We have been building an Artist's Book collection as part of our Book
Arts program for many years - it is in Rare Books - but as they are in
the same building, we don't have trouble getting students to go there.
The collection is wonderful as a teaching tool in all sorts of contexts.
We do use gloves - I asked our Curator for her reasoning on this -
Margaret Landesman
Utah
-----Original Message-----
Gloves are a real problem and have always been so for me. We use gloves
for our rare books not so much to protect the books (which often they do
not, but on the contrary can be dangerous) but because perception is so
important. This applies not only to patrons, but more importantly, to
staff. We have found over the years that there must be some real
differentiation in protocol in order to get even the minimum consistent
level of handling procedures by staff. This is sad to say, but painfully
true. So, we continue to use gloves in spite of our best instincts not
to do so.
Madelyn D. Garrett
Head, Rare Books Division
and Book Arts Program
_________________________
Special Collections
J. Willard Marriott Library
here at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago the artists' book
collection is one segment within Special Collections (amidst a variety
of material and archives, some artists' book related, others not). It is
located within the main library (students also have access to the
museum's library, which does not collect artists' books).
Students and faculty from some of the departments (Studio Arts,
Printmaking, Photography) have to walk quite a bit to get from their
building to ours but so far seem to think that a visit with us is always
worthwhile - even during Chicago winters. (How far is too far for your
faculty?)
The material is strictly non-circulating, of course, with few of the
reference materials duplicated in the circulating collection. We are
open to the general public and accommodate about 8,000 users per year,
more than half of those are our own students. Keeping the collection
running efficiently requires quite a commitment on part of the library,
especially financially - something you have to be prepared for.
We simply ask visitors to wash their hands just prior to handling the
material and do not require gloves. We found that those are
intimidating, leading to clumsiness and generally give an unsatisfactory
experience with the type of material we are collecting (CCA Kitakyushy
and WSW amongst them). I am amazed how well the material, even after the
most frequent usage, is holding up and how careful the vast majority of
people are with it. What makes these items special is not necessarily
restricting their handling or usage, but their conceptual and aesthetic
integrity, their freedom from art trends and marketable topics, and the
casualness with which interesting art can be made and shown -
characteristics that becomes clear to most visitors rather quickly.
Good luck,
Doro
AnneDorothee Boehme
Special Collections Librarian
Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection
John M Flaxman Library/School of the Art Institute of Chicago 37 South
Wabash Chicago / Il 60603-3103
312.899.5098 (phone)
312.899.1851 (fax)
http://www.artic.edu/saic/art/flasch
>Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 16:32:17 -0400
>From: Thomas Hill <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Academic Art Library Artists' Book Collections
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
>
>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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AnneDorothee Boehme
Special Collections Librarian
Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection
John M Flaxman Library/School of the Art Institute of Chicago 37 South
Wabash Chicago / Il 60603-3103
312.899.5098 (phone)
312.899.1851 (fax)
http://www.artic.edu/saic/art/flasch
__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
For information about joining ARLIS/NA see:
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to [log in to unmask]
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[log in to unmask]
__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
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Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
to [log in to unmask]
ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
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