Tom,
We store our artists books on shelves in the Fine and Rare Book Room which
has restricted regular hours and access mostly due to limitations of staff
time (9-12 M-F or by appointment), But it's on the same floor as the arts
open stacks and our reference desk. The artists books were at one time kept
separate in a locked room as low-lifers to the very fine books in Spec, but
they became so popular, and the Spec room was such a good place to hold
artists book classes increasing in number, books were merged into the room
with little argument or questioning eventually.
Our department is one together and so small though, no one was really
arguing over ownership.
Gloves are not used commonly here with the kind of book you're talking
about. There is definitely a mystique connected with respectful book
handling - especially in our otherwise throw-away culture (still), but
better explained rather than forced by stifling the senses.
At one point early in the life of the collection, I think in the spirit of
artists books and free dissemination, some of the books in bound codex form
were hardbound and put on the open stacks, but then the "art" of the book
is often compromised, so we don't do this anymore. (My apologies to the
spirit of the 70's). An example of an exception to this is that one artist
who donated a book asked if it could be bound as a hardback (where the
cover is xeroxed and covered with mylar over a cardboard base) and
disseminated freely.
I complied. (I still like the idea of artists books running around freely
in the collections if only....)
Some book artists might say that wear and tear from handling is part of the
"reading" of the book, though that can also be taken to extremes (and hard
on limited resources and budgets). I often use the example of the big blue
ink mark on the face of the woman getting the extreme makeover in Rebecca
Lown's Procrustes Bed to explain to students that ink pens are verboten ;
)
I also explain to the students that although artists books (especially the
not-so-expensive ones) are usually meant to be disseminated and handled,
care must be taken to preserve use for the many people that use the
collection (in which many of the books will not be able to be replaced).
This doesn't help you much, but that's our situation presently.
I would say that if you can accommodate the users as much as possible, it
pays off for visibility of the library, it's a lot more fun, and especially
optimal for education, as books of this sort address some of our most
pressing current cultural, ethical, environmental, political, social,
personal (you name it) issues.
It is kind of sad in a way when some of the books get a bit worn or so worn
access becomes even more restricted, but considering the educational
aspect, it might be worth it.
Could your two departments somehow make a joint effort to optimize access
and preservation?
Mo
--On Tuesday, April 26, 2005 4:32 PM -0400 Thomas Hill <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Dear friends,
>
> I am considering building an artists' book collection that would be
> available to faculty and students for browsing as well as assigned
> uses, to be kept in a secure area or office of the Vassar Art Library
> and used as reserve material is, for short durations but for
> in-house use only. Members of the Art Department are enthusiastic
> about the idea, and we're thinking of doing an annual event with a
> book artist in the library as a way of enhancing the library program
> and adding another dimension to our holdings.
>
> The problem is, Main Library Special Collections (located far from
> the Art Department) has suddenly conceived an identical interest in
> developing an artists' book collection and is arguing that only they
> can properly care for and supervise the use of this material.
>
> I can certainly argue that this isn't what the Art Department has in
> mind, that access would be too restrictive for them to take an active
> interest in building and promoting the collection, etc. -- but the
> conservation issue is still there. The literature of course tends to
> be conservative on the issue of care and security.
>
> The type of publication I am considering, to start, would be a
> representative collection of the not-terribly-expensive sort -- such
> as those distributed by CCA Kitakyushu or the Women's Studio
> Workshop, where very interesting items can be had often for less than
> the cost of the average art book.
>
> So, my questions are --
>
> 1: Do any of you keep artist's book collections in your libraries for
> student access, especially where your institutional libraries also
> have Special Collections libraries that may also have a claim on this
> material?
>
> and
>
> 2: Do you require special handling or supervision of this material as
> it is being used: cotton gloves, felt deskpads, etc.?
>
> Thanks all,
>
> Tom
>
>
> --
>
>
>
> Thomas E. Hill
> Art Librarian,
> Vassar College
>
> Maildrop 512 Vassar College
> Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
>
> Voice: 845-437-5791
> Fax: 845-537-5864
>
> email: [log in to unmask]
>
> __________________________________________________________________
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>
Mo Dawley
Senior Librarian
Art and Drama Librarian
[log in to unmask]
412-268-6625
http://www.library.cmu.edu/Research/Arts/Art/index.html
http://www.library.cmu.edu/Research/Arts/Drama/index.html
http://www.greenarts.org/
__________________________________________________________________
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to [log in to unmask]
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Questions may be addressed to list owner (Kerri Scannell) at: [log in to unmask]
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