central to the resources and practice of art and design librarianship.

    Art catalogues are arguably the main form of art documentation today, and a cornerstone of the bibliography of the subject. Widely published by museums, public and commercial galleries, academic and commercial publishers and others – still primarily in print format – their history can be traced to the first art collection catalogues published in the 17th century and to group and solo exhibition catalogues that appear in the 18th century.

    This chapter explores the present and potential future of the art catalogue and related formats, their role in the documentation of art, and their management and use in art and design libraries. Exhibition catalogues, collection catalogues, catalogues raisonnés, sales catalogues and art ephemera are primary and secondary source materials, documenting artworks and their history, particularly their public presentation in exhibitions and museums. Exhibition catalogues, alongside special formats like recurrent exhibition documentation (e.g. biennials, triennials), auction and sales catalogues, scholarly collec - tion catalogues and catalogues raisonnés, present a number of common characteristics, and their management in library collections often requires specialist knowledge, as they can be challenging to acquire and require expert cataloguing. Art ephemera (e.g. invitations, posters, lists of works, press releases) are another important if underrated resource collected by libraries as a complementary source of information on exhibitions and artworks. These materials and their management, from collection development to facilitating access and use, are the focus of this chapter.

    The exhibition catalogue

    Originally simply lists of artists and titles of works with dates, exhibition catalogues have added considerable content over time: images (from drawings to photographs), descriptions and analysis of the works, critical essays, chronologies, biographies of the artists, bibliographies and indexes.

  • 25 - New, renovated and repurposed library spaces: responding to new demands

  • from Part V - The physical environment
    • By Leo Appleton, Director of Library Services at Goldsmiths, University of London, Karen Latimer, Chair of the Designing Libraries Advisory Board UK, a member of the LIBER Architecture Group and a former chair of the IFLA, Pat Christie, Director of Libraries and Academic Support Services at University of the Arts London since 2012 and was chair of ARLIS/UK & Ireland from 2009 through 2011
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 263-276

  • Summary

    Changing typologies in contemporary library design

    The 21st century has been a challenging and exciting time in library building design. At the turn of the century there were doom-laden predictions that the physical library would cease to be important in the new electronic age as users would want everything delivered to their desktops at home or at work, and funders would be unwilling to invest in potentially redundant buildings. Instead, libraries embraced technology, shifting from largely collection-based spaces to more flexible ones that encouraged interactions and connections between library users and resources in all formats, between library users and each other, and between library users and library staff. Library design was ‘no longer largely governed by the storage and display of resources or by the need for spaceconsuming issue and service desks but rather by the needs of users. And the creation of exciting and attractive library space has been shown to bring people into the physical library to use virtual resources’ (Latimer, 2011, 126).

    The challenge is to create attractive, functional library spaces that support new ways of learning and digital literacy and take advantage of technological advances. The classic library building that housed predominantly print collections so successfully for many centuries does not necessarily provide a model for today's library learning spaces. Many of the basic tenets still hold true, however. The quintessential purpose of the library as a gateway to knowledge and as a centre for resources and ideas remains the same, and the trend towards expanding that principle to include creating knowledge and making physical prototypes is, in fact, something that art libraries have long embraced. In his overview of library evolution Brian Edwards points out that ‘there was not much difference in the architectural arrangement between the Renaissance art gallery and that of the library’ (2009, 4). Although that difference is more marked today, exhibition space remains important in the modern library, especially if linked to the curriculum, and has been made more feasible through the freeing up of space as a result of compact and collaborative storage and through collection management through the digitization of resources.

  • 1 - The governance and administration of the art and design library

  • from Part I - Roles and responsibilities
    • By Paul Glassman, Director of University Libraries and Adjunct Instructor of Architectural History and Design at Yeshiva University
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 3-14

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Whether supervising a professional library with support staff members or acting as solo librarian in a one-person library, the library manager will benefit from basic administrative tools. Starting with questions about parent organization's governance structure, this chapter recommends essential administrative and managerial tools for the art and design library: the mission statement, long-range or strategic planning, shorter-range annual plans (known also as operating or business plans), fundamentals of administration, promotion and advocacy, financial support, management of materials (the library's non personnel assets) including electronic resources, performance appraisal and accreditation.

    Governance

    Notably, among the first aspects of art and design libraries examined by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD; https://nasad.arts accredit.org) is governance. The UK Arts and Design Institutions Association (www.ukadia.ac.uk/about/ aims-objectives) also emphasizes best practices in administration and defines one of its goals as ‘To provide a platform to share good practice in academic development and managerial effectiveness for specialist arts and designs institutions’. Even if you are not engaged in an accreditation self -study, it may be useful to understand the relation of the library to its administration.

    In discussing library governance, NASAD states: ‘The functional position of the art/design collection within the total library structure shall be clearly identified, and the responsibilities and authority of the individual in charge of this collection shall be defined’ (NASAD, 2016–17, 65).

    The organizational structure of the design library in relation to the larger context of the academic library varies within institutions: it may be a collection within a central library; it may be a branch library; it may also be either of these with the addition of a resource, materials or product collection in proximity to the studios. This chapter will describe a variety of scenarios and management tools.

    In understanding the governance of the larger institution, the librarian will develop an awareness of the larger institutional culture and degree of collegiality. These relationships can be understood by examining the reporting structure for and within the library, which might be expressed through an organizational chart that addresses these questions:

  • • To whom is the library director accountable, and who supervises that individual?

  • • Who develops and administers policy for the library?

  • • Do the librarians have faculty rank and status?

  • • If so, do they serve on a faculty or academic senate?

  • 30 - Website strategies for art and design libraries

  • from Part VI - Promotion and sustainability
    • By Judy Dyki, Director of Library and Academic Resources at Cranbrook Academy of Art
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 315-322

  • Summary

    Introduction Art and design libra

    ries are in the enviable position of having visually stunning collections with which to create websites that appeal to their visually oriented clientele. Since websites are almost always the starting point for students seeking information, it is particularly important for art libraries to take full advantage of their online presence. The sky is the limit when it comes to website design and content, and the more innovative and visual the site is, the more it will resonate with students.

    The reality, however, is that website options may be limited for art and design libraries. In many cases, the library's site is part of a larger website for a university or independent art and design school. The library may be required to use the organization's platform, design and sometimes even the website template. Library staff may view this as an unfortunate restraint that necessitates a mundane library website. Staff should instead consider the psychology of limitations and embrace the design philosophy that rules and constraints can benefit one's creativity rather than constrict it (Allsopp, 2013). This creativity is vital for connecting with art and design students. The Five Obstructions, a film in which Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier challenges his colleague Jørgen Leth to remake the same film five times – each time with a different set of restrictions and rules – should be required viewing for any team preparing to plan a new website (von Trier and Leth, 2003).

    First impressions and a lasting relationship

    Since web users are an impatient group – the average time spent on a page is 15 seconds (Mineo, 2014) if the site is not compelling or the information is not readily available – the website of an art and design library must immediately hold visitors’ interest and entice them to explore further. The website is the most important vehicle to introduce students to the resources and culture of the library, so the first visit that students make sets the tone for their ongoing relationship with the library and the library staff. Students need to see immediately that the library has extensive resources that will support their research and/or studio work.

  • Part I - Roles and responsibilities

  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 1-2

  • Summary

    The task of organizing material and making it accessible to a constituency is no longer the totality of academic librarianship – nor is it a straightforward undertaking – and collecting material in a variety of formats represents, for the contributors in this section, only one aspect of the profession. Understanding campus culture and politics (and employing that understanding wisely), communicating across disciplinary boundaries and administrative zones, shepherding projects to completion, staffing and supervising, understanding the information-seeking behaviour of library users, managing change and planning programmes for the purposes of outreach and public relations. Some or all of these feature prominently in the set of responsibilities of the responsive and successful art and design librarian. Library science education has evolved over the past two decades, mostly in response to the cosmic shift from print and analogue to digital formats, but library science education remains heavily theoretical nonetheless. As a result, most of us have little formal training or in depth practical education in key administrative roles, such as budget manager, accreditation self-study co-ordinator, public relations writer or project manager. The following chapters outline key aspects of many of these roles and offer step-by-step guidance and keys to success.

  • 14 - Embedded in their world: moving mentally into the studio environment

  • from Part III - Teaching and learning
    • By Michael A. Wirtz, Associate professor and Head of Research and Library Technology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 139-146

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The artist's studio is not a natural environment for a librarian. To the unfamiliar, production in the studio may be disorganized, messy and non-linear. What is being made is often difficult, if not impossible, to classify. Descriptions of the work being created are often vague, couched in metaphors and full of synonymous terminology. To a library professional, trained in a world of classification, organization and controlled vocabulary, the studio environment is a foreign land. As for visitors to a foreign land, there is always the temptation to evaluate an unfamiliar environment based on what is familiar. Librarians of the past thought practising artists ‘do not want to learn library systems; some cannot read very well, many cannot verbalise their needs, and frequently cannot evaluate information’ (Hemmig, 2008, 349). In an early text on library instruction, the authors stated that they did not include a discussion of fine arts instruction because the fine arts ‘depend less on person-to-person communication than they do on talent, inspiration, perseverance, and opportunity – all fragile assets, the successful combination of which is notoriously unpredictable’ (Teague, 1987, 99). Art and design practitioners have also noted the disconnection between traditional library services and their creative production. In the essay ‘The Culture of Academic Rigour: does design research really need it?’ John Wood, former Deputy Head of the Fine Arts Department at Goldsmiths University, states that ‘competitive professional practices do not facilitate long periods in the library, and many designers succeed commercially without much contextual reading and writing’ (2000, 44).

    Although these sentiments might seem dated to a contemporary librarian, there is an element of truth in them. The average art and design student probably does have little interest in learning library systems because most systems rely on a textual or verbal mode of access. Many cannot verbalize their information needs because they often think in the abstract, and their ideas cannot be easily classified. Their needs are unpredictable because successful art and design is often interdisciplinary and almost always novel. They are not skilled in the rigour of academia because it is not a necessary component of artistic communication.

The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017
  • The handbook examines methods of innovative librarianship in academic and art school libraries. Serving as a field guide to academic art libraries in the twenty-first century, it integrates theory and practice as demonstrated by creative professionals working in the field of art librarianship. While much attention has been paid to art librarianship as it exists in museum settings, the focus on academic art and design school information services has not been as intensive. This essential handbook addresses that gap in the professional literature and examines methods of innovative librarianship in academic and art school libraries. The book offers guidelines for information professionals working in art and design environments who support and anticipate the information needs of artists, designers, architects, and the historians who study those disciplines.

  • 26 - Why is that column in the middle of the room? Success in creating classrooms for library instruction

  • from Part V - The physical environment
    • By Paul Glassman, Director of University Libraries and Adjunct Instructor of Architectural History and Design at Yeshiva University
  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 277-286

  • Summary

    Introduction

    As hands-on instruction becomes essential in the information literacy curriculum, librarians and library administrators may find themselves planning or proposing spaces that support their instructional goals and nurture those needs through responsive design decisions. To be effective, libraries are with increasing frequency moving toward locating, designing, equipping and furnishing functional, flexible and comfortable electronic classrooms (Primary Research Group, 2008). Whether or not an architect is available for assistance, considering essential criteria and making responsive design decisions results in spaces that are functional, flexible and forgiving.

    This chapter is based on experiences with spaces at Hofstra University, Felician University and Yeshiva University, all in the metropolitan New York region. It proposes a set of guidelines for ensuring greater success in the realization of the library instruction classroom. The chapter title derives also from experience at those institutions, where the spaces available contained structural columns almost in their centres, serving not only to support the floors of the spaces above, but also, on a metaphorical level, to suggest the occasional impediments and constraints that confront planners and designers of any interior volumes. Creative problem solving requires accommodations to inherent obstacles, and planners and designers who expect the unexpected are more likely to be able to surmount those obstacles and achieve their goals.

    Several questions are likely to emerge in the early stages of the planning process:

  • • What is the right space for library instruction?

  • • How do we propose a project of that magnitude?

  • • What happens if the architect doesn't listen to us?

  • • Can we do this on our own, without an architect?

  • • Do we want fixed seating?

  • • What type of equipment is needed?

  • • What should the capacity be?

    • With the increasing demand for electronic classrooms and the measurable benefits smart classrooms have in effective information literacy instruction, librarians are being asked to provide improved learning environments for their students. This chapter illustrates prototypes for shaping learning spaces to respond to changing learning needs and takes the shape of a set of practical guidelines for managing design and construction projects of this type.

  • Preface

  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp xix-xx

  • Summary

    In the seven years that have passed since the publication of the first edition of this handbook, the world of art and design libraries has been rocked by rapid advances in technology, an explosion in social media, the release of new standards and guidelines, shifts in the materials and processes of contemporary art, innovative developments in publishing models, expanding roles of librarians, new perspectives surrounding library spaces, and the evolving needs and expectations of art and design students. What has not changed is each library's deep commitment to art, which manifests itself as collections that are developed around images and objects; library instruction with an emphasis on visual literacy; and a student body consisting of artists, designers, art historians and art educators who approach the use of the library in unexpected and creative ways.

    The goal of this second edition is the same as the first: to present a selection of essays that take a careful look into the world of academic art and design libraries, whether they are part of universities or support independent art and design schools. A few of the essays are revised and updated from the first edition, but most are new to this book and present topics that are now gaining prominence in the profession. Throughout the handbook, authors were asked to maintain an international perspective in their research and examples.

    The volume is divided into six sections with three to eight chapters in each. Part I, ‘Roles and responsibilities’, considers several management concerns faced by art and design librarians. These include the general governance and administration of the library, evolving trends in the field, the changing roles of the art librarian, accreditation procedures and design thinking. One of the characteristics that distinguish art and design libraries from other libraries is their unique collections. Authors in Part II, ‘Materials and collection management’, explore visual resources, digital collections, archives, special collections, artists’ books and materials collections in the context of the library.

  • Part IV - Knowledge creation

  • Edited by Paul Glassman, Judy Dyki
  • Book:
    The Handbook of Art and Design Librarianship
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    10 October 2017, pp 211-212

  • Summary

    Gone are the days when the library was considered simply a physical storage facility for the research and writings of scholars. In the same vein, the role of librarians has changed from being the ‘keeper’ of collections to being an active creator and research colleague. Specialized skill sets position librarians at the forefront of knowledge creation and dissemination. New models of publishing have opened opportunities for alternate methods of information distribution. While the fields of art and design have embraced digital publishing and new media, traditional print still constitutes a large percentage of knowledge delivery. In response, art and design librarians have become active partners in digital art history initiatives while still facilitating access to print formats. The authors in this section explore the ways in which art libraries and librarians navigate through the numerous channels of scholarly communication to support research in all of its manifestations. The areas of digital art history, digital map-making and professional opportunities for art students receive close attention.

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